Ed Palermo 2011

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29 Responses to “Ed Palermo 2011”

Alex says:
April 13th, 2011 at 9:50 pm »
Is that a real chick with a violin . . . I mean
Is that a Mexican chick with a violin or is that a Sears chick with a violin?
P-Rip says:
April 13th, 2011 at 9:53 pm »
Normally, I really like Ed Polermo’s stuff, but this just seems…off, both instrumentally and vocally. But without knowing the context…it could have been some impromptu guest appearance thing with little or no rehearsal. The girl looks nice, though.
urbangraffito says:
April 14th, 2011 at 2:14 am »
A quote from P-Rip:

Normally, I really like Ed Polermo’s stuff, but this just seems…off, both instrumentally and vocally. But without knowing the context…it could have been some impromptu guest appearance thing with little or no rehearsal. The girl looks nice, though.

Here’s the context, P-Rip, from Iridium’s Facebook page:

“Come hear the Ed Palermo Big Band performing the music of Frank Zappa and others! EAT, DRINK, BE ENTERTAINED!

Tasty licks, inappropriate jokes, fresh dance moves, shredding, re-harmonization, Todd Rundgren tunes… anything is fair game when you’re with ED PALERMO and his MIGHTY BIG BAND.”
Alex says:
April 14th, 2011 at 3:10 am »
…and what about that whammy bar?

Instructions

1
Bend a note down. Point your whammy bar toward the headstock. Then play a single note (and let it sustain) while you gently press down on the whammy bar. The note will go flat and bend down in tone.

2
Bend a note up. On a lot of bars, pointing the bar toward the bottom of the guitar and pushing on it will produce a bend up, and a sustained note will go sharp. You can get this also by pulling on the whammy bar in a way that moves the string lock toward the body of the guitar. The bend-up is a common guitar trick that is uncomplicated.

3
Try a vibrato note. Simple up and down bends can be done with the strings themselves: what a guitarist often uses a whammy bar for is extreme note-variance effects. Try holding a note and moving the whammy bar back and forth quickly for a “shivering” effect on your sound.

4
Use the whammy bar in arcing solos. Try going up the pentatonic scale over one bar of music until you reach a “top note.” Then use the whammy bar to bend that note up over the next bar: this classic solo style was done to perfection by the glam-rock bands of the 1980s, and the soaring note set audiences on fire.

5
Use a whammy bar with triplets. Try a hammer-on note and then a quick touch of the whammy bar to create a “triple-note” effect. This is just one of the many ways a whammy bar can make a guitarist sound like they are playing more notes than they actually are. Listen to classic rockers like Hendrix to find more plays to use the whammy bar creatively.
Hugh says:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:22 am »
Hey Balint thanks for posting my video. It was a great show (I guess you had to be there ) and I had a lot of fun taping it. This was from the early show (testing out my old family camcorder) and the entire video of the late show will be available at zappateers in the next couple of days. I’m sure some of you can’t wait.
I try not judge bands by fan video’s on YouTube. There’s nothiing like the live experience of music.

And yes, I do need some work on my panning!
Cotti says:
April 15th, 2011 at 12:13 pm »
I love that “David Letterman” feel from Ed’s arrangements.
Bálint says:
April 15th, 2011 at 9:27 pm »
Hugh: thanks for recording it! What was the setlist?
urbangraffito says:
April 16th, 2011 at 3:39 am »
A quote from Hugh:

Hey Balint thanks for posting my video. It was a great show (I guess you had to be there ) and I had a lot of fun taping it. This was from the early show (testing out my old family camcorder) and the entire video of the late show will be available at zappateers in the next couple of days. I’m sure some of you can’t wait.
I try not judge bands by fan video’s on YouTube. There’s nothiing like the live experience of music.

And yes, I do need some work on my panning!

Love your recordings of Ed’s shows, Hugh! Always a treat. I’m glad that more complete clips will be available for us big fans of Palermo’s Big Band arrangements that cannot get to Irridium or New York, generally.

True, one shouldn’t judge a band by just a single YouTube posting. A suite of clips, perhaps. Yet where Palermo is concerned, one should already expect variations in his overall arrangements, particularly wherein brass and reed instruments are often replacing strings.
Hugh says:
April 16th, 2011 at 8:05 am »
Hey guys, besides the Palermo video, the early and late show audio (from that night) will be available soon at zappateers. UrbanG, I’m glad you enjoyed my last recording of EPBB. This is all pretty new to me (recording, video taping and seeding) but it’s a very satisfying hobbie.
You’re welcome Balint. Here’s the EPBB April 7th late show setlist from Iridium (I haven’t worked on the early show yet).

Run Home Slow
Breathless Part 1
Uncle Meat Main Title/Variations
Black Page #2
Little Umbrellas
Mystery Song (still trying to figure this one out)
Sofa #1
King Kong
21st Schizoid Man
Breathless Part 2
Ed’s Mash-Up (Caravan, Jingo, G-spot)
Father O’Blivion
City of Tiny Lights
Waka/Jawaka
Enchidna’s Arf (outro)

Lot’s of great horn solos included.
If you’re into EPBB and you don’t do the torrent thing, I promise to put up more video on YouTube as well. Click my name (above) to access my YouTube Channel.
Robin says:
April 16th, 2011 at 11:42 am »
Sorry for the good intentions, but i hereby ask all musicians in the universe to stop covering Frank’s music. I’ve heard too much versions-(including Dweezil/sorry) of classic FZtunes. This jazzy-snotty-bad timing-bad choreography girly-thing is the bloody limit to me. Do your own thing and stop screwing up the right feel, notes, tempi and face-expressions of Frank’s music. Arff, Arff.
Bálint says:
April 16th, 2011 at 6:34 pm »
… and I hereby ask all musicians in the universe to do whatever they want.
Alex says:
April 17th, 2011 at 5:02 pm »
A quote from Bálint:

… and I hereby ask all musicians in the universe to do whatever they want.

MORE WHAMMY BAR!
Hermann Schindler says:
April 19th, 2011 at 10:06 am »
A quote from Hermann Schindler:

Is that a real chick with a violin . . . I mean
Is that a Mexican chick with a violin or is that a Sears chick with a violin?

I hope she even can play it. But yes, I’m sure she can.
But never mind, the performance is very fine IMHO.
Alex says:
April 28th, 2011 at 4:45 am »
MORE WHAMMY BAR HERE…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTPDi1pSg9g
Hugh says:
May 6th, 2011 at 5:32 am »
A quote from Hugh:

I promise to put up more video (Ed Palermo Big Band plays the music of Frank Zappa @ Iridium NYC April 7th, 2011) on YouTube as well. Click my name (above) to access my YouTube Channel.

Or . . . here are some direct links for:

“Ed’s Mash-Up”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ickV4hr6daA

“King Kong”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iEQ2x1FFqA

“Chunga’s Revenge”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEU7NcXePso&feature=related
Hugh says:
May 7th, 2011 at 9:10 am »
A quote from urbangraffito:

True, one shouldn’t judge a band by just a single YouTube posting. A suite of clips, perhaps.

Well, I have supplied a suite of videos from that same evening (see above).

Do you really still think this band’s off or under rehearsed?
Hugh says:
May 7th, 2011 at 9:14 am »
A quote from Hugh:

Do you really still think this band’s off or under rehearsed?

This question is really directed toward P-Rip but feel free to interject folks.
jonnybutter2 says:
May 7th, 2011 at 2:40 pm »
A quote from jonnybutter2:

Do you really still think this band’s off or under rehearsed?

I think they sound a bit under-rehearsed. For example, listen to the second half of the main part of the head of ‘King Kong’, where the horns, etc. enter. It’s a car crash for a moment.

OTOH, the band is a labor of love, nobody gets paid, and you can’t blame them for not being immaculately rehearsed. You could say that they sound great considering how little they probably *did* rehearse.
Hugh says:
May 8th, 2011 at 6:49 am »
A quote from jonnybutter2:

listen to the second half of the main part of the head of ‘King Kong’, where the horns, etc. enter. It’s a car crash for a moment.

That moment may be due to the sound mix, not the band.
I think these three videos do show the labor of love that is the Ed Palermo Big Band. The arrangements are always fresh and exciting. With top-notch solos. And Ed’s banter keeps it all fun and loose. When you’re there, you sit, drink, eat and the good vibes that come off the band are infectious. It’s really a lot of fun.
But I guess when you’re sitting at home and focused on hearing mistakes, that is what you’ll hear.

There are some bands that never miss a note but they lack the excitement and joy I feel when I see EPBB.
urbangraffito says:
May 8th, 2011 at 11:05 pm »
A quote from Hugh:

A quote from jonnybutter2:

listen to the second half of the main part of the head of ‘King Kong’, where the horns, etc. enter. It’s a car crash for a moment.

That moment may be due to the sound mix, not the band.
I think these three videos do show the labor of love that is the Ed Palermo Big Band. The arrangements are always fresh and exciting. With top-notch solos. And Ed’s banter keeps it all fun and loose. When you’re there, you sit, drink, eat and the good vibes that come off the band are infectious. It’s really a lot of fun.
But I guess when you’re sitting at home and focused on hearing mistakes, that is what you’ll hear.

There are some bands that never miss a note but they lack the excitement and joy I feel when I see EPBB.

When it comes to EPBB, it has always been a sort of love ‘em or hate ‘em proposition with a lot of Zappa fans, especially since Ed Palermo’s arrangements tend to differ somewhat from what Zappa fans have come to expect from classic Zappa compositions (i.e. horns replacing traditional guitar solos). I, for one, have always found Ed Palermo’s arrangements playful and intriguing interpretations of Zappa’s music. If all someone wants to hear is classic Zappa morning, noon, and night – they need do is pitch camp at Zappa.com (however, they’d be missing out on so many fantastic interpretations and covers and arrangements).
jonnybutter2 says:
May 9th, 2011 at 1:01 pm »
A quote from jonnybutter2:

But I guess when you’re sitting at home and focused on hearing mistakes, that is what you’ll hear.

Um, I always hear mistakes, live setting or elsewhere. It’s called critical listening – kind of square one when you listen to Zappa music (among others). I wasn’t meaning to put the band down. I think they do a good job, and I applaud what is clearly a total labor of love. They do sound a bit under-rehearsed though, but that’s pretty understandable.
Dark Clothes says:
May 9th, 2011 at 2:25 pm »
Without going into the debate about Ed Palermo, I suggest that there are two types of mistakes/bad playing. Number one: Well, just not good enough. Number two: Mistakes/bad playing with some sort of artistic/conceptual interest and value. The problem with critical listening is that it tends to lump category two in with category one, and hence miss genuine expressive statements. Examples: Dada, punk, Eugene Chadbourne, Ween, Can’s ethnological forgery series, The Residents, Chrome, some of Neil young’s guitar playing – and a number of tracks by Frank Zappa with or without the MoI. I’m not saying that you make this mistake, Johnny, but just wanted to make the point – while the forum is still here…
jonnybutter2 says:
May 9th, 2011 at 6:51 pm »
A quote from jonnybutter2:

Mistakes/bad playing with some sort of artistic/conceptual interest and value. The problem with critical listening is that it tends to lump category two in with category one, and hence miss genuine expressive statements. Examples: Dada, punk,

I totally agree with you. The key is what you *intend*. If you have a syncopated counter melody in a big band arrangement and you play it almost a beat too late and too slow, that’s a mistake. (You can’t say later, ‘oh yeah, that’s what I meant to do’. Sometimes mistakes are interesting or better than the original idea, but usually they are just mistakes). If, OTOH, you are Motorhead Sherwood and you play a bari sax solo, then it sounds like it’s supposed to sound.
Dark Clothes says:
May 10th, 2011 at 9:06 am »
Right, Johnny! Motorhead’s playing on the You Are What You Is album is a great example of what I’m talking about – as well as his contributions to the ancient MoI
jonnybutter2 says:
May 10th, 2011 at 12:22 pm »
A quote from jonnybutter2:

just wanted to make the point – while the forum is still here…

….[sniff sniff!]
Slap says:
May 10th, 2011 at 6:28 pm »
A quote from Dark Clothes:

Without going into the debate about Ed Palermo, I suggest that there are two types of mistakes/bad playing. Number one: Well, just not good enough. Number two: Mistakes/bad playing with some sort of artistic/conceptual interest and value. The problem with critical listening is that it tends to lump category two in with category one, and hence miss genuine expressive statements. Examples: Dada, punk, Eugene Chadbourne, Ween, Can’s ethnological forgery series, The Residents, Chrome, some of Neil young’s guitar playing – and a number of tracks by Frank Zappa with or without the MoI. I’m not saying that you make this mistake, Johnny, but just wanted to make the point – while the forum is still here…

I always try to remember this (mildly paraphrased) Miles Davis quote:

“There are no ‘wrong’ notes — only wrong directions to take them.”

Concepts to live by!

For me, the whole concept of mistakes relates closely to the size and complexity of what’s being played. For example, in a chorus, one or two voices making mistakes is pretty audible and grating since large choral works depend on precision to avoid incoherent chaos. OTOH, a small rock group playing music that’s playing stuff that’s structurally (relatively) simple — GENERALLY — has a lot more wiggle room, especially if improvisation figures into their picture at all. In such cases, my tolerance for mistakes tends to be directly related to the level of joy coming from the stage. If I heard ZPZ playing out of time or blowing arrangements, I’d be pretty damned pissed; likewise, if I heard Southern Culture on the Skids playing note-perfect airless copies of their studio stuff, I’d be equally pissed.
Hugh says:
May 11th, 2011 at 5:08 am »
I haven’t seen a band yet that doesn’t “chump it” now and then. And critical analysis and music theory is especially interesting when it comes to Zappa’s vast catalog. I just hope when see your favorite bands live, you can check your analytical baggage at the door, so you can enjoy yourselves better.
Dark Clothes says:
May 11th, 2011 at 8:23 am »
A quote from Slap:

I always try to remember this (mildly paraphrased) Miles Davis quote:

“There are no ‘wrong’ notes — only wrong directions to take them.”

Concepts to live by!

Well said, Slap, and a good quote from Miles. I also remember waiting for David Bowie’s Scary Monsters in 1980. In the PR material before the release, Bowie talked about working with the errors in that production – when they made a mistake they would examine it and see if it could be built into something. Not unlike Zappa’s working method, it seems. “Hahaha – Are we recording this?” (One Shot Deal)
Slap says:
May 11th, 2011 at 8:56 pm »
A quote from Dark Clothes:

A quote from Slap:

I always try to remember this (mildly paraphrased) Miles Davis quote:

“There are no ‘wrong’ notes — only wrong directions to take them.”

Concepts to live by!

Well said, Slap, and a good quote from Miles. I also remember waiting for David Bowie’s Scary Monsters in 1980. In the PR material before the release, Bowie talked about working with the errors in that production – when they made a mistake they would examine it and see if it could be built into something. Not unlike Zappa’s working method, it seems. “Hahaha – Are we recording this?” (One Shot Deal)

Not surprising — after working with Eno and diving into the usage of the Oblique Strategies (best example, on Boys Keep Swinging from Lodger, everyone played something other than their primary instrument….), I’m sure he had developed a keen eye for the value of chaos and error.

I really admire Eno’s brain.