Right now, We're really into Dave Douglas, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Ornette Coleman. We were recently addicted to Outkast. Sly and Robbie loom large.
I just started reading this book called "As Serious as Your Life" by Valerie Wilmer and it details the lives of Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, and Anthony Braxton among others. Man, it's heavy. So I've been listening to a lot of that these days.
Jesse Selengut and NOIR
define and codify a new genre with their first album "This is Jazz Noir." Fusion is such a dated, icky word and doesn't account for genres such as crack-reggae, hip-hop, electro, acid, reggaeton, salsa, etc... So spin all this stuff together, let it inside whilst living in the center of New York Gravity, and the urban confetti of jazz noir is the result.
NOIR has been through several incarnations over the last four or five years, putting together the right pieces in the right way. Highlights along the way included opening up for such terrific bands such as Chris Potter, Dave Douglas, George Garzone, and Joe Lovano and being the host band for the Williamsburg Jazz Festival for three years straight.
NOIR currently holds court every Sunday at the Surf Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's a small room but for some reason everybody digs it when NOIR tears it up.
---NEWS FLASH---
CD BABY picks "This is Jazz Noir" to be on their homepage starting 8/18/06. They also wrote a great review of the album. You can read it in the blog. You can purchase the CD at CD Baby.
Hey comrades in Noir - many thanks for your comments - I loved the stuff I heard of yours at the Apple Store - and an African tour? how cool! Do stay in touch
I love the CD Jesse, Yooo!!! Underpass got me bugging, but Dude the whole album is banging..I'ma keep listening chief..Hey lets link up soon...and nah you didn't bug me out, U RIGHT, if somebody don't come correct u gotta send the right vibe we work hard for this mula
This group of sonic instigators has definitely put me in a tight spot. I discovered the hidden message in Underpass, but when I went to where I was instructed in the message, the woman told me I was too late and that she had given the goods to someone else. Two days later, I saw him in the news. He had been shot - with no trace of the money or the other thing..... What's going on!?!
Wow, Jesse, thank you so much for checking out the music and for your lovely comments. As for the bass sound, I just uploaded what we had (no tweaking for myspace), which was recorded by a terrific engineer (Katherine Miller) -- but, you know, as far as the bass sound in general, what can I say: it's Ken Filiano. I dig your trumpet sound, too -- so clean and smokey at the same time (how'd you do that?). Maybe we'll run into each other one of these days here in Brooklyn. Thanks again, and stay in touch, Andrea
hey Jesse, your NOIR stuff sounds really good. I gotta hear you live.
Man--you guys played with Garzone? I studied with him for years. What a monster...
Thanks for having us on Sept. 15. That gig was a blast. We look forward to working with you guys in the future. If you ever want to play in DC, let us know. We'll get a killer show together.
hey Jesse, sounded so fucking good at Rose the other night.. thanks for everything you and Rick have put together. It is a very good thing for music and the community.
Best,
Brian Newman
