Second Life Live Music Review
Written by Enniv Zarf
Metaverse Music
Trowzer Boa
Sunset Jazz Club SLURL
I was going to stop reviewing for today but I just couldn't resist this one when I saw it was a saxophone concert as I have yet to review a saxophonist here in Second Life. And he was also playing holiday tunes so I can't complain! But this is going to be the last one tonight cause I think 5 a day is too many! I am going to run out of new people soon. Actually it's surprising that after reviewing all these people, about 20, that I feel like there are still so many people I haven't touched and there really are a lot!
So I am at Sunset Jazz Club which I think is a fantastic venue. I have been there a few times before and they always have great musicians there. Today's no exception either.
Trowzer Boa started a year or so ago playing in Second Life playing holiday tunes actually and so he's returning to his beginning at tonight's concert with a lot of his holiday music on his tenor saxophone (though I think it's actually an auto but his av holds a tenor) with a Robot Band (according to the notice I saw) as his backing.
I have actually played sax, tenor actually for three years when I was in high school in the marching band and jazz band. I was descent enough to make it into the Rose Parade, but then I turned it down because I was in too much stuff and I was making my dad my personal driver and it's was just too much. So I decided for my and his sanity I turned down the Rose Parade marching band. I wonder how many people actually did that!
Anyways, Trowzer's sax playing is very light and the whole of it is just very laid back. Perhaps having a robot band helps you keep everything always in that relaxed feel, but maybe just a tad bit too much. The Robot band is actually not just a recording, but a computer sequencer that mixes it up a little to create alive feel. Even though it was definitely a thoroughly enjoyable concert and it is as close to live as one could get without a real band, I am left wondering how much does having a robot band actually affect the live performance of it. I am thinking it has to because your adrenaline is definitely not in a recording. So the tempo and the who aspect of that live energy isn't fed into the part of the music that determines of liveliness of it all. And his robot band over time because a tad bit predictable for me even if it's an AI. An AI is only as smart as what it's programed to do. And and AI doesn't have adrenaline, though maybe that's programmable too. Also I really had a problem with the piano part at some points. It really was awkard and I don't think that's intentional. It just felt really strange and unnatural and disconnected from everything else that's going on.
Nevertheless Trowzer's actual playing is lovely and wonderful. I would love to hear him play with a live band where he would have a lot more freedom to do his things cause I'm sorta feeling him trying hard to hold back so he could play with the live recording itself and fit what's premade for him. Still Trowzer creates beautiful sounds out of his instrument that speaks through very clearly. His performance is articulate and its very defined yet with a very laid back groove to it that just relaxes the listener.
There is also a lot of details in his sound and in every note he plays. He is technically very refined and very clear about what he's doing making his sax just absolutely pleasant on the ears from beginning to end. And those solo cadenza was just so freeing to hear after hearing a robot band play that keeps perfect rhythm. And I do think Trowzer is a great musician and I hope that he will be able to perform with a live band for us in Second Life sometimes. But I always understand that problem and it's a trade off for him to use a robot band versus a real band recording. Maybe he should mix them up a little if he ever gets that opportunity.
I would say though I enjoy Trowzer's playing more then my Kenny G holiday CD. His is just so much more tasteful and just a lot less whiny then that CD of mine. I hate listening to it. I only hear it on the rare occasion when I sit in my Dad's car which is really rare these days. Thank goodness!
A little about Sunset Jazz Club, it is a very pleasant venue. Now this is a venue I think worthy of musicians coming to and perform especially given some of the venues I've been to and some that I actually performed in, yikes! Anyways Sunset Jazz Club and Circe is among my favorite venues in Second Life and they do have a great selection of musicians who frequent their joints.
So I say check out Trowzer for some beautiful Jazz Saxophone. I bulk of the Robot band is a great alternative to live musicians but hey, they are not live musicians and you just can't compare the two. Cause if they are, we may not need Trowzer anymore!!! And we wouldn't want that! Trowzer plays at Sunset every Monday night at 6pm to 7pm Second Life time (which is the same as Pacific time - both standard and daylight savings).
