#dave easley

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Jeff Parker - Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California, October 20, 2020 / With Love From LA: Jeff Parker + Jamire Williams

Hard to believe, but I already turned in a "Best Albums of 2024" list to a publication a few weeks back. Forget it, the year's over! Except! There was an album announced last week that would certainly have made my roundup if I'd known about it. Jeff Parker's extraordinary ETA IVtet will release The Way Out of Easy on Nov. 22. The IVtet features saxophonist Josh Johnson (SML, Meshell Ndegeocello, Leon Bridges), bassist Anna Butterss (SML, Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers), and drummer Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant, Allen Toussaint, Joe Henry) — and their first release a few years back was an absolute beauty of interlocking improvisational grooves. I've heard the new one via a promo and it does not disappoint in the least. Best of 2024!

As I'm sure I've noted in the past, Parker is on a tear lately, whether as a leader or a sideman. He's a veteran musician of course, but the guitarist continues to grow and expand his sound, finding an utterly unique voice, still curious, still adventurous. For proof, check out two pandemic era performances — one with solo improvs inspired by an exhibition from the visual artist Harold Mendez and the other with guitar/drums duets with Jamire Williams in the open air. The latter features a gorgeous rendering of Sony Sharrock's "Who Does She Hope To Be." You can hear Parker duetting on that song with another great musician, pedal steel genius Dave Easley on the recent Ballads — an album I just so happened to have penned the liner notes for.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Kim Deal Album Review: Nobody Loves You More

(4AD)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

The debut album from former Pixies bassist and vocalist and Breeders frontwoman Kim Deal has been a long time in the making. It also, appropriately, feels like it's been around for as much time as classic records like Doolittle and Pod. Deal first started releasing solo music as part of a vinyl series in 2013, right around the time she left the Pixies and The Breeders' celebrated twenty years of Last Splash with a reissue and full-album tour. Two of those songs, the touching "Are You Mine?" and "Wish I Was", appear on Nobody Loves You More, an album that's an encapsulation of Deal's life and musical career and sees her collaborate with musicians old and new, all fitting and natural. Whether she's happy on the beach or sad on the beach, reflective or reeking of now-or-never desperation, Deal's alive.

Perhaps more impressive than Deal's chemistry with the wide range of musicians that grace Nobody Loves You More is the diversity of the instrumentation and number of personnel, and the resulting variance in sound. She frequently features string and horn arrangements. On the album's opening and title track, Deal's slinky guitar embeds within Susan Volez' violin, at once sweeping and cinematic and melancholy. By the time Michael Mavridoglou's trumpets blare, Britt Walford's steady and clacking drums disintegrate into ramshackle fills, momentary noise that retreats to the song's original motif. The moment is a microcosm of Nobody Loves You More as a whole, how it segues in and out of moments of chaos. For instance, the third track, "Crystal Breath", breaks the suggestion of the first two songs--that Nobody Loves You More might be a nonetheless warm "bummer in the sun" record--and layers Deal's vocals atop crunchy percussion. "Beat by beat, I'm feeling out of phase / Just another domino falling on my face," she sings, accompanied by only her sister Kelley on bass. The aesthetic matches the the theme: somebody in solitude, dangerously alone with their existential thoughts. "Disobedience", rife with harmonic guitars and thudding snares, is similar in ethos, Deal alternating between expressions of desire ("I wanna ride on the Ferris wheel / And a pop") and anxiety ("If this all is we are / I'm fucked!").

These grounded songs are necessary to contrast the moments where Deal has her head in the clouds, and vice versa. On paper, a song like "Bats In The Afternoon Sky" seems like an interlude, but its 90 seconds of whooshing and wordless vocals are a true palate cleanser following "Big Ben Beat", where Deal's sunny riffs are subsumed by the distorted bile of two Savages: Fay Milton (not on drums, but playing synths and strings) and Ayşe Hassan (bass). "Bats In The Afternoon Sky" previews the starry-eyed nature of "Summerland", but on the latter, Deal's optimism is also pure and honest. Inspired by winter vacations with her parents in the Florida Keys, the song paints a picture of a child who never wants to get out of the water. "I'm not even tired," Deal declares, "This world's for me."

Ultimately, where Deal truly shines on Nobody Loves You More are on the heartbreakers. The two released a decade ago, "Are You Mine?" and "Wish I Was", are respectively biographical and abstract, and continue to stand out. The former disguises itself as a slow-dance love song, but it's actually about her mother's dementia, sung from the point of view as a patient. "Let me go / Where there's no / Memory of you / Where everything is new / And nothing is true," Deal sings, accompanied by Dave Easley's high and lonesome pedal steel. Her delivery on "Wish I Was", meanwhile, cuts deep; if the song starts breezy enough, with jangly Velvets-style guitars, Deal singing, "Standing strong, it makes me wish I was...young" is enough to send you into a spiral. And then there's album closer "A Good Time Pushed", tracked with the late, great Steve Albini in 2022. Again, Deal's words pierce through a bed of noise: bendy bass and syncopated keys, Jim MacPherson's crisp drums, crisscrossed guitar patterns from Patrick Himes and Raymond McGinley. "Part of me wants to follow you off of this world," begins Deal, eerily prescient. "You quit the noise, put it behind us / Drive a stake they'll never find us." But it's the ditching of the idealism for a resigned, "I'll see you around," that's the most matter-of-fact admission on an album full of them. When she sings, "Now is the time / For me to get what I want," it makes me think that the album's title is but an incomplete sentence, one that should end with, "Than You (Should) Love Yourself."

[fuchsiaswingsong]

Listen/purchase: Fleurette Africaine by Dave Easley

[dndhistory]

239. Jeff Easley - Player's Handbook Cover (1983)

Not exactly a new publication, but a new visual in line with the re-branding of Dungeons and Dragons as a more prestige game, using more lush paintings for the book covers, this is the first of three new covers for the 3 big books of AD&D.

In line with new publications, like Monster Manual II, these new covers helped homogenize the brand, and Jeff Easley's awesome art does give the books a different feel. Not necessarily better, and it ended up not being as iconic as Dave Trampier's original, it does look more "realistic" and polished, eschewing the cartoonish style of earlier manuals.

The interior of the book remains the same as the previous printings, so not much more to talk about here. Which is pretty good for me as I am working through the Greyhawk box set, so these covers are really useful as a stopgap!

[goalhofer]

2024 Arizona Diamondbacks Roster

Pitchers

#19 Ryne Nelson (Henderson, Nevada)

#23 Zac Gallen (Somerdale, New Jersey)

#24 Kyle Nelson (San Francisco, California)

#29 Kenneth Kelly (Scottsdale, Arizona)

#30 Scott McGough (Plum, Pennsylvania)

#32 Brandon Pfaadt (Louisville, Kentucky)

#35 Joe Mantiply (Bland County, Virginia)

#37 Kevin Ginkel (San Diego County, California)

#38 Paul Sewald (Las Vegas, Nevada)

#40 Bryce Jarvis (Brentwood, Tennessee)

#47 Tommy Henry (Portage, Michigan)

#50 Miguel Castro (La Romana, Dominican Republic)

#57 Eduardo Rodríguez (Valencia, Venezuela)*

#65 Luis Frías (Río San Juan, Dominican Republic)

#81 Ryan Thompson (Turner, Oregon)

Catchers

#14 Gabriel Moreno (Barquisimeto, Venezuela)

#16 Tucker Barnhart (Brownsburg, Indiana)*

Infielders

#2 Geraldo Perdomo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

#4 Ketel Marte (Nizao, Dominican Republic)

#6 Jace Peterson (Lake Charles, Louisiana)

#9 Blaze Alexander (Ft. Myers, Florida)**

#18 Kevin Newman (Poway, California)*

#28 Eugenio Suárez (Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela)*

#53 Christian Walker (Norristown, Pennsylvania)

Outfielders

#3 Joc Pederson (Palo Alto, California)*

#5 Alek Thomas (Chicago, Illinois)

#7 Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Washington)

#12 Lourdes Gourriel; Jr. (Ciudad Sancti Spíritus, Cuba)

#15 Randal Grichuk (Rosenberg, Texas)*

#31 Jake McCarthy (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Coaches

Manager Torey Lovullo (Santa Monica, California)

Bench coach Jeff Banister (La Marque, Texas)

Hitting coach Joe Mather (Phoenix, Arizona)

Assistant hitting coach Jacinto Easley (Lakewood, California)

Assistant hitting coach Drew Hedman (Redding, California)

Assistant hitting coach Rick Short (Elgin, Illinois)

Pitching coach Brent Strom (San Diego, California)

Assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson (Portland, Oregon)

Bullpen coach Mike Fetters (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Bullpen catcher Sharif Othman (Riverside, California)

Bullpen catcher Jose Queliz (Valencia, Venezuela)

1B coach Dave McKay (Vancouver, British Columbia)

3B coach Tony Perezchica (Mexicali, Mexico)

[twistedsoulmusic]

With his latest release, “Ballads”, Dave Easley cements his reputation as one of the preeminent pedal steel guitarists in jazz today. Backed by an all-star band including guitarist Jeff Parker, double bassist David Tranchina and drummer Jay Bellerose, Easley puts his inimitable spin on jazz standards and deep cuts alike.

[burlveneer-music]

Psychic Temple - A Universe Regards Itself - Chris Schlarb, producer of the Maria Elena Silva album below, has a recent album from his own ensemble with guest musician synth whiz Lisa Bella Donna

The 8th full length album from Psychic Temple is an epic, two song, all instrumental collaboration with synthesist Lisa Bella Donna. The full ensemble includes Dave Easley on pedal steel guitar, Mike Baggetta on 12-string acoustic guitar, Steph Richards on trumpet, bassist Steuart Liebig, alto saxophonist Isaiah Morfin, and drummers Tabor Allen and Danny Frankel. The band is joined by a choir led by Ann Thaiss and featuring Heather Sommerhauser, Alicia Walter, Alyssandra Nighswonger and Adriana Schlarb. Composed, produced, and mixed by Chris Schlarb. Tabor Allen - drums, percussion Mike Baggetta - 12-string acoustic guitar Lisa Bella Donna - Arp 2600 & String Ensemble, MiniMoog, Mellotron, Hammond organ, Oberheim Digital Sequencer Dave Easley - pedal steel guitar Danny Frankel - drums, percussion Steuart Liebig - electric bass Isaiah Morfin - alto saxophone Steph Richards - trumpet Chris Schlarb - guitars, tapes Alyssandra Nighswonger - voice Adriana Schlarb - voice Heather Sommerhauser - voice Ann Thaiss - voice, choir direction Alicia Walter - voice Produced by Chris Schlarb Cover artwork by Eric Thompson Layout and design by David J. Woodruff Written by Chris Schlarb Published by Interstellar Music Holdings of the Psychic Temple (ASCAP)

[mywifeleftme]

157: The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band // "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward."

"Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward." The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band 2001, Constellation (Bandcamp)

22 years ago Montreal’s other iconic prodigiously-membered post-rock band released their second LP. It’s not easy keeping all of these pro-Zion-but-not-Zionists straight, so I’ve helpfully listed and ranked each of the musicians who have passed through this constantly shifting collective from first to least-first. Let’s go!

Members of A/The/e Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Ranked

1. Mike Garson - piano 2. Annie Clark - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals 3. Brian Teasley- percussion 4. Daniel Hart - violin 5. Szabolcs Szczur – accordion 6. Davey 'Crabsticks' Trotter – Mellotron 7. Timothy Matthews – mbira 8. Buffi Jacobs – cello 9. Bach Norwood – piano, keyboards, backing vocals 10. Harriet Ballance - triangle, backing vocals 11. Japhy Ryder – floristry 12. Stuart "Peebs" Peebles – piccolo 13. Chandler Petrino – natural horn, oboe 14. Jared Pechonis – theremin 15. Toby Halbrooks - theremin 16. Corn Mo - backing vocals 17. Patrick Hewitt – theremin 18. Darin Hieb – trumpet, backing vocals 19. Rachel Woolf – flute 20. Mark Beardsworth – claviola 21. Allen Halas – percussion 22. Edwin Mendoza – viola 23. Todd Beaupré – vibraslap 24. Thaddeus Ford – trumpet 25. Paul Deemer – trombone, trumpet 26. Mike St.Clair – trombone, synth effects 27. Josh Guyer – trombone, spoons 28. Chris Curiel – trumpet 29. Heather Test – French horn 30. Victoria Arellano – classical harp 31. Sean Redman – violin, mandolin 32. Kelly Test – percussion 33. Mike Mordecai – percussion 34. Jason Garner – drums 35. Audrey Easley – flute, piccolo, EWI 36. Rick G. Nelson – viola 37. Nick Groesch – piano, keyboards 38. Keith Hendricks – percussion 39. Evan Hisey – keyboards 40. Dylan Silvers – guitar 41. Daniel Hart – violin 42. John Lamonica – percussion 43. Marcus Lopez – percussion 44. Matt Bricker – trumpet, synth effects 45. Taylor Young – percussion 46. Joe Butcher – steel drum 47. Evan Jacobs – piano, keyboards 48. Todd Berridge – viola 49. Nick Earl – guitar 50. Evan Weiss – trumpet 51. Jay Jennings – trumpet 52. Tamara Brown – violin 53. Merritt Lota – steel drums 54. Daniel Huffman – guitar 55. Timothy Blowers – harp 56. Anthony Richards – steel drums 57. Louis Schwadron – French horn 58. Andrew Tinker – French horn 59. Nick Wlodarczyk  – trombone 60. Paul Gaughran – flute 61. Isabelo Cruz – French horn 62. Bryan Wakeland – drums 63. Hayley McCarthy – viola 64. Dave Dusters – percussion, backing vocals 65. Billy Mills-Curran – flute 66. Logan Keese – trumpet 67. Ricky Rasura – classical harp 68. Tonya Hewitt – banjo 69. Daniel Poorman – slide whistle 70. Andy Parkerson – clarinet 71. Joseph Singleton – viola 72. Jenelle Valencia – violin 73. James Reimer – trombone 74. Regina Chellew – guitar, trumpet, backing vocals 75. Ryan Fitzgerald – guitar, backing vocals 76. Cory Helms – guitar, backing vocals 77. Jessica Jordan – backing vocals 78. Jenny Kirtland – backing vocals 79. Kristin Hardin – backing vocals 80. Elizabeth Evans – backing vocals 81. Neil Smith – backing vocals 82. Julie Doyle – backing vocals 83. Christine Bolon – backing vocals 84. Natalie Young – backing vocals 85. Constance Dolph – backing vocals 86. Elizabeth Brown – backing vocals 87. Apotsala Wilson – backing vocals 88. Jennie Kelley – backing vocals 89. Roy Thomas Ivy – backing vocals 90. Jamey Welch – backing vocals 91. Ethan Voelkers – backing vocals 92. Mark Pirro - bass 93. Frank Benjaminsen – backing vocals 94. Stephanie Dolph – backing vocals 95. Jennifer Jobe – backing vocals 96. Mike Elio – backing vocals 97. Kelly Repka – backing vocals 98. Jason Rees – backing vocals 99. Jeneffa Soldatic – backing vocals 100. Michael Turner – backing vocals 101. Don Congeler – backing vocals 102. Michael Musick – backing vocals 103. Melissa Crutchfield – backing vocals 104. Sandra Powers Giasson – backing vocals 105. Paul Hillery – backing vocals 106. Stephen Dix – backing vocals 107. Jessica Berridge – backing vocals 108. Melisma MacDonald – backing vocals 109. Ross Cink - backing vocals 110. Lucy Williams - choreography 111. Josh David Jordan – backing vocals 112. Brad Butler – backing vocals 113. Jason Rees – backing vocals 114. Andrew Aldenenotti – backing vocals 115. Getting hit by a bus wearing a flowing white robe 116. Tim DeLaughter - vocals, guitar, piano

Hold on. I’ve just received word that these musicians are actually members of some other band? Apologies for the confusion!

157/365

[projazznet]

Brian Blade Fellowship – Perceptual

Perceptual is the second studio album by Brian Blade Fellowship, released in 2000, on the Blue Note label.

Brian Blade Fellowship: Brian Blade – acoustic guitar, drums, vocals, producer, liner notes, art director Melvin Butler – tenor and soprano saxophone Jon Cowherd – producer, piano, pump organ, Fender Rhodes Dave Easley – pedal steel guitar Daniel Lanois – acoustic guitar, guitar, pedal steel guitar Joni Mitchell – vocals (“Steadfast”) Kurt Rosenwinkel – acoustic guitar and electric guitar Christopher Thomas – bass, backing vocal Myron Walden – bass clarinet, alto saxophone

[oldschoolfrp]

Nothru Far Rider, an Ul-mor outcast trying to return to Volturnus, meets Raoul Debonham, a lost xenopologist, near the ruins of an ancient Tetrarch city on the arid planet Laco  (Jeff Easley, with Star Frontiers characters from Dave Cook’s “Encounters” article, Polyhedron 9, RPGA/TSR, December 1982)

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Further Cosmic Pedal Steel Situations :: Winter 2024

The cosmic pedal steel scene continues to expand — and we’re here for it. Daniel Lanois, one of the godfathers of this movement, once called the pedal steel “my little church in a suitcase.” And if anything ties these various musicians together, it’s a certain kind of earthy spirituality, an openness to the myriad possibilities that the instrument offers. Check out a few of my recent favorites over at Aquarium Drunkard.

And while you're over at AD — well, we've got a fab 2024 going for you already. Check out Brent Sirota's magnificent Fourth World mixtape ... or the latest installment of James Adams' Dylan-tastic bootleg column Diamonds From The Deepest Oceans ... or Jennifer Kelly's convo with Kayla "Itasca" Cohen (her new one is ridiculously good) ... or Michael Klausman's appreciation of Butch Hornsby's lost 70s classic Don't Take It Out On The Dog ... or J. Neas' Q&A with the GBV gawd Robert Pollard ... this is all in the first couple of weeks, people! I've said it before and I'll say it again: what a cool website!

[cirrates]

nobody else is using the tv so I finally get to watch kipo >:)

[fuchsiaswingsong]

Listen/purchase: Who Does She Hope To Be? by Dave Easley

[dreamsister81]

Barrister's, 1997: Jeff played his last show there May 26, 1997

Tell me the story behind that Jeff Buckley photograph.

I met Jeff in January of '97. I was taking pictures of a band that Dave Shouse had started called Those Bastard Souls. Jeff Buckley's girlfriend Joan Wasser played violin. We were in this hotel in St. Louis. Jeff came to visit Joan and that's where I first met him. He was real nice and we had a great time. A month or two later Dave told me that he was going to move here, and record at Easley. The vibe was that he was trying to avoid the media, so I was really cautious about approaching him because I didn't know him real well. We sort of ran in the same circle of people here so I knew we'd get to be better friends. I figured my best shot was just to leave him alone and get to be friends instead of grabbing paparazzi-type stuff. So anyway I saw him play at Barristers a few times. It was impossible to really take a good picture of him because it was so dark and you couldn't use a flash without pissing everybody off. But this one particular night one of the Grifters said, "Take a picture." I was doing these long exposures at the time, but I didn't have my equipment, so I just set my camera down on a little cocktail table and set him down in the loft upstairs at Barristers and borrowed a flashlight and a piece of blue filter gel lying around. I rigged it all together and we tried to take these pictures with these long exposures, but it was really difficult because there were people all around us. Everybody was moving. People were smoking grass and the pictures turned out less than what I'd have liked. But he really liked them. He said let's definitely do some more, but let's wait till the band gets here. They were flying in. I was like "OK," and I decided to wait. Then the day that they flew in, he drowned. So I only got these few precious pictures of that whole thing. He drowned because the Mississippi River moves so fast?

I don't know if anybody told him not to swim down there because every year somebody drowns in that river. It looks all still and quiet but underneath there's all kinds of other stuff going on. Apparently he was wearing his boots.-words and photos by Dan Ball via vice.com, Aug 20 2015

[goalhofer]

2023 Arizona Diamondbacks Roster

Pitchers

#19 Ryne Nelson (Henderson, Nevada)

#23 Zac Gallen (Somerdale, New Jersey)

#24 Kyle Nelson (San Francisco, California)

#25 Corbin Martin (Houston, Texas)

#29 Kenneth Kelly (Scottsdale, Arizona)

#30 Scott McGough (Plum, Pennsylvania)*

#32 Brandon Pfaadt (Louisville, Kentucky)**

#34 Mark Melancon (Golden, Colorado)

#35 Joe Mantiply (Danville, Virginia)

#37 Kevin Ginkel (San Diego County, California)

#38 Paul Sewald (Las Vegas, Nevada)*

#40 Bryce Jarvis (Brentwood, Tennessee)**

#47 Tommy Henry (Portage, Michigan)

#50 Miguel Castro (La Romana, Dominican Republic)*

#55 Austin Adams (Zephyrhills, Florida)*

#57 Andrew Saalfrank (Ft. Wayne, Indiana)**

#63 Justin Martínez (Bonao, Dominican Republic)**

#65 Luis Frías (Río San Juan, Dominican Republic)

#81 Ryan Thompson (Turner, Oregon)*

#99 Drey Jameson (Greenfield, Indiana)

Catchers

#14 Gabriel Moreno (Barquisimeto, Venezuela)*

#59 Bernardo Zavala (La Puente, California)

Infielders

#2 Gerardo Perdomo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

#3 Evan Longoria (Downey, California)*

#4 Ketel Marte (Nizao, Dominican Republic)

#6 Jace Peterson (Lake Charles, Louisiana)*

#10 Jordan Lawler (Carrollton, Texas)**

#14 Emmanuel Rivera (Ciudad Mayagüez, Puerto Rico)

#53 Christian Walker (Norristown, Pennsylvania)

Outfielders

#5 Alek Thomas (Chicago, Illinois)

#7 Corbin Carroll (Seattle, Washington)

#8 Dominic Fletcher (Cypress, California)**

#12 Lourdes Gourriel; Jr. (Sancti Spíritus, Cuba)*

#28 Tommy Pham (Clark County, Nevada)*

#31 Jake McCarthy (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Coaches

Manager Torey Lovullo (Los Angeles County, California)

Bench coach Jeff Banister (La Marque, Texas)

Hitting coach Joe Mather (Phoenix, Arizona)

Assistant hitting coach Jacinto Easley (Mt. Vernon, New York)

Assistant hitting coach Drew Hedman (Redding, California)

Assistant hitting coach Rick Short (Elgin, Illinois)

Pitching coach Brent Strom (San Diego, California)

Assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson (Portland, Oregon)

Assistant pitching coach Barry Enright (Stockton, California)

Bullpen coach Mike Fetters (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Bullpen catcher Sharif Othman (Riverside, California)

Bullpen catcher Jose Queliz (Valencia, Venezuela)

1B coach Dave McKay (Vancouver, British Columbia)

3B coach Tony Perezchica (Mexicali, Mexico)

[twistedsoulmusic]

Another 60 minutes filled with diverse music await. Including new releases from Better Corners, Honour, Off World, Dave Easley, sneaky jesus and Len, we're flooding the Blue-In-Green:RADIO airwaves with quality music. As well as that, we air two fine tracks from Koma Saxo as part of this week's Album Of The Week. You won’t want to miss this episode!

📻 (www.blueingreenradio.com)