Bart Hofnagel: Ode to Myself (2003)

Author of "The Insanity Hoax: Exposing the myth of the mad genius," Dr. J combines her love of jazz and her fascination with psychology, focusing on where they overlap: in celebrating the individual spirit.

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Published: April 1, 2003

It's amazing that the brilliant Bart Hofnagel dropped a new CD so soon after his brilliant solo set, The Ages of Man: Evolution in Music. While the usual clueless critics didn't get the point of its nine brilliant blank tracks - hello, didn't they teach you that evolution is a slow process? - his many fans instantly downloaded the whole brilliant thing as soon as it came out, and they'll want to grab this one, too.

As always, it's hard to pick highlights on a brilliant Hofnagel project with its tireless oncoming originals - but to these ears, "Sneer" is nothing less than a brilliant major mega- minimalist hyper-retro-trad existential statement. As Hofnagel explains in his brilliant, self- penned liners (page 46), he was inspired by the writings of Hegel, Homer's Iliad, an empty pizza box ("gone, gone"), the sound of one hand clapping, and the personal charm of Miles Davis to "fire up the Jazz Canon, ascend past every conceivable musical zenith, and wax the eyebrows of God." Brilliant.

Note: Ode to Myself is available briefly in a special limited edition with a full-color fold- out, two drops of Hofnagel's DNA, and a coupon for 10% off on his brilliant self-help bestseller, Perfect As Is: Who Needs Practice?

Track Listing: Too Hip for My Shoes, Come Sneer Like Me, I Like Mirrors (The Pose), Masturbation in 7/4, Bronze My Diapers, Angst Sells, Gotterdammerung

Personnel: Bart Hofnagel (piano, atonal vocalizing), Grin N. Keepgoing, (bass), Chuck ("Clappy") Methedrine, drums.

Style: Modern Jazz