Jazz Fest notes so far (Fri 4/27 - Sun 4/29), listening to WWOZ on the internet

Friday 4/27

Overall - Other than the non-Kermit vocals in his set, the mixes have been good. The music hasn't interested me but this is the best WWOZ has done since I started listening on the net maybe 10 years ago. Best sound. Djs have been restrained which is good cuz they usually talk TOO MUCH. No high end (16k) but good sound.

Details (not worth reading unless you're a wwoz geek.)

I join in at 12:15 pm (NY time) as they go live to the fest. (Listening via iTunes) They do the "live wire/club listings)

Wow, there is an advance online schedule! Let's see how close to reality it comes...

On today's schedule (times are NO time, Central time):

11:15-12:00 — Rob Wagner Trio — AT&T/WWOZ Jazz Tent (Probably straight jazz which doesn't interest me much but you might like it.)

1:35-2:35 – Swamp-Blues Guitar Summit featuring Lil’ Buck Sinegal and Rudy Richard — Southern Comfort Blues Tent (I've heard of Lil Buck SInegal but couldn't tell you what his music is like. Might be worth listening to.)

2:55-3:55 — Astral Project — AT&T/WWOZ Jazz Tent (Astral Project has been around for awhile. They're popular. I think of them as a sort of Spyro Gyra but they might be more interesting.)

4:20-5:35 — The James Carter Organ Trio — AT&T/WWOZ Jazz Tent (I love jazz organ so this might be good.)

5:55-7:00 — Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers — AT&T/WWOZ Jazz Tent
Updated: April 17th, 2007 (Trumpet player Ruffins is very popular. Might do some Louis Armstrong-styled stuff (singing)...)

***

12:38 (NY time) - Are we listening to Rob Wagner Trio live? No, that was Kermit Ruffins at Snug Harbor.

Now they go live 12:37 pm.

Sax gets pushed back in the mix...

(Live video on 5/5 & 5/6 here http://blueroom.att.com/events/jazzfest.php)

12:46 NY time, I realize I had the tape deck on pause so none of this has been recorded yet. No big deal.

Nice clean feed on iTunes. The best I've heard from OZ. (DJs still do station IDS too much, inbetween songs/tunes.)

Whoever is doing the MCing is way down in the mix. (James Singleton seen in Princeton!)

done at noon.

Jerry Lee Lewis' cover of Led Zepplin's Rock n Roll! Then Bonerama's Led Zepplin cover (Moby Dick)... Another brass band cover of a Led Zepplin tune (Ocean).

(Nothing live til 2:35 NY time...)

From WWOZ's web page:
WWOZ Breakfast Jazz Jams - Apr 27, 28, 29 / May 4, 5, 6

Hosted by Freddie Blue, Bid D, and Nicholas Conners

April 27: 7-11m, April 28 & 29: 8-11am
Featuring:
David Torkanowsky!
Big Daddy O
Next Generation Brass Band!
NOCCA Jazz Student Combo #1, and
McDonogh 15 Jazz Ensemble (playing program #1 of repertoire).

May 4, 5, 6: 8-11am
Featuring:
Michael Pellera Trio with special guest Leah Chase!
Rick Trolsen & the New Orleans PoBoys!
the Brian Stoltz Band!
the Holmes Brothers (could be good)
NOCCA Jazz Student Combo #2, and
McDonogh 15 Jazz Ensemble (playing program #2 of repertoire).

I don't know how anyone can play that early in the morning... but it looks like there could be some good stuff. I'll try to be online for it.

Hot 8 Brass Band.

getting some phase into the stream... 1:39 pm NY time

"it does go to the wee wee hours..." (They're still saying this...)

(2:40 nyt Yahoo IM out/back on)

tape 2 > 1734 walter wolfman washington - funk in the house!

tom morgan and missy bowen next

astral project t3 > 1209 (>1669 i raise level)

johnny v yelling 2070, is everybody relaxed?

(practically no high end, 16k, but it sounds fine.)

t3 >1801 piano, set over, it's recorded

(phasing hasn't been heard in a long time)

Van Morrison - Domino (Very low level)

t4 >1405 jazz organ

2067 vocalizing effect on synth low in the mix then fixed. bad cable, nice ending to this!

6:26 pm NY time, t4 changes to B side.

Tom is babbling on as usual.

t1> bonerama - hey now (sure would be nice to have the high end...), then silence, then a klezmer band.

>899 Kermit - world on a string,
1926 - awful child singing. retch vomit
- next song singer is totally out of the mix and the engineer isn't able to find them. oh well. must be on a coffee break.
- (If you want me to stay) other guy's vocals are out of the mix too. kermit may be a good player but his material sucks.

They cut from the stage cold to silence. Finally Tom and Missy come on.

***

Saturday, April 28

Summary. I was looking forward to Mose Alison and of course, was disappointed. His playing was fine but the mix, for the first time this Jazz Fest, was not so great and there was hum throughout his set. Burnside Exploration was cool. Mem Shannon good.

Bob French rubs me the wrong way very easily and did so throughout his shift. One or two of the DJs talked too much as they did station IDs inbetween songs so they cut off the beginnings of the next songs. Bad. Make it brief then shut up.

OZ had a schedule for yesterday. It is still up. No schedule for today or tomorrow as of 5:30 NY time. Too bad. It's really handy to have an idea who's playing when. The DJs might mention things in passing but you have to pay attention. They run by it pretty quickly and not too coherently and if you miss it then you are just as in the dark as usual.

Details
I tune in about 11:30 am (NY time) for Topsy Chapman (who isn't on the schedule).

live wire before noon/11 am NO time.

noon, NY time. Go to the fest. Oh no, it's Bob French for this shift. (And Lisa.)

Today's schedule: NOCCA Brass Ensemble (later changed to NOCCA Jazz Ensemble), Burnside Exploration/Mem Shannon, (3pm) Mose Allison!, Terence Blachnard.

Bob. You just went on air and you're complaining that someone brought only one "samich" (the black pronunciation for sandwich)? You don't eat before you come on? Of course, me making a mountain out of a molehill, this is so typical of you. A pain in the ass. Always complaining. Why aren't people glorifying me...

(12:25 NY time) We go to the NOCCA level 2 Jazz Ensemble. Straight jazz. One tune then silence. Back to the DJs. You listened to ONE SONG! Back to the stage. Now we have level 3.

nice drum intro. another boring jazz tune. going up and down scales. yawn. Into a familiar tune... (Maiden Voyage)

one more number by Alvin Batiste-Aliyah? I like this one a little.

(1:12 NY time) DJ talk

Lisa: You know I'v lost my mind. Bob: What mind? Lisa: I resemble that... Idiocy reinforcing itself. NO has to get out of that. I don't think there is any hope for Bob though despite his giving thanks to the nice kids who rebuilt his house. He'll always be an asshole.

Basin St Blues. Nice.

Lots of NO as Disneyland songs and talk. Hope we hear some good new music.

t2 at some point. Bob French singing You Are My Sunshine? A sing-along. Whoopee. Sounds like a mariachi horn section. Pathetic yodel at end.

Bob: "I hate people who make fun of me." Asshole.

Joe Crown - Tipitina

1:29 pm NY time t2 > 1730 Go to Mem Shannon

nice organ intro.

Lisa stumbles and then does it live.

Somebody gonna hit you with an ignorance stick.... (levels go up). cont on t2 b side

Level goes down then up on next song. Very minor. Good mixes though. So much better than in past years.

This will be a good lead-in to Mose. The piano player has got some chops.

Bob French comes on to announce the time, 1 pm NO time. The we get silence then Mem does a quieter song that made me wonder if they had just gone to a CD.

Wow, a post-Katrina song. Almost brings tears to the eyes. t2<1782>1880 Nice new to me song.

Shelter in the Rain - she's off key at one point.

Topsy Chapman coming up at 6 NO time, an hour from now.

CJ Chenier. Ah, the good ole days. I went to Jazz fests from 72-76. Saw him however many times.

Funk Is In The House again!