Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out — World Premiere!

I have written here before of my great admiration for Petra Haden's a cappella version, on CD, of The Who's landmark 1967 album, "The Who Sell Out."

It's my favorite new CD of 2005 and I play it all the time while I'm doing bookofjoe.

"I can't reach you."

Oh, but I do try nonetheless.

Anyway, I was as excited as a dog with a sudden infestation of fleas by the email I received yesterday from Cindy Bernard and Katie Klapper in LA announcing the upcoming world premiere, in live performance, of this great, great vocal recreation of The Who's album by Petra.

Here's the email:

Petra Haden, daughter of legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden was introduced to a wide variety of musical stimulation at an early age.

She soon developed her extraordinary ability to vocalize the sounds of the instruments she heard in the jazz and classical music that was now a steady part of her musical appetite.

Blessed with an uncanny musical ear, she began forming arrangements in her head, translating the works of favorite artists Pat Metheny, Cocteau Twins and minimalist composer Steve Reich into her own unique musical language.

In the early '90s Petra, her sister Rachel, and friend Anna Waronker formed the Los Angeles-based indie-pop group That Dog, which quickly became a staple of the L.A. club circuit.

They released a self-titled debut LP in 1994.

An energetic and quirky punk-pop effort highlighted by sunny harmonies and the intriguing use of violin and cello, the record became a college radio hit.

The follow-up project, Totally Crushed Out!, was released a year later, and the group's third recording, Retreat From the Sun, appeared in 1997, and the band's breakup was announced that September.

Petra recorded a solo album Imaginaryland, which was released in 1996.

In recent years, she has cultivated a number of important musical relationships reflected in her collaborations with Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda and Victoria Williams - the most recent being with the celebrated guitarist and composer Bill Frisell.

Commenting on Petra Haden Sings 'The Who Sell Out', Petra writes: In 2000, my friend Mike Watt (the bass player for the Minutemen), called me and suggested that I recreate "The Who Sell Out" using just my voice.

He gave me his 8-track cassette recorder and put the Who on the 8th track.

I started singing the bass first, then gradually filled up the tracks singing the instruments and the lead vocals.

It was fun but it took three years.

I really did it for Mike but when he heard the finished project, he said, "You should put it out Pet!"

In late 2003, Bar None records got a copy of it and liked it just how it was, recorded on a tape machine.

Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out was released by Bar/None Records on February 22, 2005.

If you're anywhere near LA on Friday, July 1, you should really try to get to this show.

It will take place at the Ford Amphitheatre at 8:30 p.m. (2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East in Hollywood; Grounds open at 6:30 p.m. for picnicking; Tickets cost $16 advance [$12 for students] and $20 at the door, and may be purchased online at the Ford website [www.fordamphitheatre.org] or by calling 323-461-3673)

I'm so jealous already of those of you who are gonna be there.

Pete Townshend, the leader of The Who, said of Petra's accomplishment, "When I heard about this CD I didn't know quite what to expect, but I found listening to it for the first time quite enchanting. Then unnervingly exciting."

I mean, Pete Townshend said that, not me.

So you can imagine how good it must be.

Someone once said that the mark of a work of genius is that it is impossible to understand how it was created.

"Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out" is, to my mind by that criterion, a work of genius.