Reporting from MI of T, temporary land of good musik

Good music makes me happy, after good food, good friends and good clothes (in no particular order).

>> MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble
I can't believe I haven't gone to their concerts until now! and I missed the first half! It was (almost) total bliss. Artist-in-residence Steve Turre was the star of the night. The man's collaborators read like a who's-who in the history of jazz. Whoa. His and the big band's rendition of Duke Ellington's In a sentimental mood had me swooning teary-eyed. Hermanos Latinos, the closing tune, sees him blowing a dozen of seashells (conches to be specific) like trumpets or trombones. I've never listened to conches this way. Crazy stuff.

>>X-ecutioners
Hmm... were they that good? I can't decide. Maybe they are the top of the crop for turntablists, but I can't help feeling the music itself isn't all that. Scratches and beats with snippets of sampled melodies get boring after a while if there's no MC. BUT, they did have some pretty sweet tricks in the bag. The trio were juggling between 3 prs of turntables and playing musical chairs with their gig, and they did all those Nike-Basketball-ad-type tricks just like they did in Scratch. Roc-Raida was crossfading with his nose a lot. All flash? Maybe. Substance? After listening to the encore when they played a track from their forthcoming album Revolutions, I decide it's there. More so than in their gig.