Jamie Muir RIP

 

The first exposure to Jamie Muir the musician came to Disaster Amnesiac by way of MTV and its occasional airing of a ripping piece of Lark's Tongue In Aspic from King Crimson. Muir's presence, a mad manic energy within the matrix of a Rock band, struck out and then some. He was obviously involved within the musical actions being documented therein but at the same time he was also of some other sort. Recall Robert Fripp stating something to the effect that Muir had too much good sense to get involved with music industry, and fair enough: Jamie the persona remained somewhat obscure. That said there's an interesting Incus Records release with him and Derek Bailey exchanging ideas of the inner sort. Sometimes over the years as Lark's Tongue In Aspic has spun on my turntable, there has been pondering as to what Jamie Muir got up to after his early 1970's Rock Star turn. Did he paint? He must have! I mean come, the sounds that he coaxed from various items within that album are so much of a visual character. Whatever it was that Jamie Muir got himself involved with over the decades, here's to hoping that he found them to his satisfaction. Are those drums of his going up for sale at eBay? Or Sotheby's even?

Dennis Palmer-Whit Wuff; Public Eyesore Records #160, 2024

 

Dennis Palmer was an American musician who participated in the Free Improvisation scene, starting in the 1980's era, a time that Disaster Amnesiac imagines to have been pretty challenging for its participants. Regardless of the adversity, players such as Palmer got on with their pursuits, and in the case of Dennis, started an influential improvising band in Shaking Ray Levis along with making professional connections with the likes of Derek Bailey, Steve Beresford, and Col. Bruce Hampton. At the time of his unexpected passing in 2013, Palmer had been working with Public Eyesore Records on White Wuff.  Obviously the production stopped as his collaborators grieved for their loss, the loss of a person whose influence greatly affected them. A decade and change later, and the album has been completed and released by Public Eyesore, the label that describes Palmer as a friend and frequent collaborator. As White Wuff has spun out of my speakers I have heard what sounds to me as two albums. Towards the start of its duration, it presents shorter pieces that dip in and out quite quickly, in the fashion of vignettes. The most compelling one of these for this listener has been My Damey, a track that sounds as if Jethro Tull had been dosed with some potent Owlsey acid by the Grateful Dead crew at some island music festival in the late 1960's. Disaster Amnesiac means that in the most endearing of ways, and every time that the track has played it's been a stone crack up. Palmer's skill with the synthesizer is on full display within another shorter cut, I Adore, the actual opener of White Wuff, during which his surreal yet very human sound world is introduced. This music, while being quite experimental, always evinces a characteristic warmth, which makes it very accessible and even inviting. Not exactly an easy task within the Avant Garde. As to the second part of White Wuff, the listener is treated to longer tracks in which Dennis, saxophone player Jessica Lure, banjo player Frank Pahl, drummer Bob Stagner, and vocalist Col. Bruce Hampton get into some seriously interactive group jams. It's within tracks such as Chongo and Evolvement that the real meat of the album is served. There is no way of knowing whether or not these jams are presented as they occurred in real time, or if overdubbing processes were utilized in their production, but, either way they feature top flight playing from all of their participants. Chongo has consistently been an absolute mind blower track for Disaster Amnesiac: its blending of synth tones that evoke the older MIDI sounds with earthy, yet absolutely free, drumming and saxophone tones make it a real winner. I've played it dozens of times and it doesn't lose its freshness and hipness. And whoever is doing that shamanic chanting during Evolvement....wow. They went deep into the psychic depths for that performance. Getting back to the bifurcated nature of White Wuff, this structural aspect of the album makes it so that the listener is never fatigued. It's an album that flows impeccably, and whomever did the sequencing deserves a lot of credit for their thoughtful work. American primitive Folk painting images add to its appeal as a physical object. Pick up yours over at Public Eyesore and pay some homage to a musician that was taken away from his scene way too soon. Getting a bit choked up just pondering that.

Becoming Led Zeppelin; Bernard MacMahon dir., 2025

 

Within the somewhat stealth promotional lead up to director Bernard MacMahon's Becoming Led Zeppelin, Disaster Amnesiac did not find much to be made to feel of interest. That is, until I read that it was going to be screening at IMAX theaters for a brief run. In that instance, the film just had to be viewed. Happy to have viewed it, too. 

For starters, and as was anticipated, the full tracks of primal Zep from the first two albums, as heard through the high quality IMAX speakers sounded fantastic. It must be assumed that Jimmy Page mixed these tracks for the format, and holy smokes he did a great job. Unheard nuances, particularly from the Bonham/Jones rhythm section bounced around the theater delightfully. Page at one point in Becoming Led Zeppelin mentions John's skill at drum tuning and it is borne out by the sound of his bass drum. Just magical, that right foot of his. Added to the great mix are lengthy passages during which Page describes the engineering of Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II. His time spent on countless London music industry sessions served as a valuable apprenticeship; Jimmy Page's skills as an engineer were visionary. Disaster Amnesiac has pondered a feature film just sussing that side of Led Zeppelin's catalog! Along with these more technical details, the viewer is treated to a sweet Band Of Joy demo, and the ending credits are soundtrack'ed by a live Eddie Cochran medley, from the Roundhouse I think, that prove the band to have been a walloping Rock 'n Roll band of the most essential sort. The film is worth seeing for all these aspects alone. It had this listener rocking out in my seat. 

Visually, Becoming Led Zeppelin shows Jimmy Page as a suave and savvy dresser, from his frilly pink duds in London to an absolute Punk Rock leather jacket at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Along with the fashions, it illustrates the varied personalities of the band members quite well: John Paul and John all business, Robert a consummate lead singer/front man, and Jimmy with said style and performative dramatics. Disaster Amnesiac certainly wishes that I could have taken in a live Led Zeppelin show. Along with the visuals of Peter Grant's boys, there is great footage of the later period Yardbirds and Terry and the Pirates as well. A visual feast for fans of 1960's Rock 'n Roll to be sure.

Also of note is the group's remembrances of their non-stop two year tour cycle, one which John Paul Jones quite astutely describes the surreal logistics of and Robert Plant describes as his dreams come true. Touring bands work harder than the civilians know, and often within borderline ridiculous circumstances, and Led Zeppelin were obviously one of the main touring bands within that era. 

Upon leaving the theater after viewing Becoming Led Zeppelin, Disaster Amnesiac jumped right in to texting a few friends, advising them to get to their local IMAX theater and see it. Now, I am suggesting you do the same.

Live shot(s) #157!

 

All shots from Wooden Tooth Records downtown Tucson 2/7/2025. 

Below: Dactyls speak their own language rooted in Jazz and many other elements. 

Above: Sun Chower is a drummer-led project playing through composed charts and an Ellington cover. Some inter-connected moments enhanced with electronics and really good alto sax sounds. 

Below: Kryge unleash ballistic instrumental prowess! 

 Fantastic drummers in each act.

The cool night air of downtown Tucson in February. Yeah.

Tucson shot!

 

Great new mural at the confluence of Alameda St., Toole St. and 6th Ave. Tucson, 2/1/2025. Lit up for the night people. Estevan Ochoa would have been stoked!

Live shot(s) #156!

 

Maiiuwak/Gneiss at Wave Archive Tucson 2/1/2025.

Below: Maiiuwak play all the elements of the Sonoran Desert. I want to go to every Maiiuwak show.

Above: Gneiss play highly connected Electro-Acoustic band music. Out on a South West/West Coast tour now! 

An excellent show at Wave Archive, once again.

Random shot!

 

Butte, MT July 2020. Great signage.