John Lindberg/Susie Ibarra

[Frisco]

I'm reading the Jan. 2004 Cadence and the review of John Lindberg's "Rumination Upon Ives and Gottschalk", written by Phillip McNally. In the review McNally states, "I've never heard Susie play better than this, and perhaps that is because Lindberg has asked her to leave behind all the Vision Fest fire music she is known for, and bring out the Phillipine gamelan and Chinese gongs."

First of all, just when did it become popular to blast Vision Fest? It sure is taking unwarranted shots these days! And when did "Fire Music" become synonymous with Vision Fest? I thought it was Archie Shepp and Co. who were responsible, but perhaps that goes back too far for some of our literary experts.

Second, having known both Mr. Lindberg and Ms. Ibarra for some time, I find it very difficult to believe that John "asked her to leave behind all the Vision Fest fire music". I don't believe that John would put it to her in that manner, nor do I think that Susie would be appreciative of such a statement.

Third (as I recall, having sponsored concerts with Susie, Assif, and William Parker) Susie brought out those Kulintang gongs while she was still associated with those dreaded Vision people.

And fourth, I don;t think it would be a consensus that Susie is playing "better" now than with those fire breathers. I know a lot of folks who loved what she was doing then, and recall a recent thread here stating how great the David S. Ware Quartet was with Susie. And, I can add "In Order to Survive", etc.... True, Susie is still as brilliant as ever, but I thought that she was especially brilliant playing in that style.

I find it a shame that many young listeners, or listeners who are new to this music, have to rely upon such opinionated and subjective slams at good, honest music.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Fine album!

I think I kinda liked the second (later) piece of his other recent one, "Two By Five." Time to give them both another spin, along with his great solo disc for David Izenson.

When's his next ensemble album due out?

[Jon Abbey]

Originally posted by Frisco
I find it a shame that many young listeners, or listeners who are new to this music, have to rely upon such opinionated and subjective slams at good, honest music.

Pat, if it makes you feel better, I'm guessing Cadence's readership doesn't skew very young.

[Sergio Zamora]

Geez, it's just a guy's opinion. It doesn't sound like he's slamming Vision so much as saying what she's doing now is better than what she was doing then.

FWIW, I think a better way of putting it is that Ibarra is a good listener and a flexible musician and she will modify accordingly with the overall needs of the music. Her album 'Flower After Flower' sounds COMPLETELY different from her playing with Ware, and 'Black Narcissus' with Mephista (her, Sylvie Courvoisier and Ikue Mori) sounds WAY different as well.

[Frisco]

Originally posted by Sergio Zamora
Geez, it's just a guy's opinion. It doesn't sound like he's slamming Vision so much as saying what she's doing now is better than what she was doing then.

I don't think it's just an opinion. He's making some serious inferences here that I think are way off base. And making value judgements that priase one thing at the expense of another. Is that really a reviewers best role? I read too many of these things that just totally piss me off, and I'm sure that they must anger the artists as well. In fact I know that they do. Why does he have to imply that Lindberg somehow saved Susie by insisting that she forget about those Vision people. And it was Lindberg who got her to "bring out the Phillipine gamelan and Chinese gongs"? I really don't think so. So we have to be satisfied with this misinformation and totally misleading inferences? Am I being too sensitive about this? Perhaps I expect more from the people who cover our music. And maybe some respect as well.

[Nate Dorward]

The McNally quote hardly counts as a "blast" against the V.F.--it may mischaracterize it slightly (though why's the casual allusion to the New Thing out of place? seems kosher to me) but he doesn't out-&-out jump on the event. I've no idea why he thinks that Ibarra's change of style is due to Lindberg's request--probably he's just bumbling around a bit. I think it's really just a somewhat thoughtlessly written passage. If he were actually trying to zap the V.F. with a phrase he could surely do a better job of it.

& meanwhile I've yet to get my copy of the issue. Who's interviewed in it, anyway?

[Frisco]

Originally posted by Nate Dorward

& meanwhile I've yet to get my copy of the issue. Who's interviewed in it, anyway?

Ahmed Abdullah and Oliver Johnson

Nate, this review leave's a bad taste in my mouth. And it's a record that I like very much.

[Jon Abbey]

Pat, did you ever think about reviewing records yourself? you certainly know this area of music well enough. sometimes if you want something done right (or the way you want it), you have to do it yourself...

[Tom Storer]

Frisco, I think this may be a case of oversensitivity on your part. I read "Lindberg asked her to leave behind this and bring out that" as simply meaning "for the music on this recording, Lindberg wanted her to play this kind of role rather than this other one." Obviously the reviewer thought this brought out the best in Ibarra. To me, it isn't clear that he's slamming the "Vision Fest fire music" as much as saying that in his opinion playing something different inspired Ibarra.

[Frisco]

Tom, Jon, Sergio, perhaps you guys are right. But I still think that this is a subtle slam against Susie's former collaborators. And I don't think that a lot of the negativity that pervades reviews is warranted or necessary. These reviews often come off sounding like definitive statements and do more harm than good for some good, honest attempts at creative music. For example, Does anyone recall the negative review of the most recent Brotzmann/Parker/Drake CD in Cadence? The CD ends up as the top vote getter in the Cadence Readers Poll. But how many potential listeners were turned away by the review?

Jon, I would write reviews, but they'd probably all end up sounding the same after a while. I can write, but I really don't have any advanced literary skills and am not very good at descriptives. Nor am I an expert at the theory of music. Then again, I think that I may know the history just as good or better than some reviewers and might be much more respectful of their art.

[JaSt]

Susie in our club on October 1, 2003, with John Lindberg's Quartet.
Great concert! (She plaid on my drum set!!)
Some more photos at:
www.annanmusik.e.se and "tidigare konserter".

[JaSt]

When I think about it - she used sticks also!

[Nate Dorward]

Originally posted by Frisco
For example, Does anyone recall the negative review of the most recent Brotzmann/Parker/Drake CD in Cadence? The CD ends up as the top vote getter in the Cadence Readers Poll. But how many potential listeners were turned away by the review?

Replying to the questions in order:

1) No, I don't recall the review--actually I thought a highly positive review had run?? Which issue was it in? I don't have an index so can't track it down.

2) Obviously the review had little impact on the disc's reception among Cadence's readers.



I haven't seen the McNally piece so can't comment on it in general. But the passage you excerpt seems largely just a bit ill-thought-out, hardly a malicious assault.

[Frisco]

Originally posted by Nate Dorward
1) No, I don't recall the review--actually I thought a highly positive review had run?? Which issue was it in? I don't have an index so can't track it down.

My mistake. Steven Lowery gave "Never too Late Always Too Early" a nice review in the Sept. 2003 issue. I was thinking of the review ( I believe ) by Michael Rosenstein of "Little Birds Vol. 2.

[Derek Taylor]

Pat, I think you’re thinking of Michael’s review of AOYAMA CROWS. He argued that it shouldn’t have been released. Something I disagree with, but can understand where he’s coming from (the band did sound kinda fatigued on that date & rightfully so given the situation). It took me some time to get completely in line with NEVER TOO LATE… too (seemed too much like more of the same at first), though now I dig it quite a bit.

That Lindberg disc is a beaut too IMO. And the idea that Lindberg asked Susie to leave behind her ‘VF fire music’ inclinations strikes me as pure conjectured horse pucky on the part of McNally. He’s talking out of his ass. As you noted, her gamelan and kulintang instruments have been part of her standard percussion kit for quite some time.

As to you’re writing reviews I’m definitely of the opinion you should. To quote: “I really don't have any advanced literary skills and am not very good at descriptives. Nor am I an expert at the theory of music.” This pretty much describes me & I’m doing it. It'd be great to have your insight in circulated on a wider scale.

[Frisco]

Originally posted by Derek Taylor
[B
As to you’re writing reviews I’m definitely of the opinion you should. To quote: “I really don't have any advanced literary skills and am not very good at descriptives. Nor am I an expert at the theory of music.” This pretty much describes me & I’m doing it. It'd be great to have your insight in circulated on a wider scale. [/B]

Thanks Derek. Perhaps I'll give it a shot one day, but realistically I'm just a fan and do my best with radio programs and sponsor an occasional concert.