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Originally built as a Greyhound bus station in 1937, First Avenue is a landmark music venue in Minneapolis on the corners of First Avenue and 7th Street. The building is marked by 531 stars on its exterior walls. Confession: I’ve not yet heard a show here.
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Tonight I uncovered a little street music, where rhythms of the beat box, cello, guitar and violin wove through the night air like a seasoned cyclist winds through rush hour. And they are Tea-Tum.
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I love jazz. Some of my favorite musicians comprise The Manhattan Transfer, a group celebrating its 39th year together. The aural complexity of their vocalese is both pleasing and perplexing in its precision and perfect pitch. I’ve been a fan club member since 1999, following not only singers Tim, Janis, Cheryl and Alan, but also their pianist Yaron and drummer Steve. I own 21 of their albums and multiple solo albums. Yet this was only my third concert, following performances in 2000 and 2004. Tonight, they performed at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. (Margaret Dorn filled in for Cheryl Bentyne who is recovering from a health issue.) And they were awesome.
Down them stairs, lose them cares – yeah
Down in Birdland
Total swing! bop was king – yeah
Down in Birdland
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I stepped outside this morning into the mild misty air, and with a skip in my step and music in my ears, I transported to 1993. Well, not really. But in my imagination, the downbeat of the drum kit signaled the smooth saxophone solo to cut through the mix of the swinging jazz band. And, I was in seventh grade once again playing Misty. Misty for you.
Listen to a clip:
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It was like spring today, with birds singing and a sky that was actually this blue. Sometimes taking new routes has its rewards. Like walking down an alley in Minneapolis and finding this gem. Flanked by WCCO-TV on one side and surrounded by modern skyscrapers, finding a shop here that makes old world instruments was unexpected. Considering my modern instruments are manufactured in Japan (Yamaha alto and soprano saxophones), I’m fascinated by instruments that are not only pleasing to the ear, but an example of fine craftsmanship and art in itself.
Footsteps from my front door are music venues galore. This afternoon, I traveled ’round the globe during a free one-hour concert at Orchestra Hall. I heard Gershwin’s Caribbean rhythms in Cuban Overture, the festive music of An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise (including a finale with bagpipes!), the Spanish-infused Boléro, and a new concerto from India for violin and tabla drum. The tabla player was amazing. I’ve never seen such fast working phalanges. (See an example below the jump.)
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Listen to the tabla:
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Whimsical blue tubes erupt around the exterior of Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. These playful, architectural adornments look a lot like sousaphones. And in my imagination, I half expect to hear them making music from one of my favorite childhood movies with the song Pink Elephants on Parade.
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My favorite thing in my living room, this CD stand has no ordinary design. It’s one of a kind. Handcrafted with care, my grandpa—a woodworking hobbyist—recreated a CD stand I saw in a catalog. I should note one key difference: It has 88 keys just like a real piano. Each cut individually by hand. On both sides of the stand. With a total of 176 hand painted keys, it’s the Steinway of CD stands.
I own 400-some CDs, but only the best are selected for display. (Disclosure: You can see this includes my own music.) It’s fitting that I’d take this photo today, since my grandpa Joe later called me on Skype. He, my grandma and I connected in living rooms from snowless Minnesota to snowbird city, Arizona.
My grandpa’s handiwork reminds me of what you can accomplish when you combine patience, creativity and concentration. Most of all, that CD stand I see every day reminds me of my grandpa.
He’s one of a kind.
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Disney’s The Lion King: Equally as magnificient as the Minneapolis premiere I saw in 1997.
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