From The Bad Plus

I took this from DO THE MATH, the ever-fantasic blog from The Bad Plus, one of the country’s greatest bands.

GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OR TWO OF AN ESPECIALLY GOOD OR INTERESTING:

1. Movie score. Schizopolis; truly anything by Ennio Morricone
2. TV theme. The A-Team;The O.C. (not because it’s good, but it works perfectly with the show and theme).
3. Melody. Anything by The Misfits or Wire.
4. Harmonic language. I think TBP got it right, especially The Ramones .
5. Rhythmic feel. Anibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
6. Hip-hop track. The Game – “Hate it Or Love It” — “If It Wasn’t For You” – Handsome Boy Modeling School and De La Soul
7. Classical piece. I like most of Mitsuko Uchida’s work on Schubert, esp. the Sonatas.
8. Smash hit. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
9. Jazz album. Bill Evans – “Sunday At The Village Vanguard”.
10. Non-American folkloric group. Not folkloric, as much as Non-American: Hurra Torpedo
11. Book on music. Not on Music, but by a musician, “Actual Air” by David Berman.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

A) Name an surprising album (or albums) you loved when you were developing as a musician: something that really informs your sound but that we would never guess in a million years: The Misfits, “Static Age” and Lyle Lovitt “I Love Everybody”

B) Name a practitioner (or a few) who play your instrument that you think is underrated: Well, it’s not fair to call me a musician because I’m simply not good enough, so I’ll go with poetry and say John Clare. Amazing work, so sad, and really gets forgotten to often.

C) Name a rock or pop album that you wish had been a smash commercial hit (but wasn’t, not really): Constantines – “Tourament of Hearts” – consistant release after consistant release

D) Name a favorite drummer, and an album to hear why you love that drummer: If I say Dave King I’m pandering, so I’ll go with Art Blakey – “Paris Jam Session.”