Blog

Blog http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm Sat, 20 Aug 2011 04:45:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com pragVEC http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=1210939 There's a great article by Mark Paytress in the "Buried Treasure" section of last month's Mojo on the late 70s "garage Kraftwerk" British band, pragVEC.  I like Paytress' work, vintage synthesizers,  and the band name caught my eye (he likens it to a "Polish lavatory cleaner"), so I read a little.   When I read they had been a group who "cared more about the positioning of speakers on-stage than in marketing their 'product'", I was further drawn in.   The clincher was vocalist (now human rights lawyer) Susan Gogan's amazing answer for why the critically acclaimed but commercially disastrous "No-Cowboys" record didn't mark their breakthrough:  "We were caught up in our self-belief.  That record was a piece of art.  It wasn't supposed to be a career move." How refreshing is that in 2011?!  Art in the service of nothing/no one but itself, if you believe that is possible. Or at least, bigger than money. Either way, I think I'll buy the record--just because they confidently didn't jam it down my throat. Mojo on the late 70s "garage Kraftwerk" British band, pragVEC. I like Paytress' work, vintage synthesizers, and the band name caught my eye (he likens it to a "Polish lavatory cleaner"), so I read a little.

When I read they had been a group who "cared more about the positioning of speakers on-stage than in marketing their 'product'", I was further drawn in.

The clincher was vocalist (now human rights lawyer) Susan Gogan's amazing answer for why the critically acclaimed but commercially disastrous "No-Cowboys" record didn't mark their breakthrough: "We were caught up in our self-belief. That record was a piece of art. It wasn't supposed to be a career move."

How refreshing is that in 2011?! Art in the service of nothing/no one but itself, if you believe that is possible. Or at least, bigger than money.

Either way, I think I'll buy the record--just because they confidently didn't jam it down my throat.
]]> Sat, 20 Aug 2011 04:45:00 GMT 626441E530FA57C20A3B16F6265CF535 A Special New Year's Message from Pop! Dirigible Records to You http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=687348 From Dan Hutt Field Recordings and the Pop! Dirigible Stable of Artists: Ready to Make Sweet Love to You in 2011 From Dan Hutt Field Recordings and
the Pop! Dirigible Stable of Artists:

Ready to Make Sweet Love to You in 2011
]]> Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:20:00 GMT BC2AF56B0CDD1B1F080FEBD40B54A350 2010 in Rear-View Mirror http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=659409 I've been silent here on the Blog page for quite some time, so it's a good time now to say hello and touch base again.  It's been a tumultuous and extremely busy year, to say the least; I'll be glad to put this one behind me.  No new music right now as I'm a busy, busy bee finishing up draft one of my M.A. thesis on Salman Rushdie's 1999 rock 'n' roll novel, The Ground Beneath Her Feet.  Also just finishing PhD applications, a conference paper (I'm going back to Savannah, GA soon!), blah blah blah.  But I'm making real progress and will be wrapped up with these items shortly.  I will post the thesis here for your perusal when done, and I've got loads of new/old music projects to complete and post here in the new year as well.  Lots of things have been back-burnered for much too long that I'm anxious to get back to. I am even trying my hand at fiction writing now; I figured if I'm doing scholarly work on the rock novel, it would be interesting to actually try to write one too.  It might very well end up horrible, but that won't interfere with my fun in doing it.  I think this intersection of music and books might actually end up being my thing.  I remember having children's books as a little kid that often had flexi-disc inserts, and that always fascinated me. Still does, I guess. There is one new item that I've just posted--the 2004 @cme Grain Belt video that Scott did w/ Mark Hendrycks that is posted here on the <a href="./popdirigiblerecordsbullseyeselbowsseries.cfm">Pop! Dirigible Records' Bulls-Eyes & Elbows page.  I love it and it cracks me up every time I watch it!  I bet you might get a kick out of it too. This is a working vacation for me this holiday, and thankfully, my family largely stopped exchanging gifts a long time ago. I did order up a couple of things for my own stocking this year though:  Teenage Fanclub's new record, Shadows, with the incredible track, "Baby Lee" and the fab postmodern cover art, and Billy Hinsche's dvd documentary of the '74 Beach Boys tour.  Beyond the mid-60s Beach Boys era, that late 60s/early 70s period of the band is one of my favorites in all of music.  I saw Billy this summer at the Al Jardine concert in Eagle, NE, and it was a real thrill. I also had a chance to get into an actual record store this week (I highly recommend Backtrack Records in Lincoln, NE) for the first time in months.  That's a record (no pun intended) for me.  And believe it or not, I actually showed a little restraint. Maybe all my harpings on commercialism aren't just rhetoric as concerns my own behavior?  I spent a couple of hours perusing and managed to escape with only one item, and a non-music one at that: the ultra-cool poster from my favorite James Bond film, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, starring George Lazenby, Telly Savalas, and Diana Rigg from the Avengers series.  I've had my eye out for it for some time now. OK, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and have a chance to check back some time in the new year.  Once I finish my current obligations, I envision a windfall of new music and writing here in the coming months.   Best wishes, Dan              The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Also just finishing PhD applications, a conference paper (I'm going back to Savannah, GA soon!), blah blah blah. But I'm making real progress and will be wrapped up with these items shortly. I will post the thesis here for your perusal when done, and I've got loads of new/old music projects to complete and post here in the new year as well. Lots of things have been back-burnered for much too long that I'm anxious to get back to.

I am even trying my hand at fiction writing now; I figured if I'm doing scholarly work on the rock novel, it would be interesting to actually try to write one too. It might very well end up horrible, but that won't interfere with my fun in doing it. I think this intersection of music and books might actually end up being my thing. I remember having children's books as a little kid that often had flexi-disc inserts, and that always fascinated me. Still does, I guess.

There is one new item that I've just posted--the 2004 @cme Grain Belt video that Scott did w/ Mark Hendrycks that is posted here on the Pop! Dirigible Records' Bulls-Eyes & Elbows page. I love it and it cracks me up every time I watch it! I bet you might get a kick out of it too.

This is a working vacation for me this holiday, and thankfully, my family largely stopped exchanging gifts a long time ago. I did order up a couple of things for my own stocking this year though: Teenage Fanclub's new record, Shadows, with the incredible track, "Baby Lee" and the fab postmodern cover art, and Billy Hinsche's dvd documentary of the '74 Beach Boys tour. Beyond the mid-60s Beach Boys era, that late 60s/early 70s period of the band is one of my favorites in all of music. I saw Billy this summer at the Al Jardine concert in Eagle, NE, and it was a real thrill.

I also had a chance to get into an actual record store this week (I highly recommend Backtrack Records in Lincoln, NE) for the first time in months. That's a record (no pun intended) for me. And believe it or not, I actually showed a little restraint. Maybe all my harpings on commercialism aren't just rhetoric as concerns my own behavior? I spent a couple of hours perusing and managed to escape with only one item, and a non-music one at that: the ultra-cool poster from my favorite James Bond film, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, starring George Lazenby, Telly Savalas, and Diana Rigg from the Avengers series. I've had my eye out for it for some time now.

OK, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and have a chance to check back some time in the new year. Once I finish my current obligations, I envision a windfall of new music and writing here in the coming months.

Best wishes,

Dan

]]> Sat, 25 Dec 2010 04:40:00 GMT CEB816AC188B601F1E1305CEDF28C749 Jet Blue Blues http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=392743 Regarding the flight attendant incident recently aboard Jet Blue airlines, I was thinking:  who among us doesn't wish that at one of our zillion past shitty, dead-end jobs, we'd had a rubber slide escape hatch and two beers at the ready with which to walk (or, I guess, slide) out when it became too unbearable? Not to mention a p.a. system to give formal notice, thanks, and *#@& you's. Vicariously brilliant, say I. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:30:00 GMT E08423B5F8DC1273854BCDE8548356B1 "Robert . . ." Gets New Wings http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=369092 My recently-posted tune "Robert the Baby Owl or Child-Bee with Detonator" has been considerably amped up with guitar contributions by old friend (and likewise Tecumseh native) Andy McCulla. Andy has always been a great friend and considerable musical influence on me and it is a real honor to collaborate with him here. And, his guitar work just smokes! This is much more rock 'n' roll than anything I've done lately. Hear the multi-tracked Byrdsian vibe of the verse riffs and the chaotic wailing a la Richard Lloyd on the chorus. Wow! I love it and it really transforms the song entirely! Hear the re-vamped "Robert" <a href="./popdirigiblerecordsbullseyeselbowsseries.cfm">here. Here's hoping many more collaborations w/Andy are to come. And evidence of this smaller-than-ever world is that Andy is currently jamming with my nephew and former Near South Davenports bandmate, (Dr.) Noah Beadell in their Portland, Oregon hometown. How I wish I was there to participate, but we have taken some preliminary steps towards long-distance collaboration. Second best thing. here.

Here's hoping many more collaborations w/Andy are to come. And evidence of this smaller-than-ever world is that Andy is currently jamming with my nephew and former Near South Davenports bandmate, (Dr.) Noah Beadell in their Portland, Oregon hometown. How I wish I was there to participate, but we have taken some preliminary steps towards long-distance collaboration. Second best thing.
]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:10:32 GMT D03806762D7522785A003451631BFAEA Slide Whistle Added to DHFR Musical Arsenal http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=297588 Today I ordered a slide whistle. No fictional Dumb Angel sessioneer protege should be without one of course. You fear that my enthusiasm may result in slide whistle solos on every song for a while? Well, your worries are well-founded; like the Smile sessions, I make no promises--all rules and conventions are out the window. But I like to think the slide whistle may over time come to be known as my secret weapon or ace card, like Brian Wilson's use of theremin or bass harmonica, or Ian Anderson's flute, or that thing the Thirteenth Floor Elevators always used. In a few years people will talk about my slide whistle as "the fifth Beatle," "plutonium," or "the Transcontinental Railroad." Dumb Angel sessioneer protege should be without one of course.

You fear that my enthusiasm may result in slide whistle solos on every song for a while? Well, your worries are well-founded; like the Smile sessions, I make no promises--all rules and conventions are out the window.

But I like to think the slide whistle may over time come to be known as my secret weapon or ace card, like Brian Wilson's use of theremin or bass harmonica, or Ian Anderson's flute, or that thing the Thirteenth Floor Elevators always used. In a few years people will talk about my slide whistle as "the fifth Beatle," "plutonium," or "the Transcontinental Railroad."
]]> Sun, 23 May 2010 20:09:50 GMT EB3AE3612920997EF149FE1E3E1AC405 "1890s Long-Distance Break-up" http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=277797 Title of a new song idea.  Premise:  In the 1890s Morse code community, sleazy long-distance and impersonal breakups between couples conducted via transmitted messages in morse code (the equivalent to present-day breakups by phone, email, or text) were considered to pose formidable rhetorical challenges to successful transmission, requiring fluency in the sub-field of (Re)morse code.  Only the most sensitive and athletic codists could transmit in this dialect, and they were known as the Beep Whisperers. Mon, 10 May 2010 06:38:08 GMT 135B9CAC6C13C4311ABF0E97E05167BD "Carol of the Bells," by the Bird and the Bee http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=218305 I know it's not Christmas, but I think I've just come across the greatest recording I've ever heard--seriously.  Enough to knock my revolving door of Beach Boys Smile tracks from the top spot.  It's the Bird and the Bee's 2007 version of the Ukrainian Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells."  I just came across it this week as I was filling in the gaps of my Bird and the Bee/Inara George collection with singles and one-offs, as I simultaneously ordered their new effort of Hall & Oates covers.  This is everything I need in a song--from cinematic instrumentals (I can't help but believe, accordingly, that Michael Andrews didn't have some hand in the production here) to veritably sublime vocals.  Inara George is second to none in that department.  And I love the photo as well--very early-mid 60s modernist aesthetic--calling to mind the library/den settings of the Beach Boys "In My Room" performance on the Red Skelton show in 1964 and the Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" portion of Help! in the Dick Lester film a year later.  Do yourself a favor and download this tune (see link below).  But take a look at yourself in the mirror first, 'cause you won't be the same person afterward. This is mind-blowing, psychedelic, spooky yet transcendent baroque pop at its absolute finest. Between the Bird and the Bee, Wilson and Parks, Andrews, and Wondermints, there can be little question as to whether Los Angeles is once again the epicenter of psych-pop music. <a target="_new" href="http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Of-The-Bells/dp/B000Y02VEE">http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Of-The-Bells/dp/B000Y02VEE I know it's not Christmas, but I think I've just come across the greatest recording I've ever heard--seriously. Enough to knock my revolving door of Beach Boys Smile tracks from the top spot. It's the Bird and the Bee's 2007 version of the Ukrainian Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells." I just came across it this week as I was filling in the gaps of my Bird and the Bee/Inara George collection with singles and one-offs, as I simultaneously ordered their new effort of Hall & Oates covers. This is everything I need in a song--from cinematic instrumentals (I can't help but believe, accordingly, that Michael Andrews didn't have some hand in the production here) to veritably sublime vocals. Inara George is second to none in that department. And I love the photo as well--very early-mid 60s modernist aesthetic--calling to mind the library/den settings of the Beach Boys "In My Room" performance on the Red Skelton show in 1964 and the Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" portion of Help! in the Dick Lester film a year later. Do yourself a favor and download this tune (see link below). But take a look at yourself in the mirror first, 'cause you won't be the same person afterward. This is mind-blowing, psychedelic, spooky yet transcendent baroque pop at its absolute finest. Between the Bird and the Bee, Wilson and Parks, Andrews, and Wondermints, there can be little question as to whether Los Angeles is once again the epicenter of psych-pop music.

http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Of-The-Bells/dp/B000Y02VEE

]]> Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:45:00 GMT A0409FFDD6DDBAD7366CE410F2B60D12 New Daniel Christian record http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=216378 My good friend and Near South Davenport bandmate Daniel Christian has a new record out, Hold Your Breath.  We had a catch up/record listening visit yesterday and I can vouch that it's a fine album, sonically and aesthetically.  Dan again did me the honor of recording one of my songs, this time "Flowers and Song," and it's a trip to hear what someone else comes up with when they interpret your work.  Dan's version is first-rate:  me likee!  You may purchase his album by going to his website: <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/danielchristianmusic">http://www.myspace.com/danielchristianmusic My good friend and Near South Davenport bandmate Daniel Christian has a new record out, Hold Your Breath. We had a catch up/record listening visit yesterday and I can vouch that it's a fine album, sonically and aesthetically. Dan again did me the honor of recording one of my songs, this time "Flowers and Song," and it's a trip to hear what someone else comes up with when they interpret your work. Dan's version is first-rate: me likee! You may purchase his album by going to his website:

http://www.myspace.com/danielchristianmusic
]]> Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:15:00 GMT A4F284B86C907AD65C83379BAF3B983A New Inara George album--download only http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=212607  I just heard the new Inara George solo record, Accidental Experimental, available as download-only, and it's stunning.  Best thing I've heard in 5 years.  Goes back and forth from vocal jazz to baroque pop to new wave to folk to electronica to psychedelic all so effortlessly.   I highly recommend this album.  Here's the link: <a target="_new" href="http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Experimental/dp/B002QJ3YO2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1269375213&sr=8-3">http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Experimental/dp/B002QJ3YO2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1269375213&sr=8-3 Accidental Experimental, available as download-only, and it's stunning. Best thing I've heard in 5 years. Goes back and forth from vocal jazz to baroque pop to new wave to folk to electronica to psychedelic all so effortlessly. I highly recommend this album. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Experimental/dp/B002QJ3YO2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1269375213&sr=8-3

]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:15:00 GMT BD739D6687050150CF97085D34B29D74 Jeff Runnings and For Against http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=183932 I stopped into the store on the way home from school Friday afternoon and ran into Jeff Runnings of long-time Lincoln, NE band, For Against. I've long enjoyed their music, and Jeff and I also briefly worked together at Homer's Records in Lincoln.  He gave me a copy of the band's new cd, Never Been, and I happily popped it right into my car stereo for the drive home.  I can attest that it's a beautiful-sounding album and Jeff's voice in particular sounds fantastic.  Check out For Against and Never Been at <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/foragainst">www.myspace.com/foragainst. Never Been, and I happily popped it right into my car stereo for the drive home. I can attest that it's a beautiful-sounding album and Jeff's voice in particular sounds fantastic. Check out For Against and Never Been at www.myspace.com/foragainst.]]> Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:10:00 GMT FEC13950B42E8E858EB4D8FAA2FBEE6A A cappella mixes added today http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=153192 I posted 3 new song versions today:  a cappella mixes of "Snowing in Savannah" and "Jane Hansen, the Healer," and a mono mix of "Jenny (Psychedelicacy)."  I know I'm a vocal harmonies geek, but I can't get enough of the a cappella stuff.  I spend a long time on the instrumental aspects of songs, but the pudding for me is the a cappella mix that I extract after everything's done.  I guess it's sort of like how as an undergrad I used to always get my math homework done first because it was harder for me, while I left the English stuff for last because I knew my strengths lay there and it would be cake. As for the mono mix, it's mostly a curio for me.  I also spend a lot of time in the recording process deciding where to pan different parts in the stereo field, and I really like that effect.  Still, I'm a big Phil Spector fan, and of course the Beach Boys and the Beatles never bothered with stereo mixes at all for most of the Sixties.   Anyway, it is interesting to hear different versions of songs, so I hope you enjoy these.
As for the mono mix, it's mostly a curio for me. I also spend a lot of time in the recording process deciding where to pan different parts in the stereo field, and I really like that effect. Still, I'm a big Phil Spector fan, and of course the Beach Boys and the Beatles never bothered with stereo mixes at all for most of the Sixties.

Anyway, it is interesting to hear different versions of songs, so I hope you enjoy these.
]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:52:24 GMT F3A3ABAFA19097FB5F295A7B4DB4A3F6 New Decade/New Song http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=151256 It seems like pretty good karma to complete and post a new song to launch a new decade, and I'm happy to do just that with "Snowing in Savannah" today.  It even has sleigh bells in the chorus, so I guess that makes it even more holiday-appropriate and maybe the closest I'll ever get to doing any kind of Christmas album.  I started writing it a couple of months ago and have worked on the recording over the past couple of weeks.  It's very much in the baroque pop vein--for me more of a head-clearer than mind-blower--and I had in mind Michael Penn's great album Resigned (1997) as a guiding force, alongside some of my usual influences like the Wondermints, the Owls, and the Twilight Hours.  The backing vocals, although sparse for one of my songs, were the hardest I've ever done.  I have even more respect for those Four Freshmen doing their jazz vocals than ever before.    The song, as I indicate in the lyrics note, is about me getting "stranded" by a winter storm an extra night in Savannah, GA this past February when I presented a paper at a conference there.  I spent the extra evening at my favorite spot on River Street, The Warehouse bar (formerly a cotton warehouse).  You can stand in the doorway of the place and look 50 ft to the Savannah River (separating Georgia and South Carolina) and see huge ocean freighters from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, etc., coming into port (I'll post some pics so you can see what I mean).  As stunning as that is, within the bar itself you will find the nicest and prettiest ladies in Savannah happy to serve you delicious food and cold drinks, with great live music on weekends.  The day is coming--sooner than later--when I'll be a local and a regular, and hopefully as well in a band that entertains there from time to time.  I can't wait. Happy New Year to you! Dan Resigned (1997) as a guiding force, alongside some of my usual influences like the Wondermints, the Owls, and the Twilight Hours. The backing vocals, although sparse for one of my songs, were the hardest I've ever done. I have even more respect for those Four Freshmen doing their jazz vocals than ever before.

The song, as I indicate in the lyrics note, is about me getting "stranded" by a winter storm an extra night in Savannah, GA this past February when I presented a paper at a conference there. I spent the extra evening at my favorite spot on River Street, The Warehouse bar (formerly a cotton warehouse). You can stand in the doorway of the place and look 50 ft to the Savannah River (separating Georgia and South Carolina) and see huge ocean freighters from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, etc., coming into port (I'll post some pics so you can see what I mean). As stunning as that is, within the bar itself you will find the nicest and prettiest ladies in Savannah happy to serve you delicious food and cold drinks, with great live music on weekends. The day is coming--sooner than later--when I'll be a local and a regular, and hopefully as well in a band that entertains there from time to time. I can't wait.

Happy New Year to you!

Dan

]]> Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:35:00 GMT BF5936FC9BD2934337F549A9739ED6FB Purchase Option Daily Window http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=140853 NOTICE:  Beginning January 1, daily, ten-minute windows will be made available on this website, during which you may purchase any song posted herein for $8 per song.  Only cash will be accepted, and obscure, foreign currencies are preferred. After the daily ten-minute window has expired, songs will again be made available to you for non-purchasing. Likewise, obscure, foreign currencies are preferred. NOTICE: Beginning January 1, daily, ten-minute windows will be made available on this website, during which you may purchase any song posted herein for $8 per song. Only cash will be accepted, and obscure, foreign currencies are preferred. After the daily ten-minute window has expired, songs will again be made available to you for non-purchasing. Likewise, obscure, foreign currencies are preferred.]]> Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:05:00 GMT AF9A6361712633D000FE6F8AA52C23D6 200th visitor . . . http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=138112   . . . it's just this small thing I am able to do for you this Christmas to show my appreciation for your interest in my site:  unlimited myrrh on Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day eve.  Because there's always room for you at the DHFR inn.  You have some pine cone tea now and I'll park your stick horse. Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:30:00 GMT 634AE5DBCF13461F44714A35C8018D63 Illegal Music Downloading http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=133339 In the English comp classes I'm teaching right now, the students are discussing/writing about the issue of (illegal) music downloading without permission/paying. It's a topic I'm really interested in myself, and I'm always fascinated by their responses to the issue. Many are very astute and insightful, suggesting reasons (both for and against) that I had failed to consider. Sometimes, though, the logic misses the mark, as is the case with the frequently argued illegal downloading defense that musicians don't need to make money from their music because they can earn that revenue in other ways, such as live performance, merchandise, etc. True or not, the defense obviously side-steps the issue, but that's not principally why the rebuttal interests me, as I'll explain. This argumentative strategy piqued my interest because it got me to thinking about how those means of revenue (principally, live performance) are primarily only available to the performing arts. Visual artists, for instance, while theoretically just as concerned about copyright protection as any other artist, typically don't engage in live performance, although I have heard of bands having a visual artist painting alongside the musicians onstage for a kind of multi-media effect that seems very cool. Generally, though, painters and other visual artists (the same as writers, etc.) don't do it live. I mentioned my interest on this topic to my brother-in-law, playwright Bob Beadell, Jr., who reminded me of Joni Mitchell's wonderful stage banter on the 1974 live album, Miles of Aisles (recorded at Red Rocks, CO) that distinguishes painting from music-making, and respectively, the "static" arts from the live arts. She states, "That's one thing that's always [. . .] been a major difference between [. . .] the performing arts to me and being a painter, you know? Like, a painter does a painting and he does a painting--that's it. You know, he's had the joy of creating it and hangs it on some wall, somebody buys it, somebody buys it again, or maybe nobody buys it, and it sits up in a loft somewhere until he dies. But nobody ever says to him . . . nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Paint Starry Night again, man.' You know? He painted it--that was it." She hits it on the head here--even humorously--much more articulately than I ever could. Frank O'Hara has a great poem called "Why I Am Not a Painter" which also addresses this topic in beautifully insightful fashion. Playfully, all of this got me to imagining a parallel universe where fans would pack theatres, much like they do for plays or classical music concerts, to (silently) watch famous artists paint. One of these "performances" might look something like this: the painter walks out onstage to vast applause, over to his easel, blank canvas (the surface of which is visible to the audience), and paints/brushes already in place for him. He acknowledges the crowd and then settles in, his back to the audience, sitting on his stool, painting. After, say, 45 minutes, the painting is complete, and the artist sets down his brush, faces the audience, bows twice (to the left and to the right), and then walks offstage to deafening cheers. This continues for several minutes, and while the painter is now in his dressing room washing his hands in front of the light bulb-enclosed mirror, there is a knock on the door. "Come in," he shrugs. The house manager, a wiry, accommodating man in his late forties, peeks in the door and says, "Very sorry to disturb you, sir, but the audience is on its feet in uproarious applause--they want an encore." Without turning, the famous painter takes a puff on his Gauloise cigarette, squints his eyes, and blows out a cloud of smoke. "Let them watch it dry," he replies. In the English comp classes I'm teaching right now, the students are discussing/writing about the issue of (illegal) music downloading without permission/paying. It's a topic I'm really interested in myself, and I'm always fascinated by their responses to the issue. Many are very astute and insightful, suggesting reasons (both for and against) that I had failed to consider.

Sometimes, though, the logic misses the mark, as is the case with the frequently argued illegal downloading defense that musicians don't need to make money from their music because they can earn that revenue in other ways, such as live performance, merchandise, etc. True or not, the defense obviously side-steps the issue, but that's not principally why the rebuttal interests me, as I'll explain.

This argumentative strategy piqued my interest because it got me to thinking about how those means of revenue (principally, live performance) are primarily only available to the performing arts. Visual artists, for instance, while theoretically just as concerned about copyright protection as any other artist, typically don't engage in live performance, although I have heard of bands having a visual artist painting alongside the musicians onstage for a kind of multi-media effect that seems very cool. Generally, though, painters and other visual artists (the same as writers, etc.) don't do it live.

I mentioned my interest on this topic to my brother-in-law, playwright Bob Beadell, Jr., who reminded me of Joni Mitchell's wonderful stage banter on the 1974 live album, Miles of Aisles (recorded at Red Rocks, CO) that distinguishes painting from music-making, and respectively, the "static" arts from the live arts. She states,

"That's one thing that's always [. . .] been a major difference between [. . .] the performing arts to me and being a painter, you know? Like, a painter does a painting and he does a painting--that's it. You know, he's had the joy of creating it and hangs it on some wall, somebody buys it, somebody buys it again, or maybe nobody buys it, and it sits up in a loft somewhere until he dies. But nobody ever says to him . . . nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Paint Starry Night again, man.' You know? He painted it--that was it."

She hits it on the head here--even humorously--much more articulately than I ever could. Frank O'Hara has a great poem called "Why I Am Not a Painter" which also addresses this topic in beautifully insightful fashion.

Playfully, all of this got me to imagining a parallel universe where fans would pack theatres, much like they do for plays or classical music concerts, to (silently) watch famous artists paint. One of these "performances" might look something like this: the painter walks out onstage to vast applause, over to his easel, blank canvas (the surface of which is visible to the audience), and paints/brushes already in place for him. He acknowledges the crowd and then settles in, his back to the audience, sitting on his stool, painting.

After, say, 45 minutes, the painting is complete, and the artist sets down his brush, faces the audience, bows twice (to the left and to the right), and then walks offstage to deafening cheers. This continues for several minutes, and while the painter is now in his dressing room washing his hands in front of the light bulb-enclosed mirror, there is a knock on the door. "Come in," he shrugs. The house manager, a wiry, accommodating man in his late forties, peeks in the door and says, "Very sorry to disturb you, sir, but the audience is on its feet in uproarious applause--they want an encore." Without turning, the famous painter takes a puff on his Gauloise cigarette, squints his eyes, and blows out a cloud of smoke. "Let them watch it dry," he replies.

]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:05:00 GMT FDD0CA0DED9552C1400F01B4A27169E0 Dan Bird/The Jacks http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=130884 Hey everybody, that was Dan Bird of the Omaha band the Jacks who commented on my last blog post!  The Jacks are one of the greatest bands to ever come out of Nebraska, and Dan was a big reason for that.  Visit their website at:  http://www.thejacks.biz Makes my day and then some!
Makes my day and then some!

]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:00:43 GMT 75BD0371E49755012ECA1BFC187EA87E Early Returns http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=129617 As this website rapidly approaches 80 "hits," there is now a large-enough sample size to confirm what the pre-launch research predicted would be the geography of "fan" support:  we own the Midwest corridor of the U.S.  The East and West coasts have dipped their toes in to test the fresh, strange, inland waters, but have yet to commit themselves.  The South remains dubious, though we are hopeful that my Savannah affinities will soon result in increased interest and support from that region.  By "we" I mean, of course, my cats and I. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:41:07 GMT 7D370EC83DF6E7CF0B95728BB3A329B0 New Song http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=129614 I just finished recording a new song with friends Charlie Burton and Scott Stanfield for an upcoming "song poem" cd compilation due out soon.  I'll report more on this once the record is out, and perhaps provide an "alternate mix" or something on this site.  It was a lot of fun to do and the three of us plan to collaborate again in the future.  And dig this: legendary Kinks guitarist Dave Davies' son is also slated to be on the cd!  Closest I'll ever get to the Kinks. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:05:00 GMT 70FFA4900178AB3D04BFE4FD9D59F858 First post http://danhuttfieldrecordings.com/blog.cfm?feature=1034875&postid=126128 Thanks for visiting my new site.  It's going to be a long-term work-in-progress, but I'm having fun with it so far.  I'll be putting stuff up little by little, so check back as you'd like to.    Best,  Dan
Best,

Dan
]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:20:00 GMT C9A876AC54334BB8FA030996493CA3FB