Mostly I’m Just Irritated: Todd Sickafoose at the Iowa City Jazz Festival

 

So, I haven’t exactly hid the fact that I believe Todd Sickafoose‘s 2008 release Tiny Resistors is, in my opinion, one of those albums that signals a leap forward in Jazz music.  I wrote a few things about the album on Bird is the Worm, in case you’re interested (and you should be).  In short, the album perfectly illustrates the growing influence of modern rock-pop music (often called Indie Music) on modern Jazz, and no album does a better job representing it in terms of an outstanding listening experience.

Well, anyways, much to my bitter disappointment, there has been no follow-up album to Tiny Resistors, yet, and furthermore, I have yet had the opportunity to see the ensemble play live.  So when I saw this video of Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors ensemble performing live at the Iowa City Jazz Fest, I could help but think, hey, screw Iowa, buddy.  Get in the damn studio and give me a new album.  And if you can’t do that much for me, then make a left turn at Chicago and get down to Louisville so I can see your ensemble live.

Yeah, fine, whatever, I sound shallow and selfish and petulant.  I don’t care.  I want what I want, and if being the lesser, smaller person gets me that, then so be it.

Anyways, here’s that video.

 

It’s a stripped down version of the ensemble that performs on the album.  As best as I can tell from looking at it, that’s definitely Allison Miller on drums (she has some great jazz under her own name, too), Erik Deutsch on keys (he’s got some print on this site in a few places), Todd Sickafoose, obviously, on bass, and I’m pretty sure that’s Steve Cardenas on guitar.  And after some poking around the internet, it turns out it’s Ara Anderson on trumpet, who is a member of the Tin Hat Trio.  Coincidentally, I’ll be reviewing Tin Hat Trio as part of an article that highlights some of my favorite albums that fuse Jazz and Folk, as well as straight Folk recordings by Jazz musicians.

State of Iowa, I don’t even know what to say to you.  “Lucky bastards,” I suppose.