I’m heading to Oklahoma City tomorrow to visit my mom, and I’ve coordinated my trip so that I can see Dirty Loops while I’m there.
They’re a Swedish internet sensation who made their claim to fame by doing incredibly inventive jazz fusion covers of songs like Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. The music is really hard to describe, but try to imagine Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and Pat Metheny rolled into one. Okay, don’t imagine it. Have a listen. Here’s an original, “Hit Me”:
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That’s cool stuff Tina. When the bass player’s got a 6-string you know some musical trickery is in the air – time signature changes, false endings, etc. I got into this sort of thing initially through Chaka Khan and the album she did with Arif Mardin in ’82. Enjoy the Dirty Loops tomorrow Tina!
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Thanks so much! I can’t wait to see them. I haven’t been this excited about a group in a long time, and when I saw they were coming to OKC, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
It’s funny you mention this because they just did a tour of Asia and performed with Chaka Khan!
Ugh, that bass player is SICK. His playing just brings tears to my eyes. There’s one song in particular in which he does something really simple—just one little harmonic—but it’s so perfectly timed it gives me goose bumps. It’s at 3:54. This is my favorite of their originals, but I posted “Hit Me” because that’s the most popular. They each take a solo towards the end, the drum solo finishes spectacularly. Then the way they transition back into the song is phenomenal.
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Yes, that is pretty snappy stuff alright Tina; I can see why you’re excited about tomorrow. And yes again, I love those tiny moments in tunes when there’s a glimpse of magic that sends a shiver down your spine – your 3:54 harmonic. Of course, if you want to hear the master of bass harmonics, there’s only one place to go:
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And look! He can even do it on drugs!
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His rocking back and forth makes me dizzy 🙂 He’s incredible. The buddy who introduced me to Dirty Loops is really into Jaco Pastorius…makes sense, don’t it?
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But as we’ve been thinking gender politics this past day or two Tina, let’s not forget the shimmering beauty of Tal Wilkenfeld’s bass playing. Here she is with my friend Jason on keyboards and some busker on guitar, softly offering a transcendently exquisite solo:
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I just clicked on her video! She’s freaking insane. How old is she? She looks like she’s 16.
And some busker indeed.
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Tal Wilkenfeld is an Aussie lass who was born in ’86. I’ve just watched that video of her twice in succession again (20+ times before in the past), and every time I get emotional in her solo; it is so harmonically beautiful.
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It’s very well done indeed! I just noticed that her hands are small like mine. Yet she’s playing the bass. Wow. 🙂
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Yes, she’s a special talent alright. Coincidentally, that club she’s playing at in the video is the one I mentioned in my last post at my place (it’s on Frith St. in Soho, London), and which you kindly read.
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Nice! You weren’t there in the audience?
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I had flu and couldn’t make it Tina, which was a total sickener. Like I said, Jason Rebello (the keyboardist) is a buddy and so it was easy to get along to despite the fact that it was the hottest ticket in town. You may have noticed Robert Plant in the audience, and Jimmy Page was there too. Jason and I used to do meditation retreats together with the nutty woman with the bleeding ear – remember her? – and he also plays with another friend (Lol Cottle) who’s done complete transcriptions of all of Jaco Pastorius’ compositions. Here’s Lol performing one of Jaco’s tunes with his big band:
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I got to see Page/Plant in HS here in OKC! Jimmy Page was my guitar hero, don’t know if I told you that already. I was obsessed with Zep.
Got a quick listen…they sound really good. I’ll have to check it out when I’m not sitting in memory care with TVs blaring all over the place.
Sounds like next time there’s a big concert in London, you’re the one to contact!
Well, I’ve got the music connection to UCO in OKC. You know who to call. LOL. 🙂
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I bought a blonde ’58 Telecaster off J.P. once – it was a great guitar, maple neck and gold fittings. I was chuffed to bits with it and used to loan it to a guy called Alan Murphy who was a session player in London at the time. Then about 6 months after I’d bought it, Jimmy called me and said he wanted to buy it back! Apparently he’d been given it by Paul Rogers and had subsequently forgotten that he really should have kept it because of this. What could I do? I had to sell it back. A couple of years ago I was at a funeral and met an old friend who dealt in vintage guitars. Apparently that Tele, with it’s provenance (I had an invoice from J.P. confirming the sale to me), meant it would be worth c£250k now. C’est la vie!
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WHAT! WHAT? OH MY GOD! I’d have said, “Guitar? What guitar? Oh that old piece of shit? I sold it to some kid on the street, I don’t know who.” 🙂 Then HIDE it. Actually, I would have been so star struck, I probably would have said, “Yes SIR!”
Nice story. At least you got to play it! I was such a huge fan of JP in HS I would have been sick to my stomach hearing this. It still makes me a little sick. You know how many times I watched “The Song Remains the Same”? I actually broke my VCR from playing that so much. I think I acquired a bow and tried to play my Danelectro with it…it was just…really bad screeching. 🙂
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Yes Tina, I know I should have done exactly what you said! I got caught on the hop with a call out of the blue and just wasn’t quick-witted or deceitful enough – dammit! It wasn’t a case of being what you call ‘star-struck’ because my business meant I dealt with lots of names regularly at that time. Mind you, if I’d known that plank was going to end up being worth what it is now when he called, then all bets would have been off! And also, J.P. at the time was – ‘allegedly’ – very into certain occult interests which spooked me and others who knew him then. I have a weird story that I won’t go into here about the black swans he used to keep at his place in Windsor, and also one or two others that are best kept under wraps.
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I heard about his occult interests, but never heard of the black swans. It must’ve been so interesting working with these characters!
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Anyway, I hope your visit to see your mum – sorry ‘mom’ – went satisfactorily; though in the context we’re talking about that’s a pretty heavily qualified term, I know. And how were the Dirty Loops?
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Thanks!
Actually, Dirty Loops is on Thursday. I went out for karaoke last night 🙂
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