music

Saw the wailers tonight as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival. They were awesome, as was Lee Scratch Perry!

The Beats tried hard to change things with their words... they showed us a new way of life in America, a free, fun, crazy way to look at things, a new world view.

The ensuing events with the flower children seems to have minimized and made ridiculous this new way of thinking... it became the druggie's dream, the slacker's soliloquy, the loser's last hope. The PTB capitalized on this break in ourselves to dismiss, redress and be remiss in moving forward.

We lost the way. We stopped valuing intelligence and free thinking, we rewarded buttoned-down suits for their sharp teeth, we knew criminals ran things, and we did nothing. The good people got erased, the bad people grew larger than life, to become untouchable. The mafioso and the government dons joined forces. We watched in disbelief.

Just saw Victor Wooten [2] at the Montreal Spectrum.

He was as expected virtuosic and sublime. Very complex and exciting show, with plenty of long involved solos, as well as a touch of humour as we have come to expect from Victor.

We were treated to a rendition of the hallowed Amazing Grace, which was totally mindblowing. This was led into from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas>Good King Wenceslas.

Victor was joined by 2 of his brothers, Regi and Joseph, and when you learn that Futureman is another of Victor's siblings, one has to wonder at the disproportionate amount of musical genes deposited in this family.

In all a great show, and this is the 4th time I see Victor (3 times with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones [2]).

See some Victor Wooten video here.

I will be seeing the venerable Gordon Lightfoot in November at P.D.A. I am excited to get a chance to see a singer and songwriter I admire so much.