He’s Good, Isn’t He?
BySince EiNY appears to be veering towards the realm of personal confessions this week I might as well add that my sporting inability is easily matched by my musical incompetence.
I failed miserably at mastering the violin, the keyboard and the recorder. My singing sucks. I trust my ear so little that I often ask people around me whether the singer I am listening to is good or not, although rather than straight out asking I generally use a tactically placed question mark such as “she’s quite good, isn’t she?” or “is it me, or is he slightly off?”
All of which is an elongated introduction to Stephane Wrembel, a gypsy jazz guitarist who never ceases to amaze me with his performances at Barbes, a local bar here in Brooklyn. Take a look at part of his performance last night. He’s good, isn’t he?
Next Sunday is Stephane’s last night at Barbes of 2005. Barbes is on the corner of 9th street and 6th Avenue in Park Slope. Entry is free. Suggested donation for the band is $8. And best of all, whiskey is only $5. More movies here and here (my camera’s limit is three minutes!). And check out Stephane’s website for downloads and gigs.
9 Comments
November 28th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
Hey PD, enough with the self-deprecating prefaces (“not good at sports”, “not good at music”, “not good in bed”…) Save that for LiveJournal.
Barbes was fantastic last night! See you there next Sunday.
November 28th, 2005 at 8:17 pm
He is bliss. I am still listening to more gypsy/Central/East European music than I have in my life. I must come to Brooklyn immediately with our impoverished Berlin resident for some pivo and dusha. Sorry. Been drinking with a Czech all night…
November 28th, 2005 at 8:32 pm
You should indeed. And if you come in the winter, we can check out one of Brooklyn’s many banya’s!
November 28th, 2005 at 11:12 pm
Jeez, 3 and a half minutes is plenty! You want to know if this is any good, I’m here to tell you–it ain’t. Sure he can play his guitar like a virtuoso but where’s the song?
There was one moment when it seemed like a tune was emerging and he ruined it by zooming up to 300 plucks a minute. As if that makes it good!? AND, people start cheering. You’re all a bunch of nutcases.
See you there next week.
November 29th, 2005 at 2:24 am
Simon, the cheering was not just about virtuosity, it was more about a buildup of energy, and there was plenty of it in that little room!
November 29th, 2005 at 10:48 am
Believe me Paul, they’re not slightly off!!!
Not everyone’s cup of New York Tea/Coffee by the sounds of things but highly entertaining none the less.
November 29th, 2005 at 10:48 am
If you’re after more lyrical guitar playing may i suggest Pat Metheny!!
November 29th, 2005 at 10:24 pm
Who on earth is Pat Metheny? Is he like the Kenny G of Gypsy Jazz?
You know I’ve wondered recently whether instead of using disgusting techniques like waterboarding etc as a means of getting information, the US Gov should just pipe Kenny G and Michael Bolton into cells.
Imagine, Kenny and Michael 24/7. Or worse still, a duet. (Shudders.)
December 13th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
[...] I normally wouldn’t post a personal gripe on a conservative blog, but since my friend and site proprietor, PD Berger (as he now prefers to be addressed), has written his share of intimate confessions here, I figured he wouldn’t mind if I do the same. [...]