Deep Focus

Hermeto Pascoal is one of those artists who, every time you play his singular music, you see the lights go on for a new batch of listeners.  Meanwhile, his established fans say, "Why don't you ever play this guy?!" and I say, "What do you mean?  I JUST played him!"  They're relentless!On the last episode of Deep Focus, in a rebroadcast from 2013, we listened to multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal with guidance from his fellow musical inventor, our guest, Leon Gruenbaum.  This Monday we play the following show in which we go over the top with more Hermeto! More Leon!  And now with the additional wisdom of bassist Henry Schroy who has made an extensive study of Hermeto's music.  Do you think THAT will be enough for those Hermeto fans?  I seriouly doubt it very much but it's certainly worth trying.#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #LeonGruenbaum #HenrySchroy #HermetoPascoal #BrazilianMusic #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcastPhoto credit: no copyright information available.

This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor.

 

Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here.  Let's remember them together.  It's a fun one!

 

Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor.

 

Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here.  Let's remember them together.  It's a fun one!

 

Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor.

 

Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here.  Let's remember them together.  It's a fun one!

Would it be enough if I simply told you that Miles Davis said that Hermeto Pascoal was, "the most impressive musician in the world"?  The correct answer to that question is, "No, it would not!"  That would be leaving out his truly distinctive system of musical organization, the bands of acolytes who have interpreted his work,  the number of instruments he has mastered and performed on and, especially, the savage, detonating beauty of his music, the way he evokes nature's simplicity and complexity through sound.  You've never heard anything like it.  

 

And there is no one better to take us through this music than Leon Gruenbaum.  Like Hermeto, Leon is a composer, a bandleader, an inventor of musical instruments and systems of exquisite wonder.  They have both lived in New York and in Brazil... Wait a minute: this is like that Kennedy-Lincoln thing!  Come check it out -

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #HermetoPascoal #LeonGruenbaum #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: HermetoBsAs78-Arturo-Encina Arturo Encina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Would it be enough if I simply told you that Miles Davis said that Hermeto Pascoal was, "the most impressive musician in the world"?  The correct answer to that question is, "No, it would not!"  That would be leaving out his truly distinctive system of musical organization, the bands of acolytes who have interpreted his work,  the number of instruments he has mastered and performed on and, especially, the savage, detonating beauty of his music, the way he evokes nature's simplicity and complexity through sound.  You've never heard anything like it.  

 

And there is no one better to take us through this music than Leon Gruenbaum.  Like Hermeto, Leon is a composer, a bandleader, an inventor of musical instruments and systems of exquisite wonder.  They have both lived in New York and in Brazil... Wait a minute: this is like that Kennedy-Lincoln thing!  Come check it out -

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #HermetoPascoal #LeonGruenbaum #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: HermetoBsAs78-Arturo-Encina Arturo Encina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Would it be enough if I simply told you that Miles Davis said that Hermeto Pascoal was, "the most impressive musician in the world"?  The correct answer to that question is, "No, it would not!"  That would be leaving out his truly distinctive system of musical organization, the bands of acolytes who have interpreted his work,  the number of instruments he has mastered and performed on and, especially, the savage, detonating beauty of his music, the way he evokes nature's simplicity and complexity through sound.  You've never heard anything like it.  

 

And there is no one better to take us through this music than Leon Gruenbaum.  Like Hermeto, Leon is a composer, a bandleader, an inventor of musical instruments and systems of exquisite wonder.  They have both lived in New York and in Brazil... Wait a minute: this is like that Kennedy-Lincoln thing!  Come check it out -

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #HermetoPascoal #LeonGruenbaum #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: HermetoBsAs78-Arturo-Encina Arturo Encina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Arturo O’Farrill, as a bandleader and as a citizen of the world, is an informed and thoughtful man; it shines through in everything he does. When host Mitch Goldman asked him for a topic for Deep Focus, his response consisted of two equally surprising options: either Steely Dan or Olivier Messiaen. Well, Messiaen is going to have to wait; Steely Dan won the day.  

What's that you say? You're not a Steely Dan fan?!  Probably because you haven't heard a proper Jazz man's take on them at the top of their game. 

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #ArturoO'Farrill #SteelyDan #JazzRadio #JazzInterview

Photo credit: no copyright information available.

Arturo O’Farrill, as a bandleader and as a citizen of the world, is an informed and thoughtful man; it shines through in everything he does. When host Mitch Goldman asked him for a topic for Deep Focus, his response consisted of two equally surprising options: either Steely Dan or Olivier Messiaen. Well, Messiaen is going to have to wait; Steely Dan won the day.  

What's that you say? You're not a Steely Dan fan?!  Probably because you haven't heard a proper Jazz man's take on them at the top of their game. 

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #ArturoOFarrill #SteelyDan #JazzRadio #JazzInterview

Photo credit: no copyright information available.

Arturo O’Farrill, as a bandleader and as a citizen of the world, is an informed and thoughtful man; it shines through in everything he does. When host Mitch Goldman asked him for a topic for Deep Focus, his response consisted of two equally surprising options: either Steely Dan or Olivier Messiaen. Well, Messiaen is going to have to wait; Steely Dan won the day.  

What's that you say? You're not a Steely Dan fan?!  Probably because you haven't heard a proper Jazz man's take on them at the top of their game. 

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #ArturoO'Farrill #SteelyDan #JazzRadio #JazzInterview

Photo credit: no copyright information available.