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| Misfit Toys - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" New Release:Misfit Toys - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?' (INNOVA 864) Featuring Paul Elwood - lead vocals, harmony vocals, banjo, bowed banjo, Dan Moore - vibes, marimba, keyboards, loops, Matt Wilson - drums, percussion, Robert Paredes - clarinet. At a time when we're flooded with mash-ups, remixes and deconstructions, Misfit Toys (Dan Moore (vibes/marimba), Paul Elwood (vocals/banjo), Robert Paredes (clarinet) and Matt Wilson (drums)) provide a more organic reimagination of the past. Drawing on '70s AOR and older pop music, the group plants its tongue (and its groove) firmly in its cheek on Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Wilson's chameleonic capabilities behind the kit anchor Moore and Elwood's wide-ranging improvisations and Robert Paredes' post-klezmerical clarinet runs. REVIEWS "[An] approach that mixes affection with cheerful derision; wry invention applied to corniness, and a genuine desire to reinvent the familiar in zany but substantial ways. … Those missing the inspired vistas of Zappa should sip at this trough posthaste." —Mark Keresman, ICON "[An] intriguingly creative record … Most successful is the hippy feel of 'Mama Told Me Not To Come' and the clever instrumental takes of 'Hello It's Me.' … [M]usic for a 70s reunion in which only the stoners and surfers show up. Preppies not invited!!!" —George Harris, Jazz Weekly "[H]ead and shoulders above other slightly more alternative ensembles with a deceptively subtle commercial appeal smoldering just below the surface. ... [T]he smoking hot banjo on 'Green-Eyed Lady' ... is so deliciously evil from a jazz purist p.o.v that I simply have to hit repeat." —Brent Black, Critical Jazz Track Listing 1 GERONIMO'S CADILLAC 2 DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? 3 ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) 4 LIVING FOR THE CITY 5 BOSTON MARATHON 6 IRONMAN 7 DRUGS INTRODUCTION 8 DRUGS 9 TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE 10 HELLO IT'S ME 11 MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME 12 GREEN-EYED LADY 13 GRAND ILLUSION 14 BLESS THE BEASTS AND CHILDREN DAN MOORE ON MISFIT TOYS Having a circle of musician friends who will always say, "That sounds like fun — let's do it, " is one of the greatest blessings a musician can have. It's also pretty neat when those musicians are of the highest caliber. That's the case with Misfit Toys. When I came up with the idea of doing hybrid-jazz covers of pop music from the 1970s, the two people best suited for this musical adventure, my friends Paul Elwood and Matt Wilson, jumped in with four feet and indefatigable creative energy. This was, after all, the music we grew up with. In 2003 we got together in Iowa City to make plans and cut some tracks. We had a stack of ideas and only a few days to record and lay the groundwork, but Misfit Toys was happening. After those initial sessions, Paul trekked back to Iowa City a few more times for additional overdubs and tweaking and I began adding my parts. When I started pulling together the hundreds of tracks we had recorded, there was still something missing. I asked my friend Robert Paredes to listen to a few of the songs to see if he could envision adding some clarinet here and there. Bob came in, clarinets blazing. He worked his own brand of magic on "Hello It's Me, " and from that moment on he was a Misfit Toy. We worked on the project throughout the spring of 2005, with Bob adding something special to every track he touched. As spring turned to summer, Bob told me in his inimitable way that things were "tending toward not so good" in his long battle with cancer, but he was determined to complete our project. Bob's death that August took the wind out of my sails for a while, but Paul and Matt — good friends that they are — kept quietly encouraging me to finish the project. Bob's last phone message, which is still on my machine, served as a gentle reminder of unfinished business: "My hope is you'll find some use for some of the music that we made together." By 2008 I had completed editing and mixing most of the tracks, and had plans to finish the CD that summer. The Iowa River had other plans. June floods destroyed my studio, and without a place to work, Misfit Toys was in limbo again. But a new interim studio, compliments of The University of Iowa, allowed me to finally get back on track to complete this decade-long musical journey. Since this project began, each of the original Misfit Toys has experienced significant life-changing events, yet we've maintained what Matt describes as "an attitude for gratitude." I'm quite proud of this recording and now feel ready to share it. No other project I've undertaken has been quite as rewarding or quite as frustrating, but today, as I listen to the final mixes, I recall those halcyon days when great friends got together for some creative music making. I am in awe of the level of musicianship, creativity, and energy that Matt Wilson brings to — well, everything. Paul Elwood has been my co-conspirator and friend for most of our adult lives and I marvel at his ability to walk the tightrope between folk music and the avant-garde. I knew Robert Paredes only a few years, but we shared many great moments as friends and musicians. His clarinet artistry is on full display on this recording. I consider myself fortunate to have shared the studio with these guys. This music makes me smile. I hope it does the same for you. Think of leisure suits, yellow smiley faces, and pet rocks, then check your mood ring and just enjoy the music. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |