MOG - Celia Chavez's Posts

Gaby Moreno: Still the Unknown - setting the mood for my summer

Celia Chavez — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:26:50 GMT

I had the pleasure of doing a couple of shows with this artist here in Los Angeles, and if you're in the area, you should check her out as she has several dates in the area promoting her new CD, Still The Unknown.

Gaby Moreno has been a songwriter for some time, but I think this is the first record she's done as an artist. Live, she is a triple threat, leading her trio with solid vocals, guitar work, and of course, her impressive and soulful songs.

Originally from Guatemala and now based in LA, this is definitely a promising debut. I'm enjoying the blend of bluesy rock, alternative pop, and Latin influences on this record. The track I'm posting here, is somewhere between dreamy, moody, and breezy - a beautiful soundtrack to my summer, and hopefully yours too.

Hope you dig.

some links for Gaby Moreno:

http://www.myspace.com/gabymoreno

\http://www.indie911.com/index.php?cID=20954

Jazz pianist Esbjörn Svensson killed in scuba accident

Celia Chavez — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:47:48 GMT

I just saw this headline, and the news saddens me to no end.

Esbjörn Svensson, a brilliant pianist and composer, died yesterday in a scuba diving accident near Stockholm. He was only 44 years old.

http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2285789,00.html

What a great loss to the musical community. The Esbjörn Svensson Trio was a group whose evolution I was hoping to follow for many years to come. Led by Svensson, they were young, innovative, and created some of the most exciting yet still accessible jazz today. I hesitate to call their music jazz, though - it is really much more than just one classification.

The track I'm attaching, "When God Created the Coffeebreak" from their album "Strange Place for Snow", shows the boldness in Svensson's playing and writing, and whenever I listen to this track, I am transfixed by the play between the harmony in the right hand and the busy, heavy, urgent melody in the left hand. And it's also unbelievably and infectiously groovy.

Right before I made the move last year from New York to LA, I saw that E.S.T. were playing somewhere outside the city, and thought about going to see them, but the moving expenses took priority over a concert ticket. Wish I had chosen otherwise. I had caught E.S.T.'s show live at Jazz Alley in Seattle back in '03 and found they brought a currency and freshness to music that I had seen many young jazz acts strive for but fall short. Their original compositions stuck in my head like pop songs but were also highly textured and complex, blurring the lines between jazz, pop, rock, electronica. And live, they were rock stars - all thin, intense, Scandinavian-handsome, with unquestionable musicianship. Just three guys, but the magnetic Svensson led the other two - double-bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström - in painting vivid aural landscapes around their distinctive and memorable songs.

Another great article paying tribute:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15579

Rest in peace, Esbjörn Svensson. You will be missed.

Basking Under the Big Black Sun

Celia Chavez — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:27:38 GMT

Thanks to last night's last minute posting by fellow MOG'er Robin Danar, I was able to catch the Direct TV broadcast of X in concert at SXSW this year. I haven't seen them in a while, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time - sometimes I forget that live, they're instrumentally a trio, and yet - they pack so much punch, even all these years after the songs were originally recorded.

I've always been baffled and delighted by X. They have that crazy, rootsy hillbilly influence, and yet, Exene's poetry and fashion sense - not to mention her unique way of singing harmony (and lead, for that matter) are definitely artsy and modern. Or is that post- modern? Their relentless and primal rhythms...anyhow, everything about X is rock-n-roll perfection - from the interaction of the rhythm section (DJ Bonebrake and John Doe) to Billy Zoom's boyish cuteness, rip-roaring guitar riffs, and stage poses; and the yin-yang creative, personal, and stage relationship of Exene and John. During one of the interviews John and Exene also mentioned something that is a hallmark of X songs: romanticism in the lyrics.

I also fondly recalled seeing them at the Showbox back in Seattle, when punk shows were still slightly brutal, and it being my first punk show in a while i was wondering why there was so much room in front of the stage. proudly claiming my spot where i would be positioned adoringly at Billy Zoom's feet. I patiently waited for the show to start, and was intrigued by the roadies who unrolled a non-skid mat in front of me. What was that for, I wondered?

Well the answers to my questions were answered when the band took the stage. The extra space up front? well, as the crowd rushed forward and crushed the wind out of my 5-foot frame, I figured that one out. The non-skid mat? Well, that was for Billy, his cowboy boots, and his famous, deep-lunge, split leg guitar rock pose.

Hopefully you can catch the Direct TV concert on repeats. The track I've attached, one of my faves, the one that closes the show, and one of the best song titles ever: The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss. I love, love, love this band!

"I prefer a memory to a photograph..."

Celia Chavez — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:37:12 GMT

I heard this line in this song for the first time a few years ago, at a live show by Richard Julian at the Living Room in NYC. It's affected me to this day, as I ask myself: is it better to shoot pictures and violate the intimacy of a human moment, or just let it occur undocumented, and preserve it internally, where it may be romanticized and distorted in any way possible - for better or for worse. Or lost.

My mom, god bless her, was infamous during my childhood for relentlessly forcing my brothers and me and various friends of the family into compositionally balanced poses and exclamations of "cheese!" through grimaced teeth. Flash, flash, flash.

Of course, if you have a photograph, upon subsequent viewing, sometimes you discover something precious or telling you may have missed, as Julian sings here...

In any case, this is a lovely song, and I often come back to it to admire its elegance.

Joe Jackson: “Rain”

Celia Chavez — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:54:49 GMT

I’ve always thought of Joe Jackson as a fascinating contradiction: geeky but cool, abrasive yet tender, punky and jazzy…you get the idea, and if you have heard any of JJ’s repertoire, now reaching back about 30 years. you know what I am talking about.

I’ve had several years being out of touch with this artist’s work, so it was a pleasant surprise when I was able to attend his concert in LA this past week at the Orpheum Theater. It was the last show of his U.S. tour to promote his most recent release, “Rain.” I was excited to hear that it was a trio record – and a trio live show as well – with his longtime rhythm section, Graham Maby on bass and David Houghton on drums, and Jackson on piano.

The arrangements throughout the show were full and dynamic despite the minimal instrumentation, and the trio kicked off the show with “Steppin’ Out” and set a playful tone for the evening. Again, an amusing contradiction, as title to the new record suggests a dreary perspective. It was a pleasant surprise to find that new songs like “Invisible Man”, “Rush Across the Road” and “King Pleasure Time” flowed easily in the same playlist with selections from Jackson’s earlier days, such as “One More Time”, “Chinatown”, “Different For Girls” and the New Orleans-y “Dirty Martini”. There was plenty of exuberant, jazz-punk verve to keep my blood pumping, but there were slow moments: “Solo” was a break for the band as Jackson played that song, well, solo, and with much drama. “Slow Song” was a beautiful way to finish off the tour, as the trio started it together, but one by one – first Houghton, then Maby – peeled their layer of rhythm and harmony away, and then - after waving to the crowd - physically slipped off the stage to leave Jackson to finish his song, and the U.S. tour, alone in the spotlight.

As far as the CD, I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive from Amazon, but I’m attaching a copy of “Rush Across the Road” as a teaser. I like the sweetness of this song, and the optimism – two things I don’t normally associate with this artist. But, then again, I’m a native Seattleite, and grey weather means comfort and home to me…so maybe it makes sense that there would be, for this listener, a warm bright spot in Joe Jackson’s “Rain.”

Another flava...Vegas, baby!

Celia Chavez — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:12:16 GMT

Hi Moggers,

Thanks for the friendly response to my last post of original music!

Here's another song from the record: Vegas. A little upbeat than the last track I posted...This time you'll hear dueling guitars by Ann Klein, who opens the track with her driving rhythm guitar; and James Maddock, who told me he was channeling Paul Kossoff from Free in the solo section.

The funny thing is, the answer to question that opens the song is, no, I've never been to Vegas. The catalyst for the song was catching the cover art of the Crystal Method's CD (also titled Vegas) out of the corner of my eye. Somehow this inspired the lyric and the song practically wrote itself shortly thereafter.

Let me know what you think!

cheers, Celia

Aural Contagion: The Ting Tings "Great DJ"

Celia Chavez — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:06:52 GMT

Heard the Ting Tings for the first time on KCRW here in LA and I boogie every time I hear this track. So darn catchy! maybe because it's easy to sing along with a chorus that is monosyllabic. And yet, somehow it's smart.
There are a few very danceable remixes floating around for this song also, equally contagious and head-bob inducing. haven't caught them live yet but am amazed to hear that they perform as a duo and put on a relentlessly entertaining live show.
If anyone has seen them live and can review what they saw, please pipe in!
til then, just sing along...
ah-ah-ahhhh-ah, ah-ah-ah-ahhh! and the drum, the drum, the drum, the drum...
(arrgh, i can't get the clip to upload - i got it on iTunes and it's protected. BUT, you can download the Ting Tings for free on iTunes this week - it's the Free Single of the Week. )

somebody's gotta do it!

Celia Chavez — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:00:10 GMT

Well, I've been shying away from doing this but what the heck - thought I should get something up here after being fortunate enough to be mentioned in Robin Danar's post-of-the-day.

This is one song from my album, "Sailor's Daughter" which I recorded in NYC. It was 100 degrees in LA today - with weather like this I feel a million years and miles away from the winter day in my Queens apartment when I woke up with the song.

The track was a live take and Steve Elliot accompanies me on nylon string acoustic guitar - a vintage Hohner Contessa, my favorite and most sentimentally treasured axe.

Hope you enjoy - I'll post a couple more songs up here Celia

Saturday Night Dork Fever

Celia Chavez — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:02:48 GMT

OK, i'm a dork...I feel so funny writing these posts with all the cool people talking about the new Portishead record or Coachella updates. Not that I don't think that's cool - I'm actually tuned into MOG to see & hear about new music, but here I am like Cinderella on Saturday night making charts for my band for our 3 hour jazz(ish) gig next Thursday, while my boyfriend is writing me text messages about the great party he's at in Silver Lake. Oh I'll never be hip.

So, resigned to my dorkiness and needing a song to cheer me up, I settle on this one. The groovy Bacharach horn outro kicks in and I do my solo dorky dance. Saturday night fever, indeed.

NOTE: for some reason MOG inserted "1960's Happy Days" as the album, when the version I'm referring to is on the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid soundtrack.

Trevor Exter: One Man Epic.

Celia Chavez — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:55:52 GMT

The first time I saw Trevor Exter he was playing solo at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York. His impressive singing would have reeled me in anyway, but his cello, with its woodsy, percussive, passionate range, was - and is - unique enough to make me listen further on my own.

While he has many upbeat and groovy songs showcasing his talent, my favorite is the one I’ve attached here: “Lover.” The voice and cello slowdance to the shadow a gentle blues-shuffle groove that frames the elegant melody and lyric. Exter’s voice carries the song’s dynamic as he whispers tenderly in the listener’s ear, then moans and cries at the climax, and cradles you on the outro.

Watching and hearing Trevor Exter convey this song in all its subtlety while competing with adjoining bar noise made me want to listen further.

Enjoy – and Happy Monday!

Experience Music Project - Seattle WA

Celia Chavez — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:40:20 GMT

While I have been living away (in NYC and LA) these past 4 1/2 years , I’m originally a Seattle homegirl. I returned home for a family visit this week with my boyfriend, and when I asked him what he would like to do on our one free day, he promptly replied, “Let’s go to the rock and roll museum.” This meant: a visit to the Experience Music Project, also known colloquially as the “Jimi Hendrix” museum. Their web site: http://www.empsfm.org/index.asp

Now, as Le Beau and I both make our living in the music industry, I was a little surprised that he would want to spend several hours in a place that I have to confess I had never visited while living in Seattle because I thought that the concept of a rock and roll museum started by a Microsoft millionaire (Paul Allen) sounded, well, cheesy.

Well, I do like cheese, so off we went to pay our $15 admission (which includes complimentary coat/bag check) and explore the interactive exhibits. I was actually charmed, won over, and drawn in as I watched my fellow museum-goers' childlike wonder while tweaking a looped guitar signal with effects pedals, pretend-jamming onstage while looking out on a projected mass audience, and watch demonstrations on how to DJ. It was also a profound exercise in awareness as I saw how separate the average Jill or Joe is from how music is actually made, or how many people it takes to put on a touring show (the extravagant example was Elton John), or even what it is that is making those scratchy noises on hip-hop records.

There are plenty of Hard Rock Café-like highlights where you can ogle vintage recording equipment, autographed celebrity guitars, or outlandish stage costumes. There’s even an adjoining wing that is a sci-fi exhibit, presumably because the Allen family collection included a great deal of sci-fi paraphernalia. But what impressed me most was how EMP is attempting to compile the largest oral history and video library of people and performances who have made an impact in American popular music. Some of the interviewees on their list had already passed on, and seeing their names on the wall emphasized the importance of a library like this. And visitors to the museum are invited into a video recording booth to leave their own story on record in a one-minute clip for other museum-goers to view later.

There is currently a temporary exhibit, Sabor, highlighting Hispanic music influences in American pop music. This was both entertaining and educational as Sabor went into multimedia detail about different regional developments in the Hispanic music community. I hope that exhibits like this either become a permanent part of the museum or that there are upcoming long-term temporary exhibits that explore other ethnic, regional, and generational music communities, as there was less material than I expected on, say, how blues, gospel, and Appalachia influenced our popular music. Or the British invasion. Also, there was almost nothing about the east coast punk scene centered around CBGB’s or the college-town musical communities around the U.S. – like Austin TX or Athens GA – that sparked much of today’s indie rock.

However, EMP is a Seattle institution, so perhaps it seems natural that the exhibits would have a Pacific Northwest and west coast focus.

With all the changes in the recording industry right now, it’s interesting to juxtapose my view as a professional musician with the perspectives of laypersons in a museum like EMP and then come home to read the reflections of music fans here on MOG. It definitely emphasizes how big and diverse the perspective can be depending on which music fan – or music maker - you’re talking to.

New to this...

Celia Chavez — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 08:56:59 GMT

Hello moggers,

Welcome to my first post! You will find me taking my first mog-baby steps, as I am still sorting out how to work this. I was attracted to the network as it focuses on music. However, I'm a little spooked by the way that Big Brother Mog digs in my library and can see everything I've listened to. Do I really want it that automatic?

Anyway, it is at the very least interesting to be on here and refreshing to hear not just spewings from industry spin docs, but rather real comments from real people about music.

So, hi, and I hope you will "trust" me soon!

Cheers, Celia

p.s. the Queen song is actually a little tribute to my best friend, whose birthday was this weekend.