These are videos that I like: Donny McCaslin, right now

 

Today’s featured videos come courtesy of Donny McCaslin.  The saxophonist has a solid new album out called Beyond Now.  You can read more about that album along with my interview of McCaslin on The Bandcamp Daily (go read it).

Here’s a video of a live performance of the album track “Faceplant.”

And here’s a brief, but very cool album promo, featuring a clip of the David Bowie song “A Small Plot of Land.”

And HEY!  Look what I just found!  It’s Donny McCaslin and crew performing a cover of the Bowie tune “Look Back in Anger” at L.A.’s Bluewhale back in September of last year.  And it’s AWESOME!  THIS is how to properly do a cover, giving it your own personality while still honoring the original.

The song originally appears on Bowie’s album Lodger, and while that version is perfectly acceptable, Bowie’s best performance of it is on his live concert video from his Serious Moonlight Tour.  Bowie leads the show with that song, and while there are many instances of Bowie being a total music bad-ass, this was one that made an impression on this guy back when he saw it as a teen.  Hell, it still makes an impression when I see it today, even with its syrupy 80’s effects and misguided fashions.  Damn, this video made me so happy.

And let’s end with music from a different McCaslin album.  As I mention in the intro of my interview of McCaslin, his 2012 release Casting For Gravity was a huge turning point in the saxophonist’s creative vision.  Hearing the complete transformation of his post-bop past into his electro-acoustic future was pretty damn stunning, and for myself, it wasn’t really until hearing his new album Beyond Now that I think I’m finally acclimated to Casting For Gravity (and the Fast Future album released during the interval).  Here’s a rendition of the electronic band Boards of Canada’s “Alpha & Omega.”

And remember, you can listen to more of McCaslin’s Beyond Now, and purchase it, at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

And, for that matter, you do the same with his 2012 release Casting For Gravity over on the Greenleaf Music Bandcamp page.