Join Me at Scribe Life

Come on over and check out my "old" blog, Philip Booth's Scribe Life, to which I've returned, for coverage of music, movies, books, and more.

question(s) of the day

What is it that makes people go gaga over that horrible American Idol?

Isn't it really just glorified karaoke?

What made Simon think he was qualified to tell the difference between a good singer and a greedy, talentless publicity monger?

When will this putrid program finally tank?

Da Vinci Code: Underwhelming (movie review)

I caught tonight's advance screening of The Da Vinci Code.

The nickel review: I was underwhelmed, and the zero-friction chemistry between stars Tom Hanks (mildly miscast) and Audrey Tatou didn't help.

The $1 d'oh prediction: Big box-office $$, particularly for the first weekend, before word gets out.

Qualifier to the d'oh prediction: If the "controversy" grows, stoked no doubt by studio publicists, the movie will sell loads of tickets all summer long.

More ...

Going into Ron Howard's adaptation of Dan Brown’s omnipresent bestseller The Da Vinci Code, the latter a potent mix of theological thriller and lurid pseudo-historical gobbledygook, it was difficult not to dwell on a couple of nagging questions.

First, if a mere movie is so threatening to Christians’ faith, then what does that say about the strength of their beliefs? Secondly, why in the name of all that’s holy are Vatican officials and other Roman Catholic leaders seemingly more bent out of shape over the impact of a piece of slick Hollywood spectacle – boycotts and picketing have been threatened by some – than they are about the widespread molestation of innocents by priests?

If I were as big a conspiracy theorist as Brown is, or pretends to be for the sake of a crackerjack page turner, I’d have to answer that second question thusly: Maybe Church officials believe that their patriarchal authority and power structure will somehow be undermined by the sundry loosely connected crackpot theories presented onscreen by Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind).

Sadly, for some, this movie isn’t the vehicle to achieve such a feat, and not only because its liberties with art history and Church history are as fanciful and absurd as the book’s leaps of logic.

Why, then, won’t the Church be shaken? Because The Da Vinci Code, Howard’s third project with Tom Hanks (following Apollo 13 and Splash), is simply Dullsville on far too many occasions during its sprawling 148-minute running time. Howard and Goldsman make the mistake, fatal to filmmakers and fiction writers alike, of too often telling, not showing. The dialogue, particularly that spoken by the reliably bright and witty Ian McKellen, as a wealthy British scholar, in more cases than not is designed to carefully put into place the various pieces of the newfangled doctrinal puzzle, rather than to reveal character.

At one point, it seems quite possible that Howard will conclude with a Scooby-Doo ending – the police will swoop down, make an arrest, and rip off the mask of the villain, who will turn out to be Old Man Johnson, the kindly amusement park janitor. No spoilers here, but it’s fair to say that Da Vinci does offer that sort of twist in the final act, when double-crosses start spreading like wildfire.

The film opens strong, as a murderous chase in the gleaming corridors of the Louvre in Paris, where Howard and Co. shot for two weeks, is contrasted with a lecture given by Professor Robert Langdon (Hanks), a Harvard “symbologist” -- nope, in real life there’s no such job. In the heat of a book signing, he’s pulled away by a French detective (Jean Reno) to answer questions about the murder of a Louvre curator whose naked corpse was covered with cryptic messages written in his own blood.

It’s a short jump from a crime story to an on-the-road thriller, as Langdon (Hanks looks doughy and tired, and perennially makes quizzical faces) and an attractive French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tatou) team up to solve the crime. More importantly, they’re hot on the trail of a secret that, you know, has been suppressed for 2,000 years.

The cover-up involves several popes, high-ranking Church officials, secret societies and a self-flagellating, aqua-eyed albino monk by the name of Silas (Paul Bettany). And the long-suppressed “truth” allegedly ties Jesus to Mary Magdalene and their still-surviving offspring, with clues provided by Leonardo Da Vinci, and Alexander Pope and Isaac Newton figuring into the mix. It’s the first-ever thriller in which the line, “I have to get to a library, fast,” can safely be delivered with a straight face.

David Byrne to Curate Artists Series at Carnegie Hall

(below thanks to Secret Society):

Artists Only
David Byrne will curate the upcoming Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall -- lineup TBA.
Keep an eye on Byrne's blog for possible hints.
[via Brooklyn Vegan]

Now there's a series I'd walk a country mile to see.

Since the expiration of the Talking Heads (why won't DB agree to a reunion?), Byrne has turned in some interesting work, and played some riveting shows, particularly for the tour in support of 1989's Rei Momo.

But I think his greatest legacy, post-Heads, has been his instrumental role in introducing world music to people who might otherwise not have been exposed to the artists he's picked.

The Byrne-selected Brazil Classics, Vol. 1: Beleza Tropical remains one of my favorite compilations, or favorite albums, period. It's drenched in that particularly Brazilian feeling of melancholy, and loaded with gorgeously played melodies by the likes of Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben and Milton Nascimento.

Poseidon: $175 million budget?

Earlier reports placed the budget of Poseidon at about $140 million. But according to the new Entertainment Weekly, the actual cost is somewhere around $175.

Other facts and figures about the movie, according to EW:
The Poseidon Adventure cost about $5 million to make.
Poseidon's CGI ship surpassed the actual RMS Titantic by 218 feet

So will the studio recoup its investment? Probably, after all is said and done, when you consider the overseas take, and rental from DVD and video on demand.

By the way, reviewers aren't taking too kindly to Poseidon. It notched a 49 score on Metacritic, and a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jan Stuart, in Newsday, says: "Poseidon is a great leveler of humanity: It renders everyone in the picture eminently disposable and everyone in the audience equally bankrupt for bearing witness."

Paul Simon Hits the Road

Paul Simon reportedly debuted some of the new songs from his Brian Eno-produced Surprise CD at the second weekend of Jazz Fest in New Orleans, in a performance that had folks raving.

I was at Jazz Fest the first weekend, so wasn't around to catch Simon's set, but my friend Jeff, a fellow threadhead on the Jazz Fest chat board, was there, and he had this to say:

I got to the Acura stage real early and was right in front for Paul Simon. There were some really good people there and we had a great time at his show. High spot of the show was when Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas played with Paul Simon. Musically, the show was great, but Simon barely said anything to the crowd.

Now, he's hitting the road. His tour kicks off July 1 at Summerfest in Milwaukee.

Full details are online at Billboard.

Funny, astute comments about Guns N' Roses by Sasha Frere-Jones in the issue of The New Yorker (5/15) that came in today's mail. It was a mini-preview advancing the sold-out shows scheduled for the Hammerstein Ballroom, beginning tonight.

"He (Axl Rose) knows that the excitement of seeing Guns N' Roses has been replaced by the excitement of possibly not seeing them. At this point, it might be better if Guns N' Roses did not turn up. The original records would keep doing their work, and a riot might ensue, a more accurate (if also more actionable) expression of the band's spirit than whatever music they are, or aren't, making."

She brings back not-so-fond memories of such GN'R classics as "I Used to Love Her (But I Had to Kill Her)." Axl and Co. were openly misogynistic -- and rightfully taken to task for it -- long before that loser Eminem came along with his own set of fun-loving songs about hating women. Wonder why all the rockcrits give Eminem a pass?

Jazz Journalists Association "Now On Jazz Radio" Panel This Wednesday in NYC

From the JJA (yes, I'm a member):

On Wednesday, May 17, the Jazz Journalists Association and New School Jazz present "Now On Jazz Radio," regarding current trends in broadcasting (satellites and podcasts included), as the fourth and final panel discussion of the "Jazz Matters" series' spring semester.

The panel takes place from 6-8 p.m. in the New School Jazz 5th floor performance space, 55 W. 13th St., NY NY, free and open to the public.

Panelists:

• Becca Pulliam, preoducer "Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater," "Toast of the Nation," formerly "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz," WBGO-FM
• Steve Rathe, principal, Murray Street Productions; senior producer "Jazz from Lincoln Center," founding producer "Jazz Alive!," upcoming "Live from Symphony Space"
• Michael Anthony, program host "The Unforgettables," WHPC, Garden City NY
• Bethany Ryker, program host The Stochastic Hit Parade," WFMU, Jersey City NJ

Guests: TBA
Moderator: Howard Mandel
Email Hman@jazzhouse.org or call (212) 533-9495 for further information.

Question of the Day

So what's your prediction for the next BAD TRIBUTE DISC to come down the pike?

Obligatory Self-Serving, Traffic-Attracting Tom Cruise Mention. Janet Jackson, Katrina, tsunami, xbox 360, Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, American Idol

Tom Cruise.
and just as a little traffic experiment --

The most googled terms of 2005:
Janet Jackson, Katrina, tsunami, xbox 360, Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, American Idol, Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, Harry Potter.

And the most froogled terms of 2005:
ipod, digital camera, mp3 player, ipod mini, psp, laptop, xbox, ipod shuffle, computer desk, ipod nano.

Let's see what happens.
Is this just too darn cynical?

Michael Bolton Swings Sinatra? Seriously?

The forthcoming (May 23) release of Bolton Swings Sinatra, a CD on the Concord label, provoked a storm of, well, mostly, laughter on the Jazz Programmers list-serv.

Ross Gentile, host of “Standards in Jazz” on WSIE-FM in Edwardsville, Ill., had this great story to tell about the reaction he received to some short on-air previews of the disc:

"I don't know how the Sinatra estate could ever put its blessing on this, as is stated in the liner notes! Right now, Sinatra in heaven is vomiting every meal he ever had at Patsy's. Where's Jilly when you really need him!

I did a segment on my show yesterday in the 5 PM hour -- "Fun with Michael Bolton". I played about 20 seconds of each track of the CD on the air. The lines to the station were jammed for a hour for me never to play that CD again!

It makes a fun bit on the air! Trust me. Every call I got from listeners -- They were laughing.

With all of the bad news on the air, from the Middle East to gas prices, etc., this was a breath of laughing gas!"

I guess I'll withhold my judgment until I actually hear the thing. But, you know, WHY? Hasn't this guy inflicted enough musical damage?

What's next, Madonna Maims Monk?

Blues Music Awards Last Night in Memphis

The Blues Music Awards, formerly the W.C. Handy Awards, were held last night in Memphis, and awards were given in 25 categories.

Nice to see several New Orleans-related people on the list, including Marcia Ball, Tab Benoit and the late, great Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Response to Jacqueline Q's comment on Akeelah

I've heard great things about 2002's Spellbound, although I've yet to see it (it's on my list).

But that documentary tells the story of eight different kids from around the U.S., as they variously move toward a big bee, right? Akeelah and the Bee tells a different story altogether, from what I understand.

Speaking of Spellbound -- It always bugs me when filmmakers re-use titles of well-known films. Alfred Hitchcock's movie of the same name, made in 1945, starred Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman.

An even worse violation -- This year's surprise Oscar winner for best picture, Crash, has the same title as a 1996 David Cronenberg film starring Holly Hunter and James Spader. (Cronenberg is on record as not being happy that his title was borrowed).

Do these filmmakers presume that nobody will remember that there were earlier films bearing those titles?

Synchronicity?

So the Today show does a big feature on Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, on the day that Poseidon opens worldwide.

I'm not superstitious, but that just seems kind of strange.

(See my Poseidon ramblings below, and my Sarasota Herald-Tribune review)

Rare Musical Terms and Definitions

Here's a list of rare musical terms and definitions, forwarded to me by my guitar-playing friend Gary Kolosey:

Adagio fromaggio: to play in a slow and cheesy manner.

A la regretto: tempo assigned to a performance by the conductor after it is panned by the local music critics.

Al dente con tableau: in opera, chew the scenery.

Allegro con brillo: the fastest way to wash pots and pans.

AnDante: a musical composition that is Infernally slow.

Angus Dei: a divine, beefy tone. Antiphonal: referring to the prohibition of cell phones in the concert hall

A patella: unaccompanied knee-slapping.

Appologgiatura: an ornament you regret after playing it.

Approximatura: a series of notes played by a performer and not intended by the composer, especially when disguised with an air of "I meant to do that."

Approximento: a musical entrance that is somewhat close to the correct pitch. Bar line: what musicians form after a concert.

Basso continuo: the act of game fishing after the legal season has ended.

Basso profundo: an opera about deep sea fishing.

Cacophany: composition incorporating many people with chest colds.

Concerto grosso: a really BAD performance.

Coral Symphony: (see: Beethoven -- Caribbean period).

D.C. al capone: you betta go back to the beginning, capiche?

Dill piccolo: a wind instrument that plays only sour notes.

Diminuendo: the process of quieting a rumor in the orchestra pit.

Eardrum: a teeny, tiny tympani.

Fermantra: a note that is held over and over and over and...

Fiddler crabs: grumpy string players.

Flute flies: gnat-like bugs that bother musicians playing out-of-doors.

Fog horn: a brass instrument that plays when the conductor's intentions are not clear.

Frugalhorn: a sensible, inexpensive brass instrument.

Gaul blatter: a French horn player.

Grace note: the I.O.U. you deposit in the church collection plate when you're out of cash.

Ground hog: someone who takes control of the repeated bass line and won't let others play it.

Kvetchendo: gradually getting ANNOYINGLY louder.

Opera buffa: musical stage production at a nudists'camp.

Pastorale: beverage to drink in the country when listening to Beethoven with a member of the clergy.

Pipe smoker: an extremely virtuosic organist.

Pizzacato: the act of removing anchovies from an Italian dish with short, quick motions and tossing them to a nearby awaiting feline friend. Placebo Domingo: faux tenor.

Rights of Strings: manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Bowed Instruments.

Rubato: cross between rhubarb and a tomato.

Schmaltzando: a sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band.

Spritzicato: plucking of a stringed instrument to produce a bright, bubbly sound, usually accompanied by sparkling water with lemon (wine optional).

Tempo tantrum: what a young orchestra is having when it's not keeping time with the conductor.

Toiletto: the effect on the human voice of reverberation in small rooms with ceramic tiles.

Trouble clef: any clef one can't read, e.g., the alto clef for pianists.

Woodwind: a noise in the game of golf, made by a club missing the ball on a tee shot.

Celebrating the Life of John Hicks

This just came in from the fine folks at Jazz Corner:

This is from John's sister Emma.

Viewing will be held Thursday, May 18, 2006 from 2-9pm at Saint Mark's United Methodist Church located at 55 Edgecombe Avenue, New York City.

Homegoing service for Mr. Hicks will be held on Friday May 19, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Mark's United Methodist Church.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by John H. Joyce Funeral Directors located at 2332 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. New York, new York 10030 Phone 212-690-3500.

Following the funeral services for Mr. Hicks, the family will have his body shipped to Atlanta, Georgia to be buried at South View Cemetery in the family plot along with his parents, grandparents, and brother, Eldon. Flowers can be sent to the funeral home.

Thank you.
Peace
Lois Gilbert
jazzcorner.com

Remembering Bob Marley

Bob Marley, the king of reggae (duh) and one of the most significant and enduring artists of the rock era, died 25 years ago today.

NPR ran a nice feature today, on Marley's music and influence, and one terrific segment of the story focused on the evolution of the anthem "One Love." When the Wailing Wailers (Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny) debuted the tune, it was much faster and more ska-like than the final, slowed-down, hypnotic-grooving version of the tune.

Just out at the bookstore is Christopher John Farley's Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley. I'm wondering if this bio will offer anything new, in the wake of the countless books already published on Marley.

Sure wish we had the time/$$ to go back to Jamaica once more, for this summer's version of Sunsplash or SumFest or whatever they're calling the summer fest in Montego Bay now.

Free Movie Tickets to Akeelah and the Bee for Teachers

This just in:

AMC ENTERTAINMENT AND LIONSGATE OFFER
“AKEELAH AND THE BEE” F-R-E-E TO U.S. TEACHERS

Kansas City, Mo. and Santa Monica, Calif. (May 10, 2006) – In an effort to reward teachers at the end of the school year for their hard work and encourage them to see the inspirational education-themed movie "Akeelah and the Bee,” AMC Entertainment and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) are taking the unprecedented step of offering every teacher in the United States one free ticket to the film Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14, 2006. The offer is valid exclusively at all theatres in the AMC system including: Loews Theatres, Star Theatres and Magic Johnson Theatres.

"Partnering with a theatre chain the caliber of AMC gives us the ability together to bring ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ to our country's most important resource - teachers," said Tom Ortenberg, President of Lionsgate Theatrical Films. "We were in concert with AMC from the moment we joined together on this terrific idea."

"We are honored to be able to treat teachers across the country to a free showing of ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ at one of our theatres,” said Peter Brown, Chairman and CEO, AMC Entertainment. “The film underscores the tremendously positive effect that educators can have on our children, and it is our hope that this small gesture lets teachers know how much we appreciate them.”

A motivating drama, “Akeelah and the Bee” is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah's aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and, in turn, unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

A Lionsgate, 2929 Entertainment and Starbucks Entertainment production, “Akeelah and the Bee” was written and directed by Doug Atchison. The film's producers are Sid Ganis, Nancy Hult Ganis, Michael Romersa, Danny Llewelyn and Laurence Fishburne; executive producers are Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan and Helen Sugland.

Teachers need to present a valid school-issued identification card or pay-stub and photo identification card at the box office in order to receive a free admission to the film. Free admission to school teachers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tom Petty Returns to Hogtown?; Peter Bogdanovich Documentary in the Works; Tampa Show, in '05, with the Black Crowes

Will Tom Petty do a 30th anniversary concert in Gainesville, where he started his rock and roll career in the Hogtown band Mudcrutch?

That's a rumor buried deep in Chris Morris's story (online at the Billboard site) about a forthcoming documentary on Petty. The film is now being shot by Peter Bogdanovich, the masterful film director (The Last Picture Show) and ultimate film buff.

The movie promises to be great, and I'd definitely get in the car and motor up to Gainesville, home of my alma mater, the University of Florida, if that show indeed takes place.

I have fond memories of dozens of Petty shows over the years, including one last June at The Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, and another concert or two long ago at the old Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg.

Petty (thanks, Tom) includes my Billboard review of that '05 show on his official site. In addition to hearing great music at that concert, which featured the mighty Black Crowes as opening act, I got to take my son, then 9, to his first full-fledged rock and roll show. I wonder if he'll remember this when he grows up?

As far as that proposed Hogtown show -- The waiting is the hardest part.

The Onion Peels Open Poseidon

My new favorite Poseidon review quote is from the review in The Onion:

"Titanic" without the metaphors, the class-consciousness, the love story, or anything resembling a theme, Poseidon invests so little in its screenplay that it might as well be an episode of "The Love Boat" gone horribly awry."

Ella Taylor, in her review for LA Weekly, praises, you know, the special efx:

"The effects are terrific, from the two-and-a-half-minute opening sequence that tracks around the brilliantly lit liner from below, above and round about, to some amazing exterior shots of the groaning vessel rolling around in the churning sea like a giant, wounded whale."

Forecast ahead: Huge box-office takes at home and maybe even bigger loot abroad. With dialogue this pointless, there's no way anything will be lost in translation.