Mizar5

We mentioned Steelydoc before, he won a C$ sticker with his WB and DF license plates. But Mizar5 is now proud to present yet another Steely Dan ‘pro’, because that’s what you might like to call these very devoted Steely Dan fans who, well… just read for yourselves what Carsten (47) from Danmark in Europe has to say! We start with a letter from May 29th and take it from there, showing you pictures of some familiar and unfamiliar Steely memorabilia and a review of a concert from the Steve Lukather’s No Jazz Tour. Carsten, of course, has also won a C$ sticker.

(click images!) Way back when in seventy seven / eighty seven a friend introduced me to Aja which immediately blew me away and I have been a fan ever since. Shortly after I bought Katy Lied and Royal Scam. I was very fascinated by the incredible musicianship, the perfectionism, the amazing drum grooves, the horn arrangements, the bass lines, the fabulous guitar solos, I simply enjoyed every single note. At that time I had started playing the drums, and of course all of the great Steely Dan drummers have since been a big influence. Then came Gaucho and The Nightfly, both incredible albums, and I stayed an enthusiastic fan for some more years.

At that time I was also enjoying music by Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott, Dave Grusin, Little Feat, Average White Band, David Sanborn, George Duke etc. Still… Steely Dan was my main influence. From mid 80’ I slowly moved into a more jazzy period and Steely Dan went a little in the background. It was now Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Herbie Hancock, Michel Camilo, various Big Band music etc. that had my main attention. Of course I loved Kamakiriad and Alive in America when they were released but it was not until 2000 when Two Against Nature was released that I kind of rediscovered Steely Dan. Then I wanted to know more.

From 2000 and ’til today I have tried to find out more and more about Donald and Walter, the music, the background, the lyrics. In my first period (late 70’s and ’til mid 80’s) it was only about the music, I tried hard but I didn’t really understand much of the cryptic lyrics. I had Katy Lied and Royal Scam, but none of the earlier albums. I believe that is the reason why I today still consider Katy Lied, Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho as my “The magnificent four”.

Since 2000 I have studied the history since Bard College, bought all the remaining early albums, read Brian Sweet’s several times, Dandom Digest, Blue Book, Yellow, searched the internet to keep myself up to date, Mizar5, Radio Dupree, various outtakes, some bootleg recordings, bought all the Tribute CD’s that I have been able to find, searched at lot on related and earlier involved musicians… what have they been doing over the years, what are they involved in today and so on… so yes.. I am back as a 200% Steely Dan Fan, and for sure… I am DAN’ish.

I must admit that over the past two years or so, I have almost only been listening to all sorts of Steely Dan, bootlegs, tributes, early recordings etc. I will love to share my interest and enthusiasm for Steely Dan and related stuff. And I love the new era, 2vN, EMG, MTC, am thrilled about Circus Money and hopefully there will be a new Steely Dan album soon and some concerts in Europa. Nowadays, when I have a little spare time from listening to Steely Dan, it will most probable be Robben Ford, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Tower of Power or other various kinds of jazz.


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Pictures: Zitadelle, Berlin (2007); A Circus Money stand at Carsten’s house; Is there gas in the car?; He Got The Steely Dan T-Shirt (and more).

Yesterday, Saturday June 28th, my brother and I went to see Steve Lukather and his band, we were both blown away by the incredible musicianship of the whole band. I had heard Stab In The Back but I hadn’t bought the album so we were both unprepared and had no special expectations, but Steve and the other band members simply blew us away, it was a fantastic concert. When Steve introduced “Stab In The Back” he said that it was dedicated to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. After the concert both my brother and I bought the CD, talked to all the band members and got the CD signed (I send you a scanned copy), it was a great night. By the way, I saw TOTO (with the great Jeff Porcaro) back in 1989 in Copenhagen.

 

Theo de Jong, Peter Hertmans, Lionel Beuvens, Daniel Stokart
(photo: © Dirk Vervaet; click image for All About Jazz review)

The radio can still be a medium to sweep you off your feet, off to different worlds, away from the day to day grind or mayhem one might like to escape from. While at work, some time ago, i was listening to Klara radio, a Belgian station for classical music and jazz. This particular evening, i was struck by what i heard and learned it was a Belgian guitarist by the name of Peter Hertmans. Next to touring with a variety in ensembles, he teaches guitar and music theory at the Royal Brussels Conservatory.

Via his label Mogno Music, i got in touch with him and he sent me his latest album Cadences. A review has been published today, in All About Jazz. Besides the music of Georg Wadenius, which i’ve listened to a lot lately due to my involvement in creating his MySpace site, there hasn’t been much jazz guitar coming my way tickling me enough to ‘investigate’ further.

But there is something about Peter Hertmans’ guitar playing, whether it’s his technical ability and ease or the depth in his compositions, that made me curious to hear more.
And i was not disappointed.

“Daniel Stokart (soprano sax), Theo de Jong (bass) and Lionel Beuvens (drums), according to Hertmans, are stimulating musicians who pushed him to rethink his way of composing. The opening track, “Tritone Song,” leaves nothing to be desired as Stokart takes off in an exhilarant flight, backed by the rhythmic pulses of his fellow musicians until Hertmans takes over in a consolidating manner that sets the reoccurring groove throughout the entire composition.”

A few days ago we had a little contest here in Mizar5 which prompted a response from Steelydoc in Pennsylvania, USA. If anyone deserved one of the C$ stickers, it would be him. He’s the guy quickly becoming as famous as the founders of Steely Dan and even noticed by them. Well, it’s these props actually that do the trick. They’ve been present at many concerts already! Click the images for a better view on these exclusive one-of-a-kind license plates.

In return for sending him a C$ sticker, i got an SD one. Whilst Doc’s package is up in the air literally, the SD sticker’s already stuck to my car’s rear end.

© 2008 Hernan Hernandez, Beacon show, June 20th. Click image.
Here’s a couple of reviews and comments regarding the Think Fast tour, by the way.
Tampa Calling
The Big Picture

(click image for his MySpace site)

He’s not a new or rising star, although chances are he’ll attract a whole lot of attention once his album will be officially released. Rossif Sutherland joined MySpace in 2006 and when i found his music by chance early 2007, his deep voice and songwriting skills blew me away at once.

Tracks like These Words, Miracle and Snow Covered Roads are classics already. They’re easy on the ear and thus very catchy, with lyrics that range from contemplative reflection to melancholic moods, approaching the human condition and emotions from sincere and heartfelt perspectives.

Recently he’s added two slightly more obscure tracks. Monkey Business is uptempo with a scent of playfulness in both music and lyrics, while Finish Line deals with the loss of a loved one in a beautiful haunting and appropriate orchestration. Answering Machine, the final song in the MySpace music player, is leaning towards the style that makes you want to play These Words, Miracle and Snow Covered Roads in repeat mode. So be careful if you visit Rossif’s page

(updated June 22)
Click HERE for a Walter Becker interview in the Boston Herald. And check Radio Dupree for Walter Becker as DJ on Sirius. Serious!!!

(click image) Kind of in a rush today, but wanted to mention the C$ bumper stickers arrived this morning. The first one will be sent to Pennsylvania in the US of A.
Steelydoc, a regular traveller in Blue, owns a collection of Steely Dan license plates and even has a Walter Becker plate. The C$ sticker, of course, fits perfectly well then!

And yes, there’s MUSIC when you enter Mizar5. We tickled Garageband and Walter’s new disc and had us a swaying good time. Must say mr. Becker’s tough to sing along with, so pardon me collapsing here and there in version 2 and 3. tried to smoothen out some of the glitches and the result is version 4 and 5 (grin) in the player below. there will be a version 6 because in version 5, i’m rushing in the first chorus, no can do

 

“The last place one would expect a girl with the exotic presence of Cyd Charisse to have come from is Amarillo, Texas. When she entered the world as Tula Ellice Finklea it may have seemed a long shot that one day her glamorous image would grace the covers of Life, Newsweek, Look, and every conceivable movie magazine on the world’s newsstands. But luckily for us Cyd’s father loved the ballet and encouraged his daughter to dance. And dance she did. She developed a tenacious work ethic and eventually jettéd her way into the respected Ballet Russe at the age of fourteen. Little Miss Finklea soon appeared in that company’s program as Felia Sidorova, a euro-ized combination of her last name and her nickname “Sid”. While traveling the world and growing up in a tutu, she was still an arabesque or two away from finding her true calling.”