#australian legends stamps

[charlesandmartine]

Tuesday 10th December 2024

Reluctantly, we left, heels dragging, Dingo Beach this morning. The accommodation was fine and comfortable, but the location was gorgeous. I could live there tomorrow. The people were friendly and to sit having a beer on the beach, turtles doing backstroke and waving as they passed, fish jumping with a little wink, as it got dark each evening was absolutely out of this world.

We have now progressed southward down the Bruce Highway, and our first stop was Proserpine, a town like many in this area built on the sugar industry. Its skyline was dominated by the refinery and, no doubt a significant employer. George Elphinstone Dalrymple named the Proserpine River on an expedition in 1859. Proserpine derives from the legend of the Greek goddess Persephone (whose Latin name is Proserpine). The British moved in in 1860, pretty much straight away, really. The Crystal Brook Sugar Company was formed in 1882 and established a sugar industry in the region a year later. Since then, it has developed into a major industry in the region. We drove 125 km to firstly a small town called Marian and then on to Finch Hatton and it was sugar cane all the way, with their little narrow gauge cane trains weaving across the road networks, first alongside the roads and then through fields, trucks filled with produce.

Marian was a pleasant little town named Marian after the town station, which in turn was named after a local large house called Mary Ann.

The town's other claim to fame, apart obviously the sugar refinery, was the Soprano operatic singer Helen Porter Mitchell, (1861-1931), who later became known as Dame Nellie Melba, taking the name from her home town of Melbourne. Well, no doubt she had a good set of pipes, but I don't have any of her CDs.

We are now ensconced for the next 3 nights in a truly lovely old property, the Old Post Office. Finch Hatton is set close to various National Parks, one famous for platypus around here and also close to the mountains with Dalrymple Heights featuring quite well. The town certainly by first impressions is extremely fetching, and despite us occupying a post office, a replacement thankfully was provided further down the street. Shame really because I rather fancied using a big rubber stamp and sorting postal orders.

The visit in Marian earlier to Woolworths ensured the store cupboard is fully refurbished with rubbery chicken and SB. The great offer on the Banrock SB, 33% extra free, is still on, and the cellars are now well stocked.

A short walk around the town familiarised ourselves with the facilities and we were able to bore witless one or two locals vis-a-vis our travels so far. They look interested for 5 minutes or so, then they glaze over and mutter, sounds like you've been more places than most Australians! This is causing real problems for us now. Magnetic Island was fabulous, Dingo Beach, terrific, and now Finch Hatton we find we love too. It is such a lovely little town, and we have already been invited to the Christmas bash tomorrow night! Decisions, eh?

ps. Temperatures sizzled today circa 37 degrees. The locals all seem to agree it's going to tip down over the next couple of days. Something to do with the wet season. They all look forward to it!

[qnewsau]

Priscilla Queen of the Desert almost had a very different cast

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-almost-had-a-very-different-cast/

Priscilla Queen of the Desert almost had a very different cast

A producer of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has opened up about the film’s production in a new retrospective, recalling the process of casting the Priscilla ensemble and what could’ve been.

Priscilla is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. The film premiered in 1994, received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and won an Oscar, a BAFTA and an AACTA for its iconic costumes, by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. It’s now a iconic queer classic.

In a fascinating new retrospective, Priscilla producer Al Clark and others recalled how the film was made 30 years ago, recalling writer-director Stephan Elliott’s script was solid from the start.

“We thought simply that it had a shot at being an original piece of entertainment with an enduring life without having any idea what kind of enduring life it would have,” Clark told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I was confident that Stephan, having written it, would direct a comedy that was funny and affecting… But the main consideration, in neon-lit capitals, was make it funny, make it poignant, make it good and make it transcendent.”

UK actor gave a ‘flat no’ to Priscilla role

Al Clark said he, writer-director Stephan Elliott and cinematographer Brian J. Breheny rented a four-wheel-drive in 1993 and drove across Australia on a road trip to map the film’s bus route.

“On the journey, naturally, we discussed a lot of films and I thought about a lot of films. You can’t do that length of journey across Australia without doing so,” Clark says, listing Lawrence of Arabia and Born Free as inspirations.

Al Clark also recalled the long casting process for protagonists Anthony “Tick” Belrose, Adam Whitely and Bernadette Bassenger.

At one point, INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence was in the running for Tick. Strictly Ballroom star Paul Mercurio was up for Adam, and American film legend Tony Curtis could have been Bernadette.

Clark confirmed that at different points all three were legitimate contenders.

Other choices included Rupert Everett as Tick and Jason Donovan as Adam, who both passed. John Cleese was offered Bernadette, but gave “a flat no”.

Kyle McLachlan, Rupert Graves, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick were offered Tick, and Peter O’Toole, Richard Harris and Albert Finney were offered Bernadette.

But Al Clark said everyone knew they had to be careful.

“The chemistry of the three was so fundamental that we could never come up with a name without correspondingly judging that name against the kind of people we may have notionally cast in other roles,” he said.

A night out in drag on Oxford Street

Hugo Weaving eventually joined. When Terence Stamp took the role of Bernadette “it all seemed to start happening,” Al Clark said.

On the eve of the film shoot, Hugo Weaving, Terence Stamp and the third member of the ensemble, Neighbours alum Guy Pearce, got in drag. The actors went on a night out on Sydney’s Oxford Street with Clark, Elliott and other members of the crew.

They visited gay clubs Gilligan’s and DCM, and Clark said each of their actors transformed into their on-screen alter egos.

“It was an attempt to give the actors a transcendent moment, where in costume and in a location consonant with their roles, they would have an opportunity of feeling ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ happened to be,” Clark explained.

You can read the entire fascinating retrospective here.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert arrived in Australian cinemas on September 8, 1994. The film is back in cinemas this September to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Earlier this year, director Stephan Elliott surprised us all by confirming a sequel was in development with the original cast.

Read more:

‘They booed’: Stephan Elliot recalls horror first Priscilla screening

‘Save the queen’: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert bus found

How the original Priscilla bus was found in country New South Wales

Guy Pearce weighs in on Priscilla Queen of the Desert sequel

Broken Heel Festival is celebrating 30 years of Priscilla in film’s spiritual home

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[xasha777]

In the cathedral of New Melbourne, on the planet Terra Australis, the Grand Oracle had gathered her strength for the prophecy that would coincide with the great race of machines - the Australian Grand Prix, a legacy from Earth's ancient sports carried through the stars.

With the ethereal glow of her temple as her backdrop, the Grand Oracle, Seraphina, stood adorned in garments woven from the feathers of the majestic Phoenix, creatures that soared through the starry skies above the metropolis. Her eyes shimmered with a cosmic intensity, reflecting the grandeur of the event that brought together humanity's need for speed and its quest for the divine.

It was said that on the eve of the Grand Prix, the Oracle could tap into the very essence of the cosmos to foresee the outcomes not just of the race, but of the events that would ripple out into the galaxy. This year, amidst the hustle of interstellar traffic and the roar of engines that defied gravity, the prophecy was particularly awaited, for the signs had told of an anomaly that would occur during the race.

As Seraphina's chants rose above the crescendos of the cathedral's ancient organ, a hush fell upon the throng of spectators. A vision coalesced before her, an image of a machine unlike any other, a racer that bore the insignia of the ancient Terra. It glided over the track with the elegance of a comet, its driver a shadowy figure of legend whispered to be part racer, part machine, their mind melded with the circuits of their vehicle.

In a burst of clairvoyance, the Grand Oracle spoke of a disruption in the race, a moment where the fabric of reality itself would thin, and through this veil, a new champion would emerge. This racer, not bound by the physics of the material world, would slipstream through time and space on the track, achieving speeds that defied comprehension.

The day of the Australian Grand Prix arrived, under the watchful eyes of planets aligned in rare formation. The race began with the thunderous applause of fans, human and alien alike, their cheers transmitting through the vacuum of space. The racers, a blend of biological and mechanical prowess, took to the track, engines flaring with plasma and antimatter.

But as foretold, during the final laps, reality wavered. The mysterious racer appeared, a specter at the edge of perception, blazing past the frontrunners. In a shimmering display of otherworldly power, the racer transcended the limits of the race, completing the circuit in a time stamp that had no precedent.

As the racer crossed the finish line, the cathedral bells tolled, resonating with the frequency of the cosmos. The crowd erupted in awe and wonder, witnessing not just a victory, but a phenomenon that would be etched in the annals of racing history. The Grand Oracle's prophecy had come to pass, and with it, the legend of the spectral champion of the Australian Grand Prix was born.

In the days that followed, the racer vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared, leaving behind a legacy of questions and possibilities. Some said they were a traveler from another dimension, others believed they were the embodiment of the Oracle's will. But all agreed that the universe was vaster and more enigmatic than they had ever imagined.

And so, in the hallowed halls of New Melbourne, amongst the echoes of ancient chants and the whisper of feathered robes, the legend of the Grand Prix grew into a myth, reminding all that in the grand tapestry of space-time, anything was possible.

[letterboxd]

Common Language.

With her third feature, Lingua Franca, now on Netflix, Filipina filmmaker Isabel Sandoval talks to Valerie Complex about undocumented immigrant workers, sensual cinematography, taking narrative risks and Steven Soderbergh’s sexiest film.

“I’m not the type of filmmaker that is into crowd-pleasing and I think that resonates with audiences.” —Isabel Sandoval

Isabel Sandoval’s films have an auteur, European appeal; they take their time. Inspired by cinematic film legends including Chantal Akerman, Wong Kar-wai and James Gray, Sandoval is pushing forward in an industry reluctant to change, creating narratives that speak to her existence, and her experience.

After making two feature films set in her native Philippines (Apparition, Señorita), Sandoval relocates to her adopted hometown, New York City—or at least a small seaside corner of it—for her third film. Lingua Franca follows Olivia (played by Sandoval), an undocumented Filipina trans woman who is looking to secure a green card so she can continue to stay and work in the US. Olivia knows the only way to legal status in present-day America is through marriage, but struggles to find the right person to accept her offer.

Green-card marriages also cost money. Olivia takes a job as a live-in caregiver for Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman living in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. She soon finds a love interest in her client’s grandson Alex (Australian actor Eamon Farren), and her future seems solidified. Or is it? As anxiety about deportation mounts, Olivia strives to maintain autonomy in a world that continually rejects her.

The slow, meditative nature of Lingua Franca has already found fans on Letterboxd. “Trans narratives are so often couched in dramatic twists and turns, but here we get something so much more gentle,” writes Connor. Sandoval’s turn as a woman searching for her truth while existing at the intersections of marginalization is also hitting home. “This is the hardest I've been struck by a performance since Jeon Do-yeon's masterful display in Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine back in 2007,” writes Joshua. “I really cannot believe this is Isabel's first performance and I certainly believe that it won't be her last.”

Sandoval instinctively injects concepts of immigration, loneliness, and displacement throughout Lingua Franca in a way that doesn’t overwhelm, but does force deep empathy. “Artfully plays with a lot of themes at once,” agrees Letterboxd member Oluwatayo.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of ‘lingua franca’—“something resembling a common language”—can be interpreted in various ways. For Sandoval, she aims to create her own common language of passion, pain and new beginnings. With migrant workers sharing a common language of homesickness in every corner of the world, I had to ask why she chose New York to be the setting for this emotional drama.

Isabel Sandoval (as Olivia) and Eamon Farren (as Alex) on Brighton Beach, New York.

Letterboxd: What is it about New York that made the setting work for you and Lingua Franca? Is it the diversity of the environment or…? Isabel Sandoval: You know, growing up in the Philippines, New York was seen as romantic. I wanted to put my stamp and unique views of life in New York City. I wanted to do two things with Lingua Franca: I wanted to do my own New York movie from the perspective and the gaze of a foreigner and an immigrant, and I wanted to make a different kind of film that was quiet and patient. I wrote the script around the time when Trump got elected president, which painted a perfect storm for the premise, story and view of the film. I was also influenced by the James Gray film Two Lovers, which was filmed in Brighton Beach.

That’s not an easy thing to accomplish in a New York movie, yet you manage to do that with such patience and quiet and subtlety. I was shocked. But, you know, New York is not all crazy. There are places that are quiet. Exactly! Especially in Brooklyn. I wanted to capture the different worlds that exist block to block in the film.

Your movie deals with a lot of themes: family, immigration and romance… I’m always drawn to stories with a socio-political point of view about women who are marginalized and forced to make intensely personal decisions. French filmmaker Jean Cocteau once said: “Filmmakers make the same movie over and over”. As you progress and make more films, and you’re being involved as a storyteller, you’re beginning to polish; your style becomes more evident and sophisticated. That’s just the story I felt attached to because it was one I was passionate about and it was the right time to create it.

How do you feel about being embraced by the film community, both domestically and abroad? Tribeca, Locarno, SXSW and Venice are among the festivals that have premiered your films. It’s vindicating to me. My first feature film shot and produced in the US screened internationally, but, with Lingua Franca, it’s come full circle. I think critics now embrace and know that I have a voice and a sensibility that’s worth exploring more. They want to involve a filmmaker with different views, especially in an industry where you need to conform to certain formulas and certain group things in terms of how we approach certain issues or certain things or certain ideas. It truly makes me feel independent.

Art-house film and cinema has long been associated, or at least for the last fifteen years, with really gritty, social-realist drama. I’ve received reviews of my film that criticize it for not being romantic enough. My film captures emotions that are not easy, obvious and straightforward. I’m not the type of filmmaker that is into crowd-pleasing and I think that resonates with audiences.

You are the director, the star, the editor, and the producer of Lingua Franca. How did you stay organized enough to manage all of those tasks? I have one job and that is to make a film and tell a story. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish, and honestly, it’s me being a stubborn auteur.

The camera work is really sensual and intimate. What conversations took place between you and cinematographer, Isaac Banks, and what, if any other films, were the inspiration for that look? He and I discussed patience and sensuality often, so that’s why Wong Kar-wai had quite an influence on my work with In the Mood for Love and also Christian Petzold, the German director, who directed Transit and Phoenix.

Lingua Franca places a particular lens on the fragility of Filipino, migrant culture. In the film, Olivia exists at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, ICE and Covid-19—and you lay that all on the table here. What do you hope the audience will see in Olivia’s story at this time? She’s a trans woman, she is a woman of color, she is an immigrant, but she’s also more than the sum of these individual parts. I know my film demands a lot of intellectual and emotional labor, but it’s important that viewers think deeply and critically about Olivia’s motivations, which may seem contradictory and complex. I want Lingua Franca to be an emotional experience, even if it’s not the most comfortable to watch. If I get one audience member to do the emotional legwork of trying to understand where the main character is coming from, I will feel complete as a filmmaker.

What do you think is the must-see Filipino film, classic or new? [Peque Gallaga’s] Oro, Plata, Mata, which came out in 1982. It is a multi-generational tale set in central Philippines. It’s just a sprawling, dramatic epic, and it’s one of the films that made me want to be a filmmaker. It’s not the most technically polished film, but it takes risks narratively. At the end of the day, it’s not about how big the production is. It’s your willingness to be expansive and explorative as a filmmaker that counts.

What do you consider the sexiest film you’ve ever seen? Out of Sight by Steven Soderbergh.

Out of Sight?! I did not see that coming. Yes! That film doesn’t have any sex scene, but it’s the level of seduction for me. I think sensuality is not necessarily a physical encounter between bodies, but the patience and longing of the moment.

What is your all-time favorite comfort film? A League of Their Own by Penny Marshall. That was the first movie that I saw where I bawled in the last ten minutes of the film.

If I were doing a triple feature with Lingua Franca, what two films would you recommend to watch before or after? I would recommend Ali: Fear Eats the Soul by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, which is another interracial love story between a German woman and a Moroccan immigrant. The other one would be Two Lovers by James Gray, which is set by the beach.

Isabel Sandoval (as Olivia) and Lynn Cohen (as Olga) in ‘Lingua Franca’.

[Spoiler warning: The final two questions concern aspects of the film’s ending.]

I thought the ending of your film was powerful, because we’re right back at the beginning of Olivia’s journey. Sometimes things don’t work out and you have to pick up the pieces and move forward. Exactly! I also wanted to make a point that even though we are focusing on Olivia, I pulled the camera back to highlight bigger sociological themes. She is one of many immigrants in the script and their fates are not resolved by the end of this movie. I wanted that to be a subtle reminder this type of thing becomes cyclical. Life goes on, it’s just another day. Olivia is a displaced immigrant woman in America where Trump is president. Whereas Olga, who’s Ukranian-Jewish, left her home country fifty or sixty years ago in the aftermath of the Holocaust. I wanted people to see this connection.

Based on the meaning of ‘lingua franca’, was that your original choice or for the title? The definition really fits the story. The film is an invitation to the audience to really pay closer attention to language—the language of things said and unsaid. That probably was also a big point of decision for me to open and close the film with words in Tagalog, which is my native language. A lot of people have asked “why didn’t Olivia accept the marriage proposal?” at the end of the film. Sure, that would’ve been practical, but I invite the audience to look at the language between Alex and Olivia. I challenge them to look beyond Olivia as just an immigrant without papers or as a trans woman looking for love, but this is a woman who is taking her agency back and her ability to determine her life moving forward.

Related content

Leonora Anne Mint’s list of Films by Transgender Writers and Directors.

The Top 100 Filipino Films on Letterboxd.

Jojo Kuneho’s lists of Tagalog movies.

Philippines: The Ultimate List.

Follow Valerie on Letterboxd.

‘Lingua Franca’ is distributed by ARRAY Releasing and is available on Netflix.

[ltwilliammowett]

The King of Iceland

Jørgen Jürgensen later Jorgen Jorgenson (1780-1841), adventurer, was born on 7 April 1780 at Copenhagen, Denmark, the second son of Jorgen Jorgensen, royal watchmaker, and his wife Anna Lette, née Bruun. He changed his patronymic to Jorgenson in 1817.

Jorgen Jorgenson (1780-1841)

Jorgenson's formal education stopped at 14. At 15 he was apprenticed to Captain Henry Marwood of the English collier Jane, and served in her four years between Newcastle and Baltic ports. By his own statement, he then served on various vessels, including a British man-of-war into which he had been press-ganged. In 1801 he was aboard the Harbinger at Port Jackson, where he soon joined H.M.S. Lady Nelson as John Johnson. As he was not discharged from her until April 1804, he probably sailed with Matthew Flinders in 1802, witnessed the disbandment of the first settlement at Port Phillip, and certainly was present at the first settlement on the Derwent in Van Diemen's Land. His own testimony has generated the legend that he was first to harpoon a whale in the Derwent. For months in 1804 he was sealing in New Zealand waters and whaling in the Alexander. He left Australian waters in her in February 1805 and by way of New Zealand, Tahiti, Cape Horn and St Helena arrived at Gravesend in June 1806.

After some months of London pleasures he returned to Copenhagen. In fact, he arrived home just in time to bear witness to the bombardment of Copenhagen by ships of the Royal Navy. The assault destroyed a third of the city and killed nearly 5,000 people. The two-week campaign sprung from the Danes’ reluctance to turn its navy over to the British, lest it fall into Napoleon’s hands. By Sept. 5, 1807, 50 English warships pounded the capital into submission, after which the combined Danish-Norwegian fleet, which included 18 ships of the line and 16 frigates, was reluctantly turned over to King George. Following the action, Jorgenson sought revenge against his adopted homeland.

The bombardment of Copenhagen 1807

During the Anglo-Danish war Jorgenson commanded the privateer Admiral Juul cause of his extensive experience at sea and took three prizes before striking his flag to H.M.S. Sappho in March 1808.

As a "prisoner of war on honour" he was arrested in London, where he made acquaintance with the merchant Phelps, who was interested in the Icelandic trade during those war days. At that time the Royal Danish Trade Monopoly ruled over Iceland, and the Danish fleet was defeated, so it could not maintain this trade.

Jørgensen sailed twice to Iceland on British ships in 1809. The first time on a merchant ship as an interpreter and the second time on a frigate which Phelps had equipped and which was provided with a letter of marque. The Danish governor of Iceland, Count Trampe, banned trade with Great Britain as early as 13 June. One day after the arrival of the frigate in Reykjavík on 25 June, Count Trampe was arrested by the crew of the ship.With Phelps' support, Jørgen Jørgensen proclaimed Iceland's independence from the Kingdom of Denmark and the rule of the people on the same day, i.e. 26 June 1809, and declared himself a protector.

HMS 'Sappho' Capturing the Danish Brig 'Admiral Jawl', 2 March 1808

All Danish officials and sales representatives were placed under house arrest. The camps of the monopoly trade were confiscated as well as the treasury.Jørgen Jørgensen settled in the governor's seat, but avoided any form of personal enrichment. He built a fortress, gave Iceland a flag of its own, and surrounded himself with a six-man bodyguard of locals, whose boss he appointed the then 25-year-old Jón Guðmundsson Effersøe. This bodyguard undertook various expeditions and arrested, for example, the chief judge of the country, Ísleif Einarsson.

On 12 July, Jørgensen even declared himself the provisional autocrat of Iceland and announced the recall of Althing (National Assembly), which had just been abolished by the Danish Crown.He thus contradicted the absolutist attitude of the Danish king. The Icelandic population was rather wait-and-see, especially since it was suspected that Jørgensen was acting on behalf of the British state.

Added to this was Iceland's relative defencelessness.In the Dansk Biografisk Leksikon of 1895 it says judgmental:    "In addition to his eccentric character, Jørgensen's own appearance is explained by the fact that he obviously felt like a naturalized Englishman even then, without any trace of sympathy for his native country” .

But this curious episode in Iceland's history lasted only two months. On 26 August the HMS Talbot arrived and Jørgensen's "reign" came to an abrupt end. The captain harshly rebuked Phelps. All Jørgensen's proclamations were cancelled, and the self-proclaimed "King" was arrested to go to prison in England. Two high-ranking Icelandic officials took over state power, while Count Trampe went to England to testify.The Icelanders from Jørgen Jørgensen's bodyguard remained unpunished, but Jón Guðmundsson Effersøe, for example, emigrated to the Faroe Islands.

"The reason for Jón Guðmundsson's emigration from Iceland to the Faroe Islands is unknown, but although he and the other bodyguards were spared prison, there may have been a supreme judge who wanted revenge!

- Don Brandt: Stamps tell the story of the Faroe Islands

On the journey to England suddenly fire broke out on the ship. According to witnesses, Phelps and Jørgensen saved the lives of the crew with intrepid courage. They were the captain's guests of honour until their arrival in London. After his arrival in London,  Jørgensen spent a year in prison because he had left the country despite his word of honour (see above). In prison he began to play and succumbed more and more to gambling addiction.Back in freedom, he lived an unsteady life and later had to serve two years in prison for unpaid gambling debts. 1815-17 Jürgensen was in the service of the British government in France and Germany, visited Waterloo, Frankfurt, Weimar, Dresden, Berlin and Potsdam (Sanssouci) according to his own report. When he returned to London, he continued his wild lifestyle and was finally sentenced to another prison term for fraud.

A later sentence then imposed deportation for life. In 1825 he was banished to Tasmania. In Tasmania he changed his name to Jorgen Jorgenson. He was soon released from prison conditions and undertook many voyages of discovery and research in the interior of the island. He described the indigenous population for the first time. He became a productive and successful author about his adventurous life.

His books were popular in Australia and England, and his unprinted manuscripts were accepted into the British Museum. As an author, he wrote in English under the name Jorgenson. He wrote travelogues, theological and economic treatises, newspaper articles and autobiographical notes. He finally got married in 1833. In 1835 he was appointed "policecommand".Jorgen Jorgenson was found dead in Hobart on 20 January 1841 at the age of 60 (older sources say 1845 or 1850). He died as a free man. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery.

If you want to read more : The English Dane: A Life of Jorgen Jorgenson: Sarah Bakewell

[leggomylino]

❧

Just after he died, he sat up. 

You stare at your game, completely dumbfounded.

What the heck?! I know I just killed him with that last attack! I totally crushed the sorry little--

“Ding!”

“Ahh!”

You nearly drop your DS in a state of panic.

“What? Who? Where?!”

“Ding! Ding!” 

Slowly you look toward the only source of light in your room, other than your game screens and whatever’s managing to peek in through your curtains. With a shaky breath of past anxiety you crawl across the cream-colored carpet of your bedroom to lift your phone off the desk, stopping next to a grape juice stain that was 100% Han Jisung’s fault.

Speaking of Han Jisung...

Crap, you’d completely forgotten about him! You rush to the window, opening it just as a rock comes flying for your face, having to duck to avoid a black eye or a chipped tooth.   This guy. You peer down at him from your second story window.

“What the heck are you doing?! You almost killed me!” “Killed you?! I was aiming for the window not you!” You have to stifle a laugh at seeing him soaking wet from the automatic timed sprinklers in the neighbor’s yard, but it doesn’t go so well.

“Ha-ha, yes, laughing at my misery just like the rest of them. Hyunjin and Jeongin totally have corrupted you, liar…” You roll your eyes before throwing him a Sailor Moon blanket that could use a good run through the wash anyway, traces of a smile still evident on your face. “Geez, quit being such a whiny baby. I’m coming down, okay? Meet me out front!” “You expect me to trek back through no-man’s land?! What if my computer gets━”

That’s the last thing you heard, since you’d already rounded the corner on your way down the hall. You make a quick job of retying the messy bun of your I-may-or-may-not-have-been-brushed-in-the-past-twenty-four-hours hair before sliding down the rail of your staircase like a pro and swinging the front door open. Han meets you with a sour look on his face. He and Sailor Moon are both soaking wet, but somehow Luna and his laptop had managed to make it out unscathed. “I’m telling on you.”

“To who?” you laugh, stepping aside to let him in. “Hurry up and wait right here. I’ll go get you some fresh towels.”

He steps inside while his sour face turns quizzical, then slightly amused. “Hurry up and wait right here? The heck does that mean?”

“It means what it says! I mean, what it sounds like! Just…” You lock the door behind him, and he smiles. “How many cups this time?”

“......”

“C’mon, (y/n),” he chides, slinging off his pack at the door and tossing the wet blanket beside it. “How many?” Your brows furrow. “You’re not gonna tell on me, are you?”

His smile is nothing less than mischievous. “I dunno. Am I?” “Mrgrgr…” You march off to get him those fresh towels, your hostile movements warning him not to follow you, which he only laughs at and does anyway. ‘Cause that’s just the kind of jerk Han Jisung is. Smh.

The towels in the dryer are still warm from whence the cycle ended some hour and twenty minutes ago, so you toss him a couple of those and a smaller hand towel for his face or computer, whichever he decides to use it on. The pleasing scent of ginseng and honey-lavender dryer sheets wafts over your face and fills the small laundry room as you pull yourself out of the metallic chamber. “So what’s going on? Did you really come all the way over here just because you’re mad about the group text?”

He opens his mouth to say something, but the doorbell rings before he has a chance to answer. 

You blink towards the sound as realization crosses your face. “Wait right here. I’ll be right back!” You have to be careful as you scurry on sock-clad feet across the honey-brown floorboards to the front door again, passively on the lookout for any water Han tracked on his way in. You can’t help but smile with excitement as you fling the door open. You frown. So does Felix when he sees the look on your face. “Wow. Someone’s excited to see me.” “You’re not Jaemin,” you state dumbly. He manages to keep a completely stoic face as he shakes his head.

“No, I’m not. Who’s that?”

“My brother. I’m expecting him to come visit me soon. He does every Sunday.”

“I see.” He’s looking down at his phone, then pockets it a moment later whilst giving you a cheesy smile. “Are you gonna let me in? I’d hate to meet the same fate as Han. Especially because I just upgraded my phone for the new game release tomorrow.” You do your best to cast away your disappointment as you let him inside. “Yeah, whatever, come join the party.” You stick your head out the door to check left, then right, ensuring no other thots were left unaccounted for before locking up again. “You got other company or somethin’?” he asks, eyeing Han’s things.    “Nah, just Han. He stopped by like five minutes ago. He’s in the laundry room drying off.” You begin making your way back with Felix following a few steps behind you. “So what are you doing here? Also show me your phone, I wanna see! Wait, hold on, why do you need a new phone for Ultrascape? It’s not an app game, they’re only releasing it for Xbox and PS4. Also--” Felix begins to laugh a bit, eyeing you from above his phone screen that’d mysteriously found its way back into his hands. “Someone’s had coffee today. How many cups?” You groan as you break the threshold into the laundry room. “Seriously, you too? Why can’t you guys both just leave me alone…Hyunjin and Innie never give me a hard time about my drinking habits.” They both find amusement in your pouting, Han having just finished drying his laptop and tossing the towel into the hamper. “Wow, so you really do like them better than us. We can’t help it if it’s incredibly entertaining to make fun of your addiction problem.” “I wouldn’t say incredibly entertaining, but...yeah, pretty much.” the Australian boy agrees, giving a little shrug. He begins to mumble and ramble things into his shiny new phone screen. “Also it’s...y’know, kinda cute.” Something exotic washes over your cheeks and paints a picture of a sunny spring day on your insides, but you’re able to thankfully dismiss it as so thirty seconds ago as the doorbell rings yet a third time. This time when you open the door, you’re able to uphold the sheer joy on your face at seeing Jaemin smiling down at you with a drink carrier in one hand and a bouquet of lilies in the other. The ever-so-slight ombre tints in the roots of his light-dyed hair remind you of just how long it’s really been since you last saw him, even if it was only just a week. “I am Li-ly~ Of the va-lley~” he starts to sing, and you laugh, taking the drink carrier and giving him a cheesy wink. You sing back to humor him.    “Of the quiet peaceful valley over there~”

You fling your hand out into a random direction off yonder, and you both burst into a fit of giggles like it’s the funniest thing in the world. The moment you open the door to Jaemin’s weekly Sunday visits, every time, no matter what’s going on, the collection of stressful events and uninvited anxiety in your life just seems to melt away into nothing; one of the many things you loved about your brother. But Han Jisung doesn’t seem to get it, given the blank expression on his face as he’s staring the two of you down from ten feet away. He doesn’t say anything either, only making things that much more awkward. “Umm…” You put on another grin as you gesture to your brother like a Nobel prize, since he may as well be anyway. “Han, this is my brother Jaemin. This is Han Jisung, one of my friends I was telling you about.” you explain. Jaemin’s smile is genuine as he gives the young man a polite nod, the other doing the same in return. “A pleasure. Thank you for looking after (y/n) in my absence. I know she can be a handful the way she’s always running into things.” “You mean like trouble? Yeah, she does that a lot. You should have seen her when we introduced her to Minecraft. But yeah, the pleasure’s mine as well.” “Minecraft?” Jae gives you a strange look above his normally sunny disposition, to which you reply with a playful shove and a roll of your eyes.    “Yes Jae, Minecraft. Come on, you have to at least know that one.” “It’s not that I’ve never heard of it before. I’m just surprised you’re letting the season pass for League of Legends that I just bought you go to waste.” “I’m not!” you protest, stamping down your foot. “I just played a few rounds with Felix and Jeongin the other day!”

He shakes his head, tsking. “A few rounds...a hundred and eighty dollars down the toilet.” “Not so! We won! And I even...” Your voice trails off again as you look around, suddenly realizing something━ really someone━ is missing. You shoot Han a curious glare. “Where’s the other thot?” He’s engrossed in his phone like Felix was when he showed up at the door a bit ago, raising his eyebrows to show that he heard you. “Hm? Oh, he left about two seconds after you ran out of the other room. He got an emergency call from work.” “Oh…” You don’t mean to sound so disappointed, but it just comes out that way, and you can only hope the others didn’t notice. “Do you know what he came here for?” He mimics the action from before. “...Mmm...yeah, just a sec…” Just a sec quickly becomes a full minute, then two. You know the look on his face all too well. He’s definitely playing Fortnite. That’s what I get for giving him the WiFi password…

You grab Jaemin’s arm, pulling him away into the kitchen. Thankfully he doesn’t ask any questions. “Thanks for the coffee,” you say, pulling out your favorite particular beverage from the carrier after placing it on the island. Jaemin chuckles while searching the cabinets for a vase to put the flowers in. “It’s decaf, just so you know. I don’t need you bouncing off the walls after 3 pm, especially in your condition.” You frown at that last remark, but it doesn’t compare to the dreaded aura you send towards the thick stack of cards you failed to notice he’d been holding in his back pocket with a few smaller ones in the flowers. “What’s all that?” you ask; but you already know the answer. He’s eyeing you with warmth and delight, making it that much worse. “Why, this is your fan mail! I’ve got a tote bag full of them out in the car, but I just picked these up from the post-office on my way over. I thought they were for me because they were addressed in my name, but I think the girls must have gotten confused on who to address it to.” You scoff. No, they were just bold. Here’s the thing about your fan mail: It wasn’t for you. It was never for you. 

It was for Jaemin. Your supposed “fans” couldn’t give less of a hoot about you or your health. It was your strikingly handsome, fashionable, polished, boyfriend-material brother they were after. The moment your friends...who were never really your friends to begin with...the moment they found out you had a brother, and that that brother was Na Jaemin, well, they all about had a meltdown of lovesick heartache and went batsh*t crazy. It was then you realized they’d never really been your friends at all, that they’d just heard some petty rumor that you and Jae were dating, and when he cleared it up that oh, no, that’s only my sister, they just started using you to get closer to him. Word had spread over the time of your departure from the university, and after moving back home within the first two weeks one of those Mean Girls (probably Regina) thought it’d be a swell idea to send you a get-well card in order to get under your brothers good graces. And because your sweet caring brother also had to be such a gullible dumbass, he had to go and tweet the word out that it’d be so great to see more of these! thinking those girls actually cared. 

They cared alright, but not about you. So now you were getting mounds and mounds of these petty fake Get better! We’re always think of you! Hellmark greeting cards. And ironically, they were what fed your anxiety as of late. You open your mouth to finally tell Jaemin what’s really going on, because surely if he wasn’t getting it by now and the girls were getting this desperate it’d gone on long enough, but as you turn your eyes up to him from staring into the onyx marble counter-top something thin and sharp pierces a nerve in your gut. It’s Jaemin. You didn’t notice it before when he was standing so close, but now as you’re seeing him from across the kitchen, beneath the recessed lighting, he’s...thin. So thin. He’d always been slim, but never thin. He turns to the side, and you’re able to see his face now. His skin is a strange, almost translucent color, and there are deep purple blueberries under his eyes, the bags weighed down with hours and hours of lost sleep piled on by stress that shows in the poor coloration of his face. He’s still an attractive guy, of course, but...he looks like he’s auditioning for the role of Death. “Jaemin?” you say instead. Your voice comes out wavered, distorted, unsure. “Are you okay?”

“Hm?” He turns his head all the way towards you, and you feel like an idiot for not noticing as soon as you opened the door. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiles. “Why do you ask?”

Bless his heart, he’s putting on that fake smile for your benefit. You can feel your protective mom instincts winding into submission, the ones that usually only kick in when Jeongin’s around or that time Jaemin got the flu. “I dunno, you just look really...tired.” You stand. “Do you wanna lie down? I can take care of the flowers. I’m pretty sure the guest room is still clean if━ or maybe if you wanna crash of the couch for a bit━” His laughter cuts you off, and he shakes his head while waving a hand at you. “I’m fine, really. I’m always tired, you know this. Besides,” He finds a clear blue vase, carefully arranging the flowers inside and filling it with water. “You’re the one that needs to be resting. Go make yourself comfortable in the living room and pick out something for us to watch.” “......” “...What? Did you want to play a game instead?”

❧

[𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 (𝚢/𝚗) 𝚍𝚘?   𝙵𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝   𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢   𝙱𝚊𝚐 ➤ 𝚁𝚞𝚗 ]

“......” You shake your head, wandering out into the living room.

❧

[𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎? ➤ 𝚈𝚎𝚜    𝙽𝚘]

[𝚂𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐… 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛…]

[(𝚢/𝚗) 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎.]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝙼𝚢 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎  → 𝙽𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗 |  [𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛!𝙹𝚒𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚡 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛!𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚡]

[ 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙱/𝚈 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 //  ➤ 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙰/𝚇 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎 ]

[jazzviewswithcjshearn]

A deeper look at: Pat Metheny: From This Place (Nonesuch/Metheny Group Productions, 2020)

Pat Metheny: guitars, keyboards; Gwilym Simcock: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; voice, Antonio Sanchez: drums with the Hollywood Studio Symphony conducted by Joel McNeely. Special guests: Luis Conte: percussion; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals.

This review is dedicated to the memory Lyle Mays (1953-2020).  Your brilliance, and contribution to Metheny’s music, and the world of music as a whole will never be forgotten.

Pat Metheny enters a new phase of his career and era with From This Place. The guitarist has been regularly performing for the past several years be it with the stellar quartet that graces this release, Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer of choice, Antonio Sanchez, in addition to duos with bass legend Ron Carter, and the experimental Side Eye project prominently featuring acclaimed up and coming young musicians. However, From This Place is the guitarist's first recording in six years since Kin (↔) with the Pat Metheny Unity Group.  To round out the core group, Metheny enlisted Metheny Group alumni Luis Conte on percussion, in addition to harmonica ace Gregoire Maret who played on and toured behind The Way Up. The guitarist also welcomes back arranger Gil Goldstein to the fold who appeared on Secret Story as well as the tour that followed, and the legendary Alan Broadbent. Meshell Ndegeocello sings on the title track with lyrics written by her partner Alison Riley.

Metheny has been no stranger to touring and constant playing, although the 66 year old has scaled back his once massive nearly year round touring schedule to about 150-200 dates around the world to accommodate family life, the fact that From This Place is the first album in six years is a bit of anomaly in his release history.  The music industry has rapidly changed in recent years: the rise of streaming sites like Spotify, Amazon HD Music, and Qobuz in addition to Youtube has changed the way the public consumes music. CD sales have rapidly declined, although they still outsell vinyl, which is continuing it’s resurgence.  Metheny has been an example of an artist where physical releases are truly special, almost an event.  Going back to his days on ECM, he has always benefited from striking cover art, often being involved directly in the process itself, something rare nowadays.  He has adopted not only streaming, but usage of Bandcamp and offers up audiophile high resolution mastering of the new recording on platforms like HD Tracks and Pro Studio Masters, though the advent of Youtube almost a decade ago and frequent camera phone videos (as well as bootlegs in general) have been an impediment to the guitarist and thus resulted in the controlled studio environments that spawned The Orchestrion Project and Unity Sessions video and album releases reflective of how he approached the music live on tour.

The guitarist has also in the past decade drastically changed his approach to music.  While his recordings with the Pat Metheny Group featuring co founder, keyboardist and writing partner, the late Lyle Mays were and continue to be his most popular works balancing complex forms with memorable melodies.  Since the PMG's final recording The Way Up in 2005, the guitarist has focused on increasingly complex, harmonically dense music that has entered new arenas. This music, featured on albums like Orchestrion, Tap (where he played the music of John Zorn) and Kin(<->) while bearing his inimitable melodic stamp, if one were to peruse various internet discussions, some fans felt that these albums had a higher barrier of entry and wished for more melodic material-- while all these albums, plus Unity Band featured exemplary writing, occasionally the melodies took their time to unfold.  While many of these melodies contained Metheny’s unmistakable essence, From This Place for the most part, goes back to  where his melodies are instantly memorable and singable. Because the album features backing from the Hollywood studio symphony, in addition to the core quartet,  some listeners may automatically assume it is a direct sequel to Secret Story,  the album is anything but. Though it at times conjures moods of the earlier album, the similarities end beyond surface comparisons. The fact is Metheny has moved far beyond that period in his writing, and improvisational abilities, and his writing is the best it's ever been. The album is somewhat of a career summation, but like many others in his discography like Speaking Of Now, or Imaginary Day, the contents also show a new path forward.  This album is firmly rooted in the interplay and solos of a quartet, as Unity Band was, though the the backing of the orchestra, with arrangements centered on what the quartet played, change the complexion considerably.  It is also the first time the guitarist has had a pianist for a foil in his own bands since Lyle Mays.

The genesis for how this music came to be is fascinating.  Around December of 2017, Metheny went into the studio with Simcock, May Han Oh and Sanchez, and laid down sixteen new compositions, of which ten are on this release.  As the music began to be played, he began to hear things inside of it that had yet to be manifested.  The guitarist had logged considerable road time with bassist Ron Carter, whom he played several duo gigs.  During the travel time, Metheny asked Mr. Carter, a lifelong hero of his about the process of playing in the Miles Davis Quintet from 1963-1968-- more specifically, why did they stick to Davis' standard book in concert?  The bassist has frequently described the nightly experiences of playing with Davis as being a laboratory, and they developed a certain code on the bandstand, where through playing standards, they were able to use said code in the creation of new music in the studio.  

From that inspiration, Metheny toured the quartet on the road playing selections from his vast songbook.  They too, would use their own code, something not entirely unfamiliar.  After all, the first recording that Antonio Sanchez participated in was Speaking of Now (2002) with the Pat Metheny Group, and that album, like From This Place was an evolutionary album, which set the stage for the  larger territory tackled in  The Way Up.  The seeds sown in the compositional processes found there would be in Orchestrion and Kin (↔).  The present quartet has really inspired him, and arguably is closest in conception and flavor to the original PMG in terms of broad stylistic conception.  Longtime Metheny fans who have been at shows in that period, or in collector's circles are quite familiar that the early PMG experimented with new tunes before recording, including standards into the set list as well as playing fan favorite tracks.  Something quite similar to the current quartet. As Metheny explained vis a vis the approach to add orchestration to flesh out the playing of the quartet he notes:

As much as folks might describe the sonic language of the avant-garde movement of the sixties as falling into an identifiable generic sound, I have always regarded the general expansion of creativity of that era in a more ecumenical way.

The stylistic changes that occurred then in our community included not only the obvious examples of individual players utilizing extended techniques on their instruments in new ways, or new types of ensembles, but also the wildly new approaches that technology, particular recording technology, offered.

Multi-track recording allowed for entirely new kinds of music to be made.

It is unlikely that the recordings of the CTI label of that time would likely never be thought of as “avant-garde” by garden variety jazz critics of that (or probably any other) era. But from my seat as a young fan, the idea of an excellent and experienced arranger like Don Sebesky taking the improvised material of great musicians like Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter and weaving their lines and voicings into subsequent orchestration was not only a new kind of arranging; it resulted in a different kind of sound and music. 

It was a way of presenting music that represented the impulses of the players and the improvisers at hand through orchestration in an entirely new way. I loved those records.

This will not be the first recording of mine where that equation—record first, orchestrate later—has come up. But it is by far the most extensive one, and I would offer the most organic. From the first notes we recorded, this was the destination I had in mind.

Don Sebesky's arranging skills, found on recordings such as First Light (1971) by Freddie Hubbard, Sunflower (1972) by Milt Jackson and his own Giant Box (1974) illustrate the approach Metheny had in mind.  The track “Wide and Far” is not the first Metheny track to feature an overt homage to the CTI sound.  “So May It Secretly Begin” from the classic (Still Life) Talking (1987) was also an Sebesky homage, particularly in the rich Synclavier string arrangement, but “Wide and Far” positioned as the second cut on From This Place takes that arranging influence to a far deeper level.  The melody is simply prime Metheny, with string, reed and brass sections that in some ways are reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard's Sky Dive (1972) album.  The guitarist, spurred by Sanchez's liquid ride and May Han Oh's of the earth bass takes an inspired solo, amidst soaring orchestral harmonies.  There is a deep in the cut funkiness aspect of Metheny's playing here that not only exhibits the sheer joy of playing with this special class of musicians, but his  nods to George Benson here appear  more overt than they did on “Here To Stay” from the Metheny Group's We Live Here (1995).  It is a beautiful homage, and the handoff to Gwilym Simcock on the bridge section is seamless, where the pianist weaves, fresh lines in his very individual voice. The Welsh pianist was a late bloomer to the jazz world, as he began playing the music in his twenties. Over the course of two decades with associations such as former reedist with Chick Corea's Origin, Tim Garland and the Steve Rodby produced Impossible Gentlemen, Simcock has been one of the most in demand pianists.  During the quartet's 2017 performance at the Beacon Theater it was amply evident how much the guitarist enjoyed having a pianist against as co conspirator and solo voice. The quality is evident in spades on From This Place and one wonders the possibilities were Metheny and Simcock to become co writers.  Also in the Davis Quintet mold, Metheny had each member have input on the material and three of the four members arrange pieces, save Sanchez who acts as an arranger in real time crafting colors and textures based on what the music calls for.  While the recording has several trademark cinematic numbers, perhaps none so than “America Undefined” a defiant statement against the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President.  The piece draws on the more complex material found on Orchestrion and Kin (↔). Linda May Han Oh, a wonderful leader and composer in her own right, most recently used strings in provocative ways on her latest work Aventurine, and brings that deep orchestral awareness and attention to shading found in her own work to From This Place.

A Sanchez cymbal roll leads into May Han Oh's ascending arco bass melody, which bears some similarity and extends on a bit, the post solo interlude section of the Kin (↔) title track featuring Giulio Carmassi's ascending vocals in tandem with guitar in piano.  May Han Oh's arco melody sets a prominent melodic thread through the piece, and Metheny adds signature hollow body guitar over a rubato foundation that gives way to him once again stating the melody with orchestra behind him in a 5/8 time signature. During the melodic statement, Simcock and May Han Oh play a stunning unison counterpoint line, reminiscent of Bach.  Simcock's piano solo begins with the rubato foundation, Sanchez adding provocative rim clicks and fascinating comping underneath. From there, Simcock is vaulted into a burning 4/4 swing and samba section sans bass drum accents, the orchestra reminding listeners of the melodic cel behind them.  Simcock's solo is filled with vigorous single note ideas, he is a devotee of Metheny's entire catalog, also bearing out why he is an evolution in Metheny's concept of a pianistic foil—something the guitarist clearly relishes. Metheny follows with a soaring, inspired hollow body solo, the orchestra's harmonies providing a huge lift.  

May Han Oh returns with the initial melodic figure at the top, and then around 8 minutes into the piece, what sounds like Orchestrion vibes introduce a much darker, brooding mode.  Shades of the sound effect and musique concrete driven sections of “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls” are here, with some of the strangeness of the soundscape section of “Are We There Yet?” from Letter From Home in terms of eerie sounds wafting in and out of the mix.  The sounds of clunking, and railroad tracks dominate as the strings remind of the melody once again, May Han Oh's thunking pedal point from earlier in the composition is yet another thematic thread.  Metheny uses slide and ebow guitar as a constant distant drone, and provides disembodied strands of further distanced electric guitar in the sound stage bouncing between speakers (or headphones).  At first listen it seems to be a call back to “Cathedral in a Suitcase” from Secret Story (1992), but upon further listens is more reminiscent of the distorted guitar deeply embedded into the mix at the start of “Psalm 121” on the soundtrack of The Falcon And The Snowman (1985). The bluesiness of these disembodied lines somehow evokes uncertainty, and the loud bells of a railroad sign, as the orchestra spins variations on the main theme, let you know something is coming. Suddenly, Sanchez' slightly gated drums, a not so subtle Phil Collins and 80's production reference, and reminder of Steve Ferrone's toms on “Cathedral in a Suitcase” thunder in, to the sound of a loud train whistle, panning through the speakers. Sanchez's driving, John Bonham inspired rock beat along with the symphonies' restatement of a portion of the melody makes things truly epic.  The five minutes of orchestral investigation is truly thrilling and shows how deep of a writer Metheny has become.  Indian flavored strings play portamento glissando with microtonal elements, like those used on “Within  You, Without You” from The Beatles are an unexpected but pleasant element in a breathtaking finale.  The piece dies down with the fluttering of castanets, like birds flying away in a flock, eerie sampled vocal sounds in the left channel, fluttering and processed abrupt flutes and strings.  It's an unexpected end to a piece using some variant of a sonata form but never resolves itself completely.  Make no mistake about it, the piece is foreboding and dark, tapping into a new area of Metheny's writing, but strangely, there is also a trace of hope.

“You Are” is one of the most striking offerings on the recording.  Since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1975) on every album, the guitarist has had a melodic idea that his pushes to the breaking point through motivic development. Simcock's piano quietly begins the track doubled by chiming orchestra bells, a tip toeing two note figure is stated in unison, with sparse brushed cymbal work from Sanchez. Metheny's dark hollow body tone announces the melody, as the two note figure is enhanced by a wall of synthesizers, and strings.  May Han Oh's soprano voice is added to the density as she and Metheny state an arresting three note idea that builds and builds to a dramatic climax, before gentle strings sing in hushed tones as the original two note motif returns to close the piece.

Flutes double May Han Oh's resonate bass for the gentle melancholic theme of “Same River”.  The acoustic sitar guitar makes it's first appearance since “Wherever You Go” from Speaking of Now, and Metheny's double tracked guitar and sitar make use of one of his favorite devices, the glissando. Simcock plays a tasteful brief piano solo before the guitarist takes a trademark flight on Roland GR300 guitar synth, gorgeous ascending french horn and string harmonies-- the CTI reference is indeed very clear in this track with strong doses that will recall listeners of the PMG at their peak and some flavors of Secret Story (1992).

“Pathmaker” represents some of Metheny's most adventurous writing on record.  The track, along with “Everything Explained” bear a strong Chick Corea influence.  Metheny is positively lyrical on his first solo, then Simcock is at once melodic and knotty.  One of the most exquisite aspects of the track is the  unison line between Metheny and Simcock following the second guitar solo as Sanchez frames a volcanic dialogue around their line.  The provocative dreamy coda, sounding something out of a French film score, utilizes choice coloration from bass clarinet amidst butterfly esque clarinet string trills and some  electronics popping in and out.  Atop all that, Metheny's heavily reverbed slide guitar offers a longing melodic aside as the composition finishes. PMG alum and frequent Phil Collins percussionist Luis Conte's omnipresent colorations are a tremendous asset to the track.

If anything will make listeners make direct comparisons to Secret Story it will be the track “The Past In Us”. PMG alumni Gregoire Maret's reflective harmonica solo may remind some of the late Toots Thielemans' unforgettable eight bar contribution to “Always and Forever”, with the swelling strings behind him. Metheny graces the track with an absolutely gorgeous nylon string guitar solo. The final tracks are also perfectly programmed.  The title track stands as one of the guitarist's prettiest ballads, gorgeous strands of Bach inspired baroque strings frame a long intro, from which hymn like harmonies emerge. Ndegeocello's rich voice in alto and soprano ranges paints a picture of despair and hopelessness with tender lyrics related to the current cultural climate-- yet like much of Metheny's music over the years stands a bright ray of hope.  He takes an exquisite nylon string solo here as well.

“Sixty-Six” is a beautiful reminder of the midwestern tinges returning to the fore in Metheny's music.  The train motif is once again stated, with Sanchez' brushes on snare, and the guitarist spins a wonderful, singable melody over the top, and mixes the lyrical with the more harmonically rich approach to improvisation that has marked his work over the past decade.  Linda Oh's initial solo is full of ripe ideas, and her double tracked bass interlude following the guitarist's solo is an affectionate wink to Eberhard Weber.  To close the album, the Sebesky arranged CTI vibe returns on “Love May Take A While”, a wonderful ballad that if one closes their eyes, one can almost imagine Metheny's nuanced hollow body solo to be a horn, in his assurance of ideas.  

Sound

From This Place was principally recorded and mixed by Pete Karam at Avatar Studios (now Power Station, Berklee) with the orchestral parts recorded by Rich Breen in Los Angeles.   Karam has inherited the very rich sonic world found on Metheny recordings that was originally created and perfected from the Geffen era on by Rob Eaton.  Metheny's guitars take front and center in the sound stage with the delay from his multiple amp set up panning between the left and right speakers-- the effect is not as pronounced as say Travels, Question and Answer or Letter From Home, but is still there and has evolved as Metheny's tone has changed through the first two decades of the 21st century.  Linda May Han Oh's basslines appropriately showcase the deep woodiness of an acoustic bass sound and is quite accurate to the real thing.  Antonio Sanchez' drums are very present and forward in the mix with the main ride cymbal in the left channel, and his multiple snare drums being placed across the sound stage.

Luis Conte's percussion is also quite forward in the mix, and Simcock's piano is rich.  Orchestra placement is subtle to the rear of the soundstage.  What is apparent though is unlike earlier Metheny albums, the mix, like Kin (↔) the previous studio album is heavier on the mids, with not as much treble sparkle up top though this may be clearly system dependent.  Also interesting, while the album will be released in high res, the promo copies that were distributed by Nonesuch are 16 bit WAV files with a 48 KhZ sample rate equivalent to DVD quality, so while not hi res, the quality is a step from CD quality.  Thankfully Ted Jensen's mastering maintains a strong sense of dynamics which is imperative for music of this scope.

Final thoughts:

In what has been a career spanning nearly a half century, and filled with gems and milestones from both solo work and the Pat Metheny Group combined, From This Place may very well be one of the best albums of Metheny's career, if not the best.  His writing is clearly on another level, and as great as recordings with orchestra accompaniment have been like The Falcon and The Snowman, Secret Story and A Map of The World have been, the combination of one of his best ensembles in years, the inspired memorable tunes, great solos and the high level of arranging prowess,  represent the guitarist at his best.  The music is as much a summary of what has been to this point as it is pointing some new directions into the future.  Those who take the time to listen, understand the music for what it is, rather than what it should be, or is not, will be greatly rewarded.

Music: 10/10

Sound: 9/10

Edit: I made an addendum to the date of the recording which I previously stated as December 2016.  After the NYC Beacon Theater show in June 2017, Antonio Sanchez told me they were going into the studio to record, that December.

[astro-onechampionship]

3 Major Storylines Heading Into ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST

The world’s best martial artists will converge on Shanghai, China on Saturday, 15 June for ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST.

This battle of martial arts supremacy will feature a stacked card of World Champions and international superstars competing in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts.

As ONE Championship makes its return to China, we examine three major storylines ahead of this epic martial arts showcase.

How Will Stamp Fairtex Fare In Her First World Title Defense?

A showdown between two of the youngest and brightest stars in The Home Of Martial Arts will take place when two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex defends her ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title against Australian teenage sensation Alma Juniku.

As the older and the more experienced between the two, Stamp will be looking to build upon her recent string of success in ONE, which saw her capture belts in Muay Thai and kickboxing.

The Thai’s offensive repertoire of shrewd kickboxing, when combined with her skills in the clinch, makes her a nightmare match-up for most competitors. Yet she will need to be wary of Juniku’s strong knockout power, which will be ever so amplified with the smaller 4-ounce gloves used for their bout.

The 18-year-old Australian prodigy’s debut will be Stamp’s first roadblock as she attempts to lay the foundations for a long and fruitful title reign.

Will the Pattaya native roll out her victory mat to welcome Juniku, or will the teenager score yet another upset in a year full of surprises so far in The Home Of Martial Arts?

A Japanese Superstar Debuts With ONE

ONE has only grown stronger in Japan since the spectacle that was ONE: A NEW ERA in Tokyo earlier this March.

On that note, former K-1 HERO Grand Prix Champion Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama has announced his return to mixed martial arts and will make his debut at the Baoshan Arena.

The Japanese-Korean legend has competed in North America and Asia, and he has even won medals at the Asian Judo Championships and Asian Games.

As Akiyama embarks on the latest chapter in his highly decorated career, waiting at the ropes to greet him will be Malaysian welterweight Agilan “Alligator” Thani.

The 23-year-old has no qualms about testing his youth against the more experienced master judoka, believing that his BJJ skills hold the keys to winning what looks to be an unmissable co-main event.

In supreme fitness and conditioning, Akiyama will be looking to further impress with his judo ability and shake off any doubts about his three-year absence from active competition.

Will the Kuala Lumpur-born Thani rewrite the narrative in the latest chapter of Akiyama’s storied career, or will the experience of “Sexy Yama” win out and prompt a career renaissance with The Home Of Martial Arts?

Heavyweight Artillery Battle It Out To Be The Division’s Frontrunner

Tarik “The Tank” Khabez has been on a demolition run since debuting in ONE Super Series last year.

Racking up three wins in quick fashion has vaulted Khabez to the top of the heavyweight and light heavyweight division’s totem pole, where he foresees a title shot materializing.

Before that can happen, the two-time SUPERKOMBAT Heavyweight World Champion will have to contend with the ascent of Anderson “Braddock” Silva, who is fresh off a highlight-reel knockout win over Andre “The Giant” Meunier at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR.

Equally powerful knockout artists and seasoned competitors in the international kickboxing circuit, both giants will be jostling for pole position in the race to be the top dog in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight kickboxing categories.

Can Silva follow up on his strong debut with a definitive win, or will “The Tank” have enough firepower to prevail in this clash of the titans?

[fuzzysparrow]

In which year did Rod Laver first win the Wimbledon men's singles title?

Rodney George "Rod" Laver (born 1938) is a former tennis player from Australia. In 1961, he beat American player Chuck McKinley to win his first Wimbledon singles title. The Wimbledon Championships is the oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and has been competed in since 1877. It is held on grass courts in Wimbledon, a suburb of London in the United Kingdom. During his career, Laver won the singles title four times: 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969.

Laver started playing tennis as an amateur in 1956 and made his way to the Wimbledon finals in 1959, winning the mixed doubles with American player Darlene Hard. In 1960, he won his first singles title at the Australian Championships, followed by the Wimbledon singles title the following year. By the end of 1961, Laver was ranked the world's No. 1 amateur player.

In 1962, Laver became the first male player since 1938 to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year. After winning the fourth title, Laver turned professional and quickly established himself among the leading players of the day. By the end of 1963, Laver was the No. 2 professional player, eventually becoming No. 1 in 1965.

Laver continued to win Grand Slam tournaments until his retirement in 1979. In 2003, he was honoured with his portrait on a postage stamp by the 'Australia Post Australian Legends Award'. The Laver Cup, a tournament between Team Europe and Team World, is named in his honour.

[leanpick]

Australia Post honours film legends

Australia Post honours film legends

Five of Australia’s best known film directors are being honoured in the 26th annual Australia Post Legends Awards, celebrating their contributions to the nation’s culture and global film industry. Baz Luhrmann, George Miller, Gillian Armstrong, Peter Weir and Warwick Thornton will each have their image featured on new postage stamps as part of the 2022 Australian Legends of Filmmaking…

[lovewithdonut1]

The Best Donuts In Perth

As 2020 stumbled to a nearby, I can't have been the just one longing for a smidgen of calm. That was my arrangement, harmony and calm, some place not excessively far away from progress, yet in addition with moderately couple of individuals. At the point when the realtor told me via telephone that his apartment suite in Maine, only up from the ocean side, was nearby to one of the state's most well known Best Donuts In Perth shops, I was at that point there to me.

Congdon's Donuts

Since the 1950s, Congdon's Donuts has been an apparatus in the town of Wells, which isn't such a lot of a town as it is an assortment of exemplary Australia ocean side spread, spread out along the Post Street between curious Ogunquit and the stoic expression Kennebunks. At the point when I moved in, I had an ideal perspective on the drive-through, the favored get strategy. I immediately scholarly the timetable, and Thursdays turned into my beloved day of the week. I'd awaken while it was as yet dim out to see the vehicles standing by persistently, unobtrusively, on the main morning back later the shop's week by week break. At the point when Maine was at long last encountering the full weight of the pandemic, something so exceptionally harmless as a line of vehicles at a drive-through, saw from the windows of my four-season patio, felt public, shared.

Best Donuts In Australia

The Best Donuts In Perth is however changed as we may be, and there's practically no side of the country that hasn't been snared for ages, or neglected to put their own stamp on the class. This rundown of the Best Donuts In Perth is, reasonable admonition, seriously close to home, collected following quite a while of donut eating for the sake of examination. Find a comfortable place to sit, and we should do some voyaging.

I hadn't detested Mondays since my school years, however presently they implied one, two, three days of no Donuts, no incidental zest scented drift on the breeze, no good energy of individuals expecting pleasant things, since when Donuts are in a real sense not far off, and you're comfortable and protected in your vehicle, who wouldn't feel better?

Donuts on the ranch

There have been so many donut enticements throughout the long term, such countless little fixations, going as far as possible back to appropriate Boston creams and foamy hot cocoa at horseshoe-molded counters with the turning top stools in Perth, juice Donuts on the ranch all over Hudson Valley and Australia, malasadas in Honolulu and Fall Waterway, as well, beignets in Stick Rouge, pre-pattern croissant Donuts in time-case Midwestern pastry shops, roll Donuts in the Profound South, and presently, enormous, brioche batter wonders all over.

The Australian donut is however shifted as we may be, and there's basically no side of the country that hasn't been snared for ages, or neglected to put their own stamp on the class. This rundown of the Best Donuts In Perth is, reasonable admonition, seriously close to home, collected following quite a while of donut eating for the sake of examination. Take a seat, and how about we do some voyaging.

Legend Donuts in Perth

Is there such an unbelievable marvel as the ideal donut? The fragile, plain-frosted delights we've been sneaking from Legend Donuts in Perth put forth a solid defense, in any event, when Will Drake's youngster realm was only a ranchers' market spring up. Suppose these two-day, brioche-style children were screenplays—they'd be Tootsie or Chinatown, the ones that show every other person how it's finished. These Donuts advise you that occasionally a plain frosted is far beyond a plain frosted. Wedding exemplary taste and feel with complex current procedure, the outcome is awesome of all potential universes.

In the wake of combining efforts with a neighborhood café bunch, Legend Donut shops have now opened somewhere else in the South, however we're speculating there are not many towns in Perth they'll need to avoid—in this area of the planet, individuals can be extremely regional with regards to their Best Donuts In Perth.

Why Choose Us!

You don't move to a spot with long, uncommonly dim winters without great espresso. The Donut Shop Perth was selling excellent, imported beans to its clients a long time before the state gained the strong simmering scene it appreciates today. Presently don't do you need to look far for a supporting shot (or two) of dark gold in the area, yet there's just a single bistro—that is additionally a really genuine coffeehouse and gift shop, too—known for making The Frozen North's Best Donuts In Perth. Crinkly, coated old fashioned are the ones you're searching for—basic and direct, they won't ever let you down.

[joansutherlandfan]

#tbt On January 22, 2004 Dame Joan received the Australia Post's 'Australian Legends Award' at a gala tribute concert presented by Opera Australia at Sydney Opera House. · I think it was during this gala she said something like "I don't believe I'm the person who this fuzz is about". · *This award was created by Australia Post service which honours Australians who have contributed to the Australian identity and culture. Two stamps featuring Joan were issued. · #ClassicalMusic #Opera #InstaOpera #OperaSinger #OperaHouse #MetOpera #ROH #SydneyOperaHouse #Concert #Recital #BelCanto #Baroque #Gala #Stage #Costume #Portrait #Dramatic #Coloratura #Soprano #Dame #JoanSutherland #LaStupenda #Diva #PrimaDonna #Legend #2000s https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbvMMzB6Bx/?igshid=1afrtvpj7qclw

[jesperphoto]

Got commissioned to photograph these legends for The 2018 Australia Post Australian Legends Award.⠀ ⠀ #livinglegend #tvpersonality #australianlegend #stamp ⠀ #award ⠀ ⠀ #photography #event ⠀ ⠀ @missbossybootsagency @jespernielsenphotography ⠀ ⠀ @auspost ⠀ @raymondgmartin @kerriannekennerley #bertnewton (at Australia Post)

[gayness-and-mayhem]

Part 2

Two of the most attractive men ever, Bodie and Doyle (don't @ me).

VHS (RIP).

Robert Lowth, a massive dick.

Tom Robinson, a massive LGBT+ activist (as well as an activist for so many other things) and musician who everyone needs to listen to right now.

Bernie Wolfe the Canadian businessman.

My dog Geordie, named after Geordie Keating from Grantchester and not after Geordie Shore bc I actually have taste. He is not a good boy, he is the devil incarnate, but my name suggestion of Damien was vetoed.

The only football player I know, Emlyn Hughes.

Eddie the Seagull Edwards.

These two casts of The Bill (and everyone else up until 2002 including all the guest actors).

Back ish row, left to right: Larry Dann (a fucking legend along with his fellow sergeants, who I will get to), Colin Blumenau (not actually Welsh), Mark Wingett (was in Quadrophenia and has a brother), Jon Iles (the one who was in an episode of To the Manor Born), Robert Hudson (Yorkshire, one of my favourites. Nicknamed Yorkie, which is partly where my own nickname comes from) and Chris Ellison (Frank Burnside, alias Tommy).

Front ish row, left to right: Roger Leach (the second sergeant, Australian. Was in an episode of Shoestring and played a Tom Robinson song), Mark Powley (his daughter Bel was in M.I. High which is pretty cool I guess), Jeff Stewart (another legend. Love Reg Hollis and his magic tricks and poppadoms), Kelly Lawrence (kind of just disappeared with no explanation), Kevin Lloyd (played Tosh, not really much else to say. The fact that he played Tosh should be enough, and if you don't know what I'm on about, watch the fucking Bill), Barbara Thorn (the first female Inspector on the show and a fucking badass), Tony Scannell (I thought he was Welsh but he's actually Irish) and Trudie Goodwin (I don't really like June Ackland, sorry, but Trudie is actually lovely and she's been on Pointless a few times).

Back row, left to right: Huw Higginson (Dennis Waterman is his father in law), Martin Marquez (father of Karen from Outnumbered), Stephen Beckett (is cool but idrk much about him for some reason), Graham Cole (plays Tony Stamp, one of the most iconic characters. Basically big brother to everyone, plays lots of practical jokes on his colleagues along with his boyfriend Dave and loves a doughnut), Iain Fletcher (his character is awful but I kinda like him) and Jeff Stewart again.

Middle row, left to right: Seeta Indrani (plays a badass female officer who doesn't take shit from anyone. I love her), Kerry Peers (saw her live and never even knew about it. Pretty pissed off tbh), Lisa Geoghan (gets messed around by a few of the lads but is looked after pretty well by my favourite character Andrew Monroe. She's sweet and a badass at the same time), Robert Perkins (hate to say it, but I feel like Ray Steele is a bit of a non entity. Robert is pretty cool though), Tom Butcher (people don't really like his character Steve, and I can see why, but he's really good with children and I think he's adorable. Tom Butcher has also been in Doctors), Louise Harrison (is obsessed with Elvis), Andrew Mackintosh (basically got the job bc they needed a Scottish 26 year old who could play the clarinet. He's actually from Pennsylvania. His music is damn cool), Tony O'Callaghan (his character is a dick but you love to hate him), Lynne Miller (I love her character so much and the way they killed her off was just rude), Tom Cotcher (he's also Scottish and was in a good episode of Tales of the Unexpected, but I won't tell you which. He does art now), Andrew Paul (plays Dave Quinnan, Tony's boyfriend. Don't even bother to tell me they're not together because I'll block you.) and Mary Jo Randle (plays another character I adore, Jo Morgan. They had her shot and I fucking cried and I'm still not over it. Same goes for Viv Martella, who for some reason is in neither of these photos).

Front Row (pretty much all the bigwigs) left to right: Mark Wingett again, Kevin Lloyd again, Gary Whelan (I swear he was in a Tango advert with a guinea pig), Simon Rouse (the one I have a framed photo of. He plays Andrew Monroe's husband in this and they're always bickering but they love each other really, and he also was in Doctor Who: Kinda playing unhinged Hindle. Apparently he had a naked portrait of himself which was painted by his wife up on his dressing room wall when he was in The Bill), Ben Roberts (his character Derek was killed by a firebomb bc some bitches wanted to have an affair on police time. He just wanted to eat his sandwich in peace! His fandom wiki doesn't list Brownlow as a friend, but Brownlow's lists him. I think they had a tiff.), Peter Ellis (played Brownlow, the Superintendent at Sun Hill for ages. Kept stopping Derek from getting promotion bc he couldn't bear to lose him, but eventually Derek just went behind his back to get a new job. Peter Ellis was the reason Colin Tarrant got into acting, which I love, but it also makes me sad), Philip Whitchurch (was Tyler in My Hero and believe me, this is a hell of a different role. Didn't like his character in The Bill until his last few episodes, and then I wish he'd stayed), Shaun Scott (apparently Canadian and a pretty good actor. Played a criminal a few times before becoming Chris Deakin, who was a bit of a weak character and not really worth having in there imo), Eric Richard (plays Bob Cryer and is literally everyone's uncle. Most likely had an affair with Roger Leach's Tom Penny at some point and they're still the closest friends I've ever seen. The third sergeant in the holy trinity and very likeable), Trudie Goodwin again and Colin Tarrant (plays Andrew Monroe, Jack Meadows' husband and everyone's dad and my favourite character in the whole programme. Still can't watch his last episode bc they killed him off, but we never actually see a body, so I refuse to believe he died. Colin used to be a teacher and was in The Rainbow with Imogen Stubbs, and when he went back to the school the day after it was on TV, the kids were wondering why tf he was still there. He wasn't in that much otherwise, and he died in 2012, but I love him with all my heart. He is literally one of my favourite actors and I will talk about him all day if given half a chance).

Anyway, please take those facts about the cast of the Bill with a pinch of salt bc I may not have remembered them right or whatever. I read things once and then wonder if I dreamed them, which is entirely possible.

Ok, I think I may have finally reached the point of insanity, but I've decided I'm just gonna make a post of all the people who the people ik irl have never heard of.

Part 1

Just David Cook reprimanding the creepy af original Bungle (played by John Leeson). He's pretty cool, he created Hetty Wainthropp and literally no one appears to have heard of him. Apart from Ian McKellen, but unfortunately I don't know Ian McKellen irl. He also appeared in The Bill 3 times if that makes any difference.

Mike Yarwood being cool w/ a pipe. Yes I go on about him all the time and no I don't care. He's the godfather of impressionism and anyone who slags him off can go away. I cropped out Harold Wilson because he was unnecessary.

David Frost. Yeah, I know right? Insane! People have never heard of David Frost. I wonder where the fuck they've been living because it certainly isn't in my world.

Russell Harty. Watched a documentary where all the celebrities were being horrible about him and got really fucking angry so just don't.

Keith Floyd. My first memory of him was on Saturday Kitchen and he was just sitting on a rock, cooking and drinking red wine from the bottle.

Tom Clarkson from Waterloo Road.

This dog I saved to my account and named Norman. Oh, and also Peter Purves. Ik, it's insane. How could anyone not know Norman?!

Dirk fucking Bogarde (y'all, ik. They're uncultured swines).

This carrot I found.

Joint rear of the year 1986 winners Michael Barrymore and Anneka Rice.

[viralzed]

Shaquille O'Neal Dubs Pop of the Morning's Scott Tweedie "the Sexiest Australian in the World"

Shaquille O’Neal Dubs Pop of the Morning’s Scott Tweedie “the Sexiest Australian in the World”

Scott Tweedie has received the Shaquille O’Neal stamp of approval.

On Monday morning, the NBA legend stopped by Pop of the Morning to discuss his role as the Krispy Kreme resolution coach and to share Krispy Kreme Minis (a new permanent menu item available today). However, before the interview even began, O’Neal had quite the compliment for the Australian reporter.

“Where’d you get this guy…