From: rdr@panix.com (Reuben Radding)
Subject: Radical New Jewish Culture Review
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 06:42:33 GMT
Organization: Doc Porter's Thrills Show


Well, I'd originally hoped to get to more than one night of this festival,
but I came down with a nasty cold and didn't get to the Knitting Factory
till tonight (Sunday). Here's my review:

First up was CHARLES BERNSTEIN, a poet. I didn't care much for his work.
Am I the only person out there who's sick of poets who make constant 
references in their poems to poetry and poets? I wish I had a dollar for
every one of them in NYC alone!

Next was reed master LENNIE PICKETT. He played solo on a variety of clarinets,
saxaphones, and others. He played the extremes from each while sounding
perfectly in control. Sometimes he would get very percussive, while at 
other times he sailed on through lovely 'sheets of sound.' He finished
his set with a terriffic piece that had a tape accompaniment (an orchestra
comprised of a large percussion section and 70+ winds--all parts played by
PICKETT) and some of the audience tuned out, while some, like myself, 
were mystified. The piece was very long, but well worth the attention.

JOEY BARON soon broke the silence with the help of a tenor sax player and
trombone. (Sorry folks, I didn';t get the names.) This was pretty dazzling.
BARON has found almost as many ways to play the drums as Gerry Hemmingway.
Whether he's licking his finger and rubbing the heads, or beating away with
padded mallets, his confidence and flair are always evident. A great set!

The big crowd-pleasers were GOD IS MY CO-PILOT, featuring SHARON TOPPER.
I think I would've liked them a lot better if they hadn't been built up
to me so hard. I'd heard all these amazing things about TOPPER's voice.
I was led to believe she was simply ferocious, but I thought her singing
was somewhat weak. The band's originals (imagine Mars with a string section)
were interspersed with Jewish folk tunes worked up for the occasion. On the
whole their sound is pretty jarring, particularly the guitar of Craig 
Flanagin (imagine if Andy Gill picked up Arto Lindsay's guitar for
a set). I think one really good drummer could've out played their two
skin beaters. I was underwhelmed, but the crowd was in ecstacy. 

The festival's curator, JOHN ZORN, and guitarist MARK RIBOT, followed
with a few riveting duets. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard for 
myself. I hadn't seen ZORN play sax in a while and I'd forgotten, y'know,
that mother can REALLY PLAY! He was displaying technique and vocabulary
I hadn't thought within his reach, and RIBOT...this guy is able to 
switch between sounding like Pharoh Sanders on Coltrane's _OM_, and 
Scotty Moore, and a foghorn within a few moments. Woah. In the end they also
brought out a clarinet player (form the Klezmatics, I think) and a drummer.
They were both excellent too, but I didn;t think they added that much.
I could've watched a whole set of just ZORN and RIBOT.

I didn't stay for the KLEZMATICS. 

 
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Reuben Radding           "Eliminate the ninnies       |  
rdr@panix.com             and the twits."             |
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