Author: zingblog

Funk Nouveau

We had a great long weekend for the holiday, and summer has arrived in full force with the weather up in the 90’s the last few days. Got a bunch of stuff done including working out, skating, sleeping in, some yardwork, finishing the diagrams for my Narwhal, and good progress on the songs Now and Black Swan. Plus we had a great barbecue and I watched the whole first season of Game of Thrones.

Last week a saw an amazing horn section funk band called Funk Nouveau at the Bitter End on Bleeker Street. I went with Erik and Glen, who had recently hired two of the horn players to do some sessions. Here’s a except from their flyer:

“Live Funk Nouveau and pals will be performing classic (and a few unusual) Tower Of Power tunes all re-arranged for 6 horns! Watch us all magically fit onto the deceptively large stage at the Bitter End and knock you into summer properly! This will NOT be youtube-grade cover band non-grooving. This. Will. Be. FUNKY. Personal guarantee. There will be pocket. There will be grease. There will be E9th chords. There will be….. lots of dudes in the audience probably. (Ladies hip to the horn-funk more than welcome, of course.)”

Which is sort of funny, because back when I lived in San Francisco I played sax in a horn section funk band, and it was a much more chick-friendly genre than the prog-rock I’d been doing before then, and we always got lots of ladies turn out to dance. But as predicted, with Funk Nouveau it was mainly dudes, and everyone was there to listen.

And they made good on their guarantee. The players were all top-notch, and six horns (two trumpets, a trombone, two tenors and a bari) deliver a huge amount of power in a smallish club. The music was mainly Tower of Power, along with some James Brown and other stuff. The keyboard player did all the arrangements. One particular highlight was a version of What Is Hip (a tune they claimed to be sick of) re-arranged at a slower tempo, somewhat in the spirit of Clapton’s remake of After Midnight, but, uh, much better done. They were all very impressive, I but found myself listening to the bass player and bari player in particular. To give you an idea of the level these guys were at, when I got to talking to the guitar player after the show I learned I’d seen him back in February, opening of Van Halen in the Garden as part of Kool and the Gang.

Very inspiring. Someday I’m gonna have a horn section like that for Buzzy Tonic.

Manic Mechanic

Michelle’s Birthday was last week, so we had a party for Friday nite, with lots of her friends from school. All the parents were amazingly prompt, dropping the kids off at 6:00 sharp and picking them up at 9:00 exactly. It was a fun time and Michelle was thrilled. Plus she got a betta fish, her first pet. On Sunday was a party for Ella’s confirmation, with all the Blick people. My friend Bob is getting heavy into photography, and agreed to help me take pictures for my book. In between we finished up the spring cycle of yardwork. Garden planted, hedges and edges trimmed, and everything. So it’s good to have that done with. And, Jeannie’s started working out again after a long hiatus. She’s been at it a few weeks now.

But the main news is: every springtime I say to myself this is the year I’m gonna restore the Mustang. But then every year something big and/or expensive comes up that takes priority. For example, last spring I had to replace the Jeep, and find a new school for the kids. Well this year it looks like it’s happening. I sometimes feel hesitant about doing this, but Jeannie calls the car a national treasure. It still runs great, but the main thing is it needs a new paint job. Before I make that investment, however, I want to make sure it’s mechanically sound. I took it to the garage last week to get new shocks and a general inspection. I haven’t gotten shocks on it in the 15 years I’ve had the car, and figured it was time. The car checked out and all major systems are sound. The only thing is there was a rattle when the car was idling low. It turns out one of the hood bumpers was loose, and after I tightened it the car has never been quieter (at low RPM).

The only other thing is the car tends to hesitate when you stomp on the gas from a dead stop when the engine is cold, rather than instantly deliver that iconic roar of power. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can do about this other than let the engine warm up, but I’ll be I can adjust the carburetor to improve things. Once that’s dealt with, it’s off to the body shop to get an estimate. We found a good local body shop last year after Jeannie got in a fender bender (or a bumper thumper?) In addition to getting the body painted, I’m gonna see about getting and undercoating, and getting the air filter painted too. Plus I’m gonna replace the horn button in the center of the steering wheel.

New Lyrics: Black Swan

Now that I have the bass part down and the song is falling into place, here are the lyrics to Black Swan. This song is almost of a type for me, with a sort or Steely-ELP groove and pre-postapocalyptic sentiment. But with that territory there’s a lot of room for interesting and create stuff. This one has been in the works for a long while and is shaping up to be one of my favorites. In any event, every album should have one or two big, heavy numbers, so this is one.

I was working on it on the piano today, and Michelle, who continues to hang out in the studio when she can, said, “These are the weirdest lyrics ever and they make no sense.” Jeannie, who usually pretty much ignores my creative efforts, was in earshot and said “Those are awesome lyrics. What is that?” So I guess you love it or you hate it.

…

Black Swan
John Szinger

Black swan – out of the blue sky
Snowblind the morning sun
Black swan – makes a big wave
Permanent change oh yeah it’s come

You know it killed the dinosaurs
You know it started World War Three
You know it messed up my computer
And took away my MTV
Over the event horizon
Lies a future you can’t see
Get ready – for the singularity

Black swan – no red light flashing
The needle runs right off the chart
Black swan – the damage done now
Too late to run too late to start

Today’s the day the wall comes down
Tonight’s the rise of the machine
Move me to a window seat
I’ll show you what I mean
Imagine no imagining
How bright the brave new world will be
Get ready – for the singularity

And as you learn the waves you ride
They carry you to the other side
But nothing ever really ends
Look out! Here come that change again

Black swan – the circle closing
Watching the watchmen watching you
Black swan – not fade away now
The other side is breaking thru

Today’s the day the wall comes down
Tonight’s the rise of the machine
Move me to a window seat
I’ll show you what I mean
Imagine no imagining
How white my shirts could be
Get ready – for the singularity

Origami Video

I’ve been experimenting with making demo videos for some of my origami models. Instructional videos for origami are increasing in popularity and offer the advantage of being able to directly show complex folds that are difficult to diagram. There are a couple reasons for me getting into this now. One is for my upcoming book the publisher has requested an accompanying DVD. I’m planning on using higher-end camera for that, but for this I just used the built-in camera on my laptop, and it came out pretty well. Gives me a chance to see what works and what doesn’t. The other reason is, believe it or not, I was recently contacted by some TV producers about an origami TV show. My impression is it’s centered around giant folding completions. They asked if I could provide some video of me folding something, so here it is. I don’t know if it well ever amount to anything, but hey, you never know.

http://zingman.com/origami/oriVids/John_Szinger_Origami_Canoe.mov

And the Beat Goes On

I’ve been continuing to jam with Erik every week or two. The whole winter has gone by and spring is here, and it’s sounding really good. I’ve definitely gotten better at singing, and at singing and playing piano at the same time. Every time we get together we do a few new songs. This week the list included The Battle of Evermore (since Erik had borrowed a mandolin), Kid Charlemagne, and Don’t Take Me Alive. Last time it was Just Like Starting Over and some others. We also have a set of songs that we’ve done enough to consider to be in regular rotation and gig-ready.

The best news is we also have six originals worked up, three of his and three of mine, with more in the pipeline. Originals take a while, and we’ve been pretty focused on it. Erik’s songs are Before the Fall, Time Passes By, and Snakes and Lairs. They’re all very good, taken from a Floyd/Genesis-esque concept album he’s writing. Mine are from the last two Buzzy Tonic records. We’re doing Get On Back 2 U, Ghost in the Machine, and Heat Wave. GOB2U and particularly Heat Wave are hard to play live, much harder than Erik’s songs, because they use weird jazz chords and I’m always doing little things with harmony and rhythm. GOB2U has a tricky middle section with a phase jam, while Heat Wave is very uptempo and in an odd meter (7/8), and I’m singing lead and covering the bass part with my left hand. In fact I had originally thought Heat Wave was too hard to try to do live, but Erik really liked the song and asked me to teach it to him. Now I’m a better musician now for having worked up this song. And it’s totally worth it, since it’s a great song.

Now we’re looking to start going to open mic jams as a duo, so watch for that soon. I still have it in my mind to try and add a rhythm section. I know some guys who play bass and drums, and we’ve had the bass player jam with Erik and me, and the drummer and bassist jam with me alone. But everyone is busy with everything else in our lives, so it’s been hard to get everyone together so far. It’s okay because it’s taken time to get this far with just the two of us. Everything is happening. Patience, precious.

Oh, and I’ve started working a new song in the studio, called Black Swan. It’s a longish, darkish, proggish Steely-Crimso kind of number. Liberal use of the jazz altered (7#9) chord. Some big bass parts. Looks like it’ll be about seven minutes long. It’ll be good to close out an album side. I also have a new partly written song called Your Dancing Shoes, that has a sort of classic soul/R&B vibe, maybe kinda Van Morrison.

Meanwhile, if you like lists as much as I do, you many enjoy this:

Originals we have down:

Get On Back 2 U – JS
Ghost in the Machine – JS
Heat Wave – JS
Before the Fall – EB
Time Passes By – EB
Snakes and Liars – EB

Covers we have down:

Breathe In the Air – Pink Floyd
Dig a Pony – Beatles
Watching the Wheels – John Lennon
Show Biz Kids – Steely Dan
Pretzel Logic – Steely Dan
Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More – Steely Dan
(What’s So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding – Elvis Costello
Cheap Sunglasses – ZZ Top
Burnin’ For You – Blue Öyster Cult

More originals of mine that I’ve been practicing to teach Erik:

Making Miles – MS
Checker Cab – JS
Fine Red Wine – JS

Songs we’ve jammed once or more that sound pretty good:

Midnight Rider – Allman Bros. Band
Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More – Allman Bros. Band
I’m Bad I’m Nationwide – ZZ Top
Wild Horses – Rolling Stones
From Hank to Hendrix – Neil Young
Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
Spirit In The Night – Bruce Springsteen
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out – Bruce Springsteen
Subdivisions – Rush
Peace of Mind – Boston
Don’t Let Me Down – Beatles
One After 909 – Beatles
Strawberry Fields Forever – Beatles
Just Like Starting Over – Beatles
Take It Away – Paul McCartney
I Wish – Stevie Wonder
Pearl of the Quarter – Steely Dan
Kid Charlemagne – Steely Dan
Don’t Take Me Alive – Steely Dan
The Battle of Evermore – Led Zeppelin
Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
Since I’ve Been Loving You – Led Zeppelin
Tiger in a Spotlight – ELP
Turn It On Again – Genesis

The Origami Whiz Kids

Today I taught an Origami Special Session at the museum. I actually taught two, a morning session and an afternoon one. The subject was animals, and it was all new diagrams from my book-in-progress that needed test folding. The list included my Moose, U.F.O., Inchworm, Fox, Walrus, Elephant Seal, and Frog. In the morning it was supposed to be intermediate models and in the afternoon complex, but I let everyone fold whatever they wanted. In the morning class there was a very sweet and bright girl named Elliot, about eight or nine years old, who went straight for the Dragon (100 steps!) and did a great job.

The others in my morning class were at a more intermediate level, and were challenged to fold the Fox and Walrus. They didn’t always read the diagrams and didn’t know (for example) what a Stretched Bird Base is. Still, I want the book to appeal to folders at this level (there are a lot more of them), and hopefully help bring them up to a higher level of folding. After all I learned to fold by working my way thru books. So I’m looking to see where I might need to make things clearer, or redraw a single step as several steps. I’m also thinking of adding a section at the end of the book for explaining some of the more complex combo folds that recur in my models. Things like slide-squash, sink-squash, and double reverse folds. Maybe even a quick tour of the classic bases. I suppose I could also do a bit on 30 degree geometry, and a section on sculpting and finishing a model. Or I could work these in to the intros to the various chapters.

At lunchtime a went for a walk around the neighborhood and thru Central Park. It was the first really nice day we had in a while, so the park was crowded. The museum too. The whole city had an atmosphere of everyone coming out to enjoy the springtime.

After lunch was the complex section, and again I let anyone fold anything. It was much fuller and half the class were kids. Elliot returned, and several boys turned up. One of them folded the Dragon in less then an hour, and out of ten inch paper, with all the claws. This group folded the Moose, Frog and other complex models quite handily, which made me feel better about the level of the models. I brought along a model of my Armadillo, even though the diagrams aren’t complete. They were all so admiring of it that I ended up teaching it to the group in the last part of the session. It was a big hit. All in all a great teaching session and I got lots of good feedback on my new models and diagrams.

Oh, and only an hour or so after my last post complaining about my slow progress dealing with my publisher, I heard back from him and cleared up more than half of the outstanding issues with the contract.

Site Update: 2011 Pics Part III

Finally a day to relax. Cold and rainy outside, but a good day to sleep in and catch up on some stuff. Jeannie and the girls were out a scouting event so I had the day to relax. I worked out and had a good long piano practice, and got to work on the some of the new songs I’m writing. Another thing I did was finish off my photo galleries from 2011. These are from our trip to D.C. and Delmarva at the end of last summer, and then thru the fall to the end of the year. One thing I noticed was missing was any pictures from the Cabaret show last November. Ah well, there’s video. Maybe we’ll post some of that sometime.

http://zingman.com/fotooz/index.php
http://zingman.com/fotooz/2011/2011-07/index.html
http://zingman.com/fotooz/2011/2011-08/index.html
http://zingman.com/fotooz/2011/2011-09/index.html

Goings On

Lotta stuff going on with the kids lately. Friday nite Lizzy and some of her friends from school went to see The Hunger Games, along with Jeannie and some of the other moms. We’d all read the books and Lizzy in particular was very excited about it. I’m supposed to go see it with people from work this week, so meanwhile, they’re trying hard not to tell me too much.

Saturday nite was a father-daughter dance at Lizzy’s school. It was very nice. Mainly the kids danced while the fathers stood around and watched, but it was fun and I got to know Lizzy’s friends and some more parents from the school a bit better. Sunday was the Lower Hudson Honor Band concert, in which Lizzy performed. The concert was excellent and Lizzy did and excellent job. She had a few friends in it from school, and we all ended up going out for lunch after the show.

Still lots going on with my origami and music, but it’s work in progress, so nothing to say until it’s somewhere. Soon. Also I’ve been under the weather lately. Our summer preview has come and gone and now it’s back to cold and stormy.