Tyler Blue
Tyler Blue
Somebody once said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” Tyler Blue does not agree. He penned his first serious concert review in March of 1998 after getting blown away by Zero for three nights in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The ability to relive such a profound experience through words proved to be extremely nourishing.
Mr. Blue was born and raised in Miami, Florida, a town not renowned for its live music. His first concert was Motley Crue and Guns ‘n Roses in 1987. Shipping off to college in Clemson, South Carolina was a better idea than he ever imagined. There he found himself in driving distance to countless musical adventures.
Shortly after college he followed his heart to Santa Barbara, California, pursuing a romantic relationship and a career in music production. He got an extra kick from exposing the local music community to lesser-known bands. Following an April 2001 benefit performance by Sound Tribe Sector 9, Blue’s pen awakened once again. He began writing spirited reviews of any show that particularly stirred his juices. Several appeared on www.jambase.com.
One evening at a friend’s house, he was flipping through the new Phish Companion book and found a review he had written unexpectedly published in its pages. This was quite a rush, one he wanted to experience over and over. The reviews kept coming and he began to branch out into other genres. Thinking back on it, this was an extension of an earlier passion for creative writing and poetry. The
ability to relay the power of life’s experiences presented an exciting new challenge.
The opportunity arose to write an article about a restaurant for one of the local papers. Two years later, Mr. Blue has been published over a 100 times in several Santa Barbara publications. He currently has a weekly column in the Santa Barbara News Press called “Hot Spot of the Week.” Earlier this year, he achieved the first of many writing goals, getting two different articles published in Relix Magazine. One of his favorite aspects of writing is interviewing fascinating subjects. Career highlights certainly include interviews with drum gurus, Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussain.
When not writing, Tyler Blue likes to spend time and travel with his fiancée, Ravena and his two dogs, Boji and Jiboo. He also records live music from time to time, thus especially appreciating the efforts of the Bay Recorders Organization. His favorite band of all time will always be the Grateful Dead but his love for classic jazz holds a special place of its own. Like most people these days, he listens to a bit of everything.
2007 Year In Review
2007 went by at lightning speed but fortunately BRO was hard at work documenting some of its most exciting musical performances. This two-CD sampler promises to be more diverse than ever, featuring some truly obscure moments. Beginning at the extreme end of that spectrum, the first song is performed by a 60-person choir with a 12-piece backing band at the Eastbay Church of Religious Science. Going from this into realms of rock, jazz, funk and folk, a listening of BRO's 2007 Year in Review is a lesson in modern music culture.
The bread and butter of BRO's compilations are typically Bay Area darlings who are little-known to the rest of the world. Lebo & the Law fit this bill to a T. Their upbeat ditty, "Try," gets things going on a bouncy foot. Less polished outfits like The Ned Flanders Experience, comprised of 14-year olds, get equal opportunity to show their stuff. Here they storm through a garage-band style "Crazy Train." It's quite a contrast to the following track from Big Organ Trio. With the help of a funky guest guitarist, they tear through Jimmy Smith's "Root Down" with a vengeance. BRO's ability to bring out a studio element in a live
recording is here on full display.
BRO's dedication to seeking out the most interesting live music extends far outside the bounds of typical concert situations. A graduation reception at a private residence offers one of the compilation's highlights. Conjunto Rivira and his band present a beautiful Salsa excursion with all the elements aligned. Piano and percussion surround the listener, making you want to get up and dance. The Satisfied Allstars deliver some old school funk at a wedding reception. Their virtuoso guitarist lays down liquid jazz leads over a growling rhythm section. The fun continues with Banyan and its primal, acid jazz. Funky enough to dance to, but edgy enough for those who veer to the dark side.
Smokedaddies, with their ever-evolving personnel, launch Disc Two with a crisp, extended intro into Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See." The sound quality is superb as the band nails all the subtle dynamics with sweet keyboards, slide guitar and soulful vocals. Strong cover songs become a theme as Moonshine Still run through Beck's "Deborah." Hitting all the high notes, it arrives at a major climax with the help of guest guitarist, Dan Lebowitz. Another frequent guest musician on Bay area stages, Jordan Feinstein, goes on to inject a playful keyboard romp for Blue Turtle Seduction.
Pulling another obscure gem out of its hat, BRO somehow ended up at Albany High School’s spring concert production to catch a 15 year old singer putting on a vocal clinic for the ages. This is the kind of thing you'd never hear otherwise. The very next track brings an indie rock edge to the mix from Two Gallants. Passionate vocals and urgent instrumentation stamp this song with sincerity.
The latter part of the 2007 Year in Review is dripping with funk starting with The New Mastersounds, all the way from Leeds, UK. Once again, the sound quality is studio-worthy. Garaj Mahal pops up with a song from its set at the intimate Bobolink Festival. Karl Denson sits in on sax, giving a clear reminder as to why he’s a legend-in-the-making. Perhaps the most exciting song of all comes from a new group, Five Eyed Hand. Hot, sexy jamming is complimented by violin, bringing a gypsy flavor to the groove. This is deep stuff; ever more so thanks to the searing guest guitar of Garaj Mahal’s Fareed Haque. Cross-pollination, as they say, is big in the Bay Area. Look for notes distinguishing performances such as this which can be ordered from BRO in their entirety.
More info on the 2007 Year In Review
BRO BY MAIL Sampler
These days most music fans pride themselves on diversity. Even with the internet and word-of-mouth, it's hard to stay on top of it all. Thankfully there's a resource like the Bay Recorders Organization which travels to venues all over the Bay Area to record concerts. The folks at BRO compiled this sampler featuring clips of songs extracted from shows which are available for purchase on this site. For those having a hard time deciding how to get the most bang for their buck, this is a good place to start.
Each part of this two-disc set contains 13 tracks from 13 different bands. Disc one begins with a sample of "Sounds of the Ocean" which leads into the cascading dulcimer and plunky bass of Jamie Janover & Friends. ReOrchestra is a highlight from late 2003. Sweet Rhodes piano weaves over layers of percussion and bass. Drippy jazz guitar is the icing on the cake. Every track has the ability to strike the right chord depending on one's taste. Izzabella leaves you wanting more with soulful vocals and climactic instrumentation.
Disc Two begins with a sample of "Birds of La Playa" before giving way to The Ritual. We find ourselves instantly immersed in a funky, dance throwdown. The alien jazz of JFJO and joyous groove of Smokedaddies keep it interesting. BRO shows its ability to be in the right place at the right time with rare bits like A New Orleans Night. The aggressive improv featuring swirling keys and rapid fire drumming whets the appetite. As long as you're prepared for some of these juicy tracks to fade out before the best part, this sampler could prove very helpful for those looking to fortify their live music collection.
More info on the BRO BY MAIL Sampler
2006 Year In Review
On any given night in San Francisco, musical fireworks are flying. Even the most hardcore connoisseur would have trouble keeping up. Fortunately the Bay Recorders Organization is on location at many of the best concerts, capturing it all in sterling audio for the world to hear. BRO's 2006 'Year in Review' sampler is a double-disc set packed with a wide array of obscure highlights. These songs have been cherry-picked from countless hours of material recorded and produced for the "TAKE IT HOME" program and represent some of the music scene's freshest talent.
The glory of this compilation is the many moods it traverses while maintaining smooth transitions. One of the best songs is the first, "Stereo Crickets," by Zach Gill of ALO. The warmth of the recording makes it feel as if it's being performed in your living room. Bizarre vocals and soaring guitar escapades ensue with Japanese juggernaut, Meltone. Singer/Songwriter-types are well-represented ranging from the passionate longing of Two Gallants to the sweet, downhome sound of Brett Dennen's "She's Mine". Ryan Aufenberg and his elegant string accompaniment also reveal much potential. Disc one closes with a rousing version of "The Weight", recorded at a wedding reception that also includes the groom doing some vocals attempts, performed by Lebo and the Law.
No band is a better-kept Bay Area secret than Smokedaddies. BRO faithfully captures the weekly performances from this improvisational group. Opening Disc Two with a spritely funk excursion, Tea Leaf Green's keyboard whiz, Trevor Garrod, joins the action. The roadhouse growl of Shantitown is followed by the cascading strings of Blue Turtle Seduction and captivating spoken word from Garrin Benfield with Sam Flot. Exemplifying the diversity of the compilation, the SF Chamber Orchestra even gets a turn. Amidst all the musicianship, this classical morsel makes perfect sense.
The best thing about a mix like this is getting turned on to new bands. The polyrhythmic Latin seduction of Locure is irresistible. Beautiful vocal harmonies and rolling percussion make the listener hunger for more. The consistency of sonic quality between all of these musical morsels leaves nothing to be desired. Bay Recorders Organization takes you inside the sound system while maintaining the warm ambience of each venue. A cover of The Band's "Ophelia" by The Ritual, is good for drinking lemonade on a front porch.
Pleasant discoveries continue with the fluid jazz of Somethingfour. On their heels is L.A. up-and-comer, Seismic, letting it rip on a dominant cover of Bruce Hornsby's "White-Wheeled Limousine." Guitarist James Lake makes a statement for most explosive solo of the year. Yet another new star emerges with the New Mastersounds, an old-school funk band from Leeds, UK. The rhythmic dance grooves layered with sparkling saxophone are enough to make one seek out the rest of this December performance. Wrapping things up on an avant-garde note is Jamie Janover and Friends, dishing out loose, low-end surges of subtle exploration.
Many of these performances are available through the BRO BY MAIL program.
More info on the 2006 Year In Review
Garaj Mahal
Garaj Mahal is one of those bands universally respected for their instrumental prowess yet can’t seem to get over the hump in terms of popularity. After listening to these two shows from last November it’s easy to see why. Like the fusion of Miles Davis, much of this stuff isn’t sugarcoated for the average listener. But those who get it, really get it. The Bay Recorders Organization swooped into San Francisco and Petaluma to capture these concerts in crystalline audio.
Each night the band comes out swinging, diving right into its complex compositions. One can’t ask for much more in a rhythm section than what you get from Alan Hertz and Kai Eckhart. Hertz’s drumming is death-defying at points. The relentless, fluid bass-runs by Eckhart are occasionally mind-warping.
The band has delved deeper into a global sound, pulling off a few multi-cultural experiments. Fareed Haque’s guitar/sitar hybrid makes a few memorable appearances. This reviewer loved the first disc of each show and felt like the band faded as the shows progressed. The first set of the Mystic Theater represents Garaj Mahal at its best. Buckle your seatbelt for “The Shadow.”
