There was a time when the free jazz was flowing and joyful, and Taylor Ho Bynum was part of that. The trumpeteer and composer went on to play with Anthony Braxton and record an array of influential albums, including The Middle Picture, Asphalt Flowers Forking Paths, Owl Jacket, and Navigation. A reviewer from Next commented that Bynum "deploys a litany of buzzes, whistles, drones, pinched fanfares and garrulous brass muttering in acrobatic arcs that twist and somersault." He has been the director of the Coast Jazz Orchestra at Dartmouth College since 2017.
live show
Boston Bands in the 90's: Sebadoh
Lo-fi pioneer Sebadoh shown here with the original line-up of Lou Barlowe, Jason Lowenstein, and Eric Gaffney performing early renditions of such hits as Oven is My Friend, and As the World Dies, the Eyes of God Grow Bigger, and tossing out the occasional witty banter. Raw, intense, with a driving beat and minimalist, distorted guitar—beautiful tunes and beautiful times. “Every time I get up on stage, it’s like the spirit of punk rock inhabits my body.” Indeed.
Billy Ruane was a staple of the scene at one point, and he documented endless shows throughout the 90’s and beyond. These videos came out of that.
Sunburned Hand of the Man at the Green Street Grill [11/30/97]
Boston Bands in the 90's: Sunburned Hand of the Man
Opening with some ethereal sounds from out the plastic recorder of our youth, Sunburned Hand of the Man only gets weirder the longer you sit with it. This mesmerizing exploration into 90s psych rock becomes increasingly unhinged and powerful as it continues. Good both for the meditating mind, and any and all nostalgic lotus-eaters, and especially those latter-day rockers who like myself went running off to the far end of the world to end up lost in Japan or Indonesia, or tucked among the foothills of the Himalayas, say, and camped out at a Tibetan monastery. This one’s for you, man!
Billy Ruane was a staple of the scene at one point, and he documented endless shows throughout the 90’s and beyond. These videos came out of that.
Elliott Smith performing at the Green Street Grill [1/4/98]
Boston Bands in the 90's: Elliott Smith
Much as I would like to think of Elliott Smith as a Boston band of the 90’s he surely is not, but what is captured here is a musical event in the 90’s Boston rock scene featuring a not-quite-as-famous Elliott Smith playing songs from the earlier ends of his compositional spectrum. It is a lovely artifact we wanted to present to the larger listening community. Enjoy!