Michigan Basement part 4

November here in Michigan. Leaves have fallen from the trees and you can smell winter around the corner. The winters can be brutal here, with several feet of snow and sub zero temperatures. In the face of what’s to come and the drudgery of every day life I have found myself increasingly nostalgic for Portugal, the friends I have there and the memories. My first entry was indeed about a very special performance by Peter Brotzmann I attended at the Jazz festival in Lisbon. I still can’t believe how many awesome shows were happening in Portugal while I was there! It’s ironic that while the theme of this entry is supposed to be about Michigan music, I keep finding myself writing about Portugal.

This entry I stray again from my aim and am writing about another amazing performance I was lucky enough to see in Portugal. One day last June, near the end of my stay in Porto, I was perusing the events for that weekend and some of the artists playing at the Serralves festival. My girlfriend and I had wanted to go simply to check out the park which we had heard was very beautiful. It seemed worth while to take advantage of the free entry and free festival. I was looking at the list of artists and did a double take, I noticed the name Chris Corsano. I really like Corsano, he’s probably my favorite drummer. I couldn’t believe he was playing! It was a very nice surprise. Once again, an artist I would rarely get to see play live in Michigan was playing in Porto (like Six Organs of Admittance and Michael Gira.. who technically played in Guimaraes but its close enough!)

In my opinion, and this is an opinion, the drums are the most essential instrument. I should expand “drums” to percussion, and rhythm. Rhythm is king and the drummer indeed sits on the throne (as a great black jazz drummer once told me, “who sits on the throne? the king! who else, nobody else but the drummer!”) I’ve very seldom been so mesmerized as i am by Corsano’s very fluid drumming style. His performances are so well crafted because he slowly builds momentum and then becomes really explosive! I live for that explosive rhythm when you’re ears become so full of drums and percussion that you literally are incapable of thinking!

Here’s some pictures from that day:

Thanks for reading people!