Saw Revis/Vandermark/Moran/Waits last night

[Guy Berger]

I'm in NYC for the weekend for my jazz fix - decided to hop over to the Jazz Gallery for two sets of this combo, led by bassist Eric Revis who I believe plays with Branford. I wouldn't have expected Jason Moran and Ken Vandermark to be on the same stage but the combination was enough to tempt me.

First, the Jazz Gallery needs better climate control. They turn off the A/C during the sets (I assume because it's disruptive to the musicians) which turns the performance space into a muggy swamp.

Second, the concert was good. The first set was a little shaky - Vandermark in particular didn't mesh with the ensemble though the rhythm trio was locked in pretty early. The music was a combination of energy music, freebop tight stuff, and also a little bit of more traditional and funky stuff. The second set was much better, highlighted by an intense duet between Vandermark and Moran. Wow, that was definitely the best moment of the evening.

Definitely worth checking out. Every time I hear Jason Moran I'm inclined to throw out superlatives. I'm a bit more skeptical about Vandermark - I like the guy's playing but he sounds like a somewhat limited player to me.

[clifford_thornton]

I saw Revis and Waits with Brotzmann not too long ago; it was solid though Revis was trying some William Parker double-bowing shit that didn't work too well. Kinda dropped the ball on that one, IMO. But I can imagine this set you saw being decent. V'mark's backbeat scene gets a little overdone, too, though I generally appreciate his writing when it's not "funky."