relyles

Just this week I listened to cellist Daniel Levin's hatology quartet disc with Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Moran (vibes) and Joe Morris (bass). Still not certain how much the music moves me, but it certainly continues to intrigue me.

Contemplating catching one of Rudy Royston's sets down at Firehouse 12 tonight. Probably will not make it because my wife is going out and someone really should be home with the yutes. A concert I have been looking forward to for several months and definitely will not miss is tomorrow night - Oliver Lake Big Band at Wesleyan University.

Happy Birthday!

I heard Thomas live once playing with Makaya McCaraven's group along with Greg Ward and Junius Paul. Nice night of music.

We in CT will miss the free concerts at the end of the semester.

In this most recent binge I actually picked up 20 CDs priced at $1. Will get back to you on wether it is indeed the bargain buy of the year.

I have it. Have not read all the interview yet, but the one I have read have been enlightening.

Thumbscrew (Mary Halvorson/Michael Formanek/Tomas Fujiwara) @ Firehouse 12 in New Haven, CT

I hope to make it down again this year for at least the Saturday performances. Would love to also see Jemeel Moondoc.

I picked this up for $1 in a recent record store binge. Will have to give it a listen soon.

Tuesday night I caught the first set of Tom Harrell's "Trip" at the Vanguard with Mark Turner, Ugonna Okegwo and Adam Cruz. Nice set. Tonight if all goes well I will be at the Jazz Gallery for trumpeter Jonathan Finalyson's Sicilian Defense.

I was there a couple of times - probably 20 years ago was the last. A friend who lives in Ct. tells me that it's not what it used to be. Then, none of us are. No it isn't and every time I go in there he tells me as much.

Yep. The only place of its kind in my area.

Yesterday at my local independent retailer ... $1 Tommy Cecil and Bill Mays - Our Time Sondheim Duos, Volume 2 Taylor Haskins - Fuzzy Logic (Sunnyside) Marquis Hill - The Poet Max Johnson - The Invisible Trio (Fresh Sound New Talent) Dave King Trucking Company - Adopted highway (Sunnyside Kneebody - The Line (Concord) Larry McKenna - From All sides Matt Mitchell - Fiction (Pi) Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Quartet - Where Here Meets There Russ Nolan - Relentless Eric Person - Thoughts On God (Distinction) Project Them (w/ Bob Franceschini & mark Sherman) (Miles High) Brandon Ross/Stomu Takeishi - Revealing Essence (Sunnyside) Idan Santhaus - There You Are (Posi-Tone) Sketches (w/ Matt Holman & Jeremy Udden) - Volume One Clark Sommers - Ba(sh) (Origin) (w/ Geof Bradfield) Perry Smith - Street Sense (BJU Records) Dylan Taylor - Sweeter For The Struggle JD Walter - One Step Away The Wee Trio - Live At The Bistro (Bionic Records) Keefe Jackson’s Likely So – Around Goal (Delmark) - $3 Dayna Stephens – I’ll Take My Chances (Criss Cross) - $5 Charles Lloyd/Jason Moran – Hagar’s Song (ECM) - $6 Also picked up @ regular prices Ambrose Akinmusire – The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier To Paint (Blue Note) Steve Davis – For Real (Posi-Tone) Kirk Knuffke – Chorale (SteepleChase) Gregory Tardy – Hope (SteepleChase) Jack Walrath – To Hellas And Back (SteepleChase)

Makes the reader feel like he/she must spend significant time digesting the music of Allen Lowe. I might try to get down for the gig at Spectrum.

This is where I will roam tonight. If it ends early enough, I may take the fifty minute drive down to New Haven to catch the second set of the Kevin Hays trio at Firehouse 12.

I have heard Halvorson live a number of times in various settings and she is never less than interesting. I am looking forward to hearing Thumbscrew on April 11th at Firehouse 12 in New Haven.

I had an interesting conversation with trumpeter Ron Horton a couple of days ago when I caught him in performance with Ben Allison. Horton was in Hill's Point of Departure sextet in the early 21st Century and was very involved with the direction of Hill's large ensembles later in his life - including directing the US/UK big band mentioned earlier in the thread. Horton was very helpful to me a few years ago when I was working on the Hill discography and we have kept in touch from time to time since then. When discussing books of Hill's compositions that Horton was asked to work on in the past few years, he commented about how different Hill's composing process was later in his life than it was in the Blue Note days. He assumed that in the sixties Hill's process was pretty standard in that all the compositions were carefully notated on lead sheets and stuff like that (excuse me if I stated that wrong - I have no technical knowledge of music theory). Very differently, Hill did not exclusively rely on these formal techniques later, and very often in performance tunes would be pieces of several different compositions mismatched together. Hill also had a habit of giving the same composition different titles, and the same title to different compositions. I endured this frequently myself when trying to identify song titles on live recordings where the performance could be one of several different compositions. I am very fortunate to have had opportunities to hear Hill many times from the late eighties until his death - first time with the quintet with Greg Osby, Bobby Hutcherson, Rufus Reid and Ben Riley, and subsequently in trio, quartet, quintet, the big band and a very special performance at City College with Jackie Mclean, Bobby Hutcherson, Scott Colley and Billy Higgins IIRC. The music of Andrew Hill will always be some of my favorite music of all time.

Mar 23 Austin, TX Mar 24 Austin, TX day concert, then Dallas, TX for a double bill with Dennis Gonzalez Mar 25 TBD Mar 26 Detroit, MI Mar 27 Buffalo, NY Mar 29 Philly, PA Mar 30 Baltimore, MD Thanks. Unfortunately does not look like he will be anywhere within reasonable driving distance to me.

Are there any dates in other cities? I know Bradford will be in the DC area, but anyplace else?

It's Angelica Sanchez.

The Trio 3 recordings on Intakt with Geri Allen and Irene Schweizer are rewarding as well.

Very strong performance last night. During the approximately ninety minute set the trio focused on tunes by Lovano and Helias that both recorded with Blackwell on several recordings in the early nineties. The trio clicked well together and solos by Lovano and Helias were consistently engaging. I was not familiar with Giampietro - I believe he teaches at UMASS. His playing throughout was somewhat understated, but appropriate. When he had a chance to solo he displayed a somewhat Blackwellesque emphasis on form rather than simply bashing away. That was appreciated. I traveled to the show with Kunle Mwanga, who some may remember as David Murray's former manager who also produced a lot of concerts. Mwanga roomed with Blackwell during the last couple of years of his life and the too were close. I had not interacted with him much before, but it was very nice getting to know him a bit. He made the drive enjoyable. Overall, a good night out even though I am paying for it today at work after getting very little sleep last night. I read something somewhere recently about this ensemble. This is a group I would love to see and/or hear very soon.

I really enjoy Allen's trio recordings. I think his concept on those recordings is his peak. I have heard him live a few times with Jeremy Pelt and earlier this year I caught his trio. The trio performance was a highlight.

Tonight's outing: Thursday, March 13, 2014 – 8pm - $12 general public / $7 students JOE LOVANO/MARK HELIAS/TOM GIAMPIETRO TRIO: A TRIBUTE TO ED BLACKWELL Bowker Auditorium – University of Massachusetts – Amherst, MA