Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Florida Drive By - The SunShine State Mix
1. There is a Good Earth Out Tonight, Mystic Moods Orchestra.
2. Your Place or Mine, Mystic Moods.
3. Angola Louisana, Gil Scott Heron.
4. Summertime, James Last.
5. Any Way You Want It, Mystic Moods.
6. Evolution, Magnum.
7. Ego Tripping, Nikki Giovanni.
8. Give It Up, The Artistic Sounds.
9. Na Baixa Do Sapateiro, Meireles e Sua Orquestra.
10. Planet of the Apes, The London Philharmonic Orchestra with the Galactic Symphony and Synthesizers.
11. Do Whatever Sets You Free, Ramsey Lewis.
12. Evil, Upchurch/Tennyson.
13. Janitzio, Savage.
14. Bang, Bang, Nuevo Bugaloos.
Enjoy the SunShine State Mix
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Departure lounge to nowhere
IF the Jetsons had flown Trans World Airlines, they would have felt at home in its terminal at Kennedy Airport, a swooping, birdlike concrete building, designed by the architect Eero Saarinen, that fed its passengers out to their gates through dreamlike, windowless white tubes. The departure lounges were similarly futuristic: glassy flared cabins, outfitted with curving banquettes, padded sectional tables, and a rounded desk for the gate attendant.
Last week, however, jacked up on timbers and amputated from its concourse in an out-of-the-way section of the old T.W.A. tarmac, the last remaining Saarinen departure lounge had little of that Jet Age glamour. In fact, it looked like nothing so much as the bow of a rusting beige ship.
The story of how the lounge got there is an odd tale of airport diplomacy. JetBlue Airways is constructing a large, crescent-shaped terminal just behind the 46-year-old T.W.A. building, which has been shuttered since 2001. To make way for its new structure, the airline planned to demolish Saarinen’s original concourses and departure lounges, while preserving the far better known terminal and its connector tubes, which the Port Authority, the airport’s operator, will refurbish and reopen.
But last April, to placate preservationists, the Port Authority agreed to spare a single Saarinen lounge. It spent $895,000 to saw the 700-ton structure off the concourse and haul it 1,500 feet out of the way. That feat was so gargantuan that a crew from the History Channel showed up to record it for a show called “Mega Movers.” There the lounge has sat for almost a year, while everyone ponders its future.
Among those doing the pondering is Bill Hooper, an architect retained by JetBlue. “It’s like having an anvil sitting on a bunch of soda straws,” Mr. Hooper said the other day as he surveyed the lounge.
The Municipal Art Society, a preservation group, argues that the lounge should be incorporated into JetBlue’s new terminal.
“The lounge is a piece of DNA,” said Frank Sanchis, the society’s senior vice president. “With it, if someone ever wanted to restore the Saarinen building for use by smaller aircraft, they could see the foundations, how it was supported, the configuration of the glass, the slabs, the tiling. To throw away that opportunity is a tremendous waste.”
But JetBlue has long maintained that it would be prohibitively expensive to restore the lounge, and difficult to put the structure to use. The Port Authority has come to agree, concluding that money available for restoration would be better used for the Saarinen terminal, known as the head house. Last month, with the approval of the state’s Historic Preservation Office, the authority gave JetBlue permission to demolish the lounge.
At this point, even some preservationists approve. “We support this plan,” said Peg Breen, president of the Landmarks Conservancy. “Given that JetBlue doesn’t think it works with the design of the terminal, and that the money for restoring it could otherwise be used for the head house, we think that’s a more appropriate use.”
New York Times 16 March 2008 Alex Mindlin
Last week, however, jacked up on timbers and amputated from its concourse in an out-of-the-way section of the old T.W.A. tarmac, the last remaining Saarinen departure lounge had little of that Jet Age glamour. In fact, it looked like nothing so much as the bow of a rusting beige ship.
The story of how the lounge got there is an odd tale of airport diplomacy. JetBlue Airways is constructing a large, crescent-shaped terminal just behind the 46-year-old T.W.A. building, which has been shuttered since 2001. To make way for its new structure, the airline planned to demolish Saarinen’s original concourses and departure lounges, while preserving the far better known terminal and its connector tubes, which the Port Authority, the airport’s operator, will refurbish and reopen.
But last April, to placate preservationists, the Port Authority agreed to spare a single Saarinen lounge. It spent $895,000 to saw the 700-ton structure off the concourse and haul it 1,500 feet out of the way. That feat was so gargantuan that a crew from the History Channel showed up to record it for a show called “Mega Movers.” There the lounge has sat for almost a year, while everyone ponders its future.
Among those doing the pondering is Bill Hooper, an architect retained by JetBlue. “It’s like having an anvil sitting on a bunch of soda straws,” Mr. Hooper said the other day as he surveyed the lounge.
The Municipal Art Society, a preservation group, argues that the lounge should be incorporated into JetBlue’s new terminal.
“The lounge is a piece of DNA,” said Frank Sanchis, the society’s senior vice president. “With it, if someone ever wanted to restore the Saarinen building for use by smaller aircraft, they could see the foundations, how it was supported, the configuration of the glass, the slabs, the tiling. To throw away that opportunity is a tremendous waste.”
But JetBlue has long maintained that it would be prohibitively expensive to restore the lounge, and difficult to put the structure to use. The Port Authority has come to agree, concluding that money available for restoration would be better used for the Saarinen terminal, known as the head house. Last month, with the approval of the state’s Historic Preservation Office, the authority gave JetBlue permission to demolish the lounge.
At this point, even some preservationists approve. “We support this plan,” said Peg Breen, president of the Landmarks Conservancy. “Given that JetBlue doesn’t think it works with the design of the terminal, and that the money for restoring it could otherwise be used for the head house, we think that’s a more appropriate use.”
New York Times 16 March 2008 Alex Mindlin
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Cachao, The Father of Mambo Passes Away at 89
Sat March 22nd 2008, Israel “Cachao” López, better known as Cachao passed away at a Coral Gables hospital in Miami at age 89. The Cuban born bassist was considered by fans, music critics and historians to be one of the leading figures in Latin popular music. His recent accomplishments include working with Gloria Estefan’s best selling album “90 Millas,” performing alongside actor Andy Garcia and appearing in a new upcoming documentary “Cachao: Una Más” to be premiered next month in San Francisco.
Along with Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, Cachao’s music influenced generations of musicians and shaped the way Latin rhythms were played around the world. Over the years, his popularity grew as new generations of artists discovered his dazzling body of work and jovial personality.
Cachao’s career began when he was still a child in Havana; his talent were unmistakable and quickly recognized, leading him to join the prestigious Havana Symphony. Over the course his stint with the symphony, Cachao played with legendary classical music icons such as Igor Stravinsky.
Credited by Tito Puente as one of the fathers of the “Mambo,” Cachao, along with his brother Orestes orchestrated music for the band Arcaño y Sus Maravillas. The band was influential in popularizing the charanga, a music style that would be feature in Fania releases from Johnny Pacheco in the early sixties.
The next big delopment in Cachao’s career came in 1957, when he introduced—almost by accident—the Descarga. "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Cachao said to the San Francisco Chronicle. "We were all working in nightclubs and had to wait until 4 a.m. to do the session. I believe the freedom of the improvisation allowed us to investigate our thoughts and souls with respect to the music. I suggested ideas, but everybody did their own thing."
Those Descargas went on to influence generations of Latin music superstars. Today it’s almost impossible to envision a salsa concert without a Descarga (Free Jam Session) and top players such as Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz and Héctor Lavoe. Supergroups like the celebrated Fania All Stars used the Descargas as the centerpiece of their popular concerts.
During the sixties Cachao—like many of his compatriots—sought exile outside of Cuban soil. This led him to spend a decade in Europe, where he played his music to enthusiastic audiences. Still, it wasn’t until the seventies when Cachao moved to the US, to the city of Las Vegas. Cachao played all the top hotels of the era and earned a solid reputation as one the best musicians in town.
Even so, it wasn’t until his relocation to Miami—a city steeped in Latin lore—where Cachao’s famed would experience a renaissance. Once in Miami, Cachao reenergized the city’s Latin music scene, participating in recordings with Andy Garcia and becoming a staple at festivals, such as Calle Ocho—were he was the Carnival King if 2007. He also won a Grammy for the album Master Sessions Vol 1 in 1995.
Described by his colleagues, friends and fans as a kind man, Cachao leaves us with a rich legacy, unparalleled in the history of Latin music.
Along with Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, Cachao’s music influenced generations of musicians and shaped the way Latin rhythms were played around the world. Over the years, his popularity grew as new generations of artists discovered his dazzling body of work and jovial personality.
Cachao’s career began when he was still a child in Havana; his talent were unmistakable and quickly recognized, leading him to join the prestigious Havana Symphony. Over the course his stint with the symphony, Cachao played with legendary classical music icons such as Igor Stravinsky.
Credited by Tito Puente as one of the fathers of the “Mambo,” Cachao, along with his brother Orestes orchestrated music for the band Arcaño y Sus Maravillas. The band was influential in popularizing the charanga, a music style that would be feature in Fania releases from Johnny Pacheco in the early sixties.
The next big delopment in Cachao’s career came in 1957, when he introduced—almost by accident—the Descarga. "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Cachao said to the San Francisco Chronicle. "We were all working in nightclubs and had to wait until 4 a.m. to do the session. I believe the freedom of the improvisation allowed us to investigate our thoughts and souls with respect to the music. I suggested ideas, but everybody did their own thing."
Those Descargas went on to influence generations of Latin music superstars. Today it’s almost impossible to envision a salsa concert without a Descarga (Free Jam Session) and top players such as Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz and Héctor Lavoe. Supergroups like the celebrated Fania All Stars used the Descargas as the centerpiece of their popular concerts.
During the sixties Cachao—like many of his compatriots—sought exile outside of Cuban soil. This led him to spend a decade in Europe, where he played his music to enthusiastic audiences. Still, it wasn’t until the seventies when Cachao moved to the US, to the city of Las Vegas. Cachao played all the top hotels of the era and earned a solid reputation as one the best musicians in town.
Even so, it wasn’t until his relocation to Miami—a city steeped in Latin lore—where Cachao’s famed would experience a renaissance. Once in Miami, Cachao reenergized the city’s Latin music scene, participating in recordings with Andy Garcia and becoming a staple at festivals, such as Calle Ocho—were he was the Carnival King if 2007. He also won a Grammy for the album Master Sessions Vol 1 in 1995.
Described by his colleagues, friends and fans as a kind man, Cachao leaves us with a rich legacy, unparalleled in the history of Latin music.
AntiVJ, Projection on a Building
AntiVJ is made up of:
Yannick Jacquet (legoman)
Joanie Lemercier (crustea)
Olivier Ratsi (Emovie)
Romain Tardy (Aalto)
www.antivj.com
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