What live music are you going to see tonight?

[Hardbopjazz]

The Heath Brothers at the Vanguard, NYC.

[Chuck Nessa]

Kidd Jordan, Matthew Shipp, Alvin Fielder and guests at an "after fest session" at Constellation in Chicago.

[Leeway]

Sounds like a great show, Chuck.

[Sandman]

Saw Trio da Paz at Dizzy's in NYC with Harry Allen, Claudio Roditi and Maucha Adnet. They've had the last two weeks of summer at Dizzy's for the past several years (often with Joe Locke too) and are a joy to see.

[kh1958]

Saturday night, first a set from vocalist Thana Alexa at the 55 Bar. I had no expectations, but she was pretty good.

Next, to Smalls for the David Schnitter Quartet, and then the Kenny Rampton Octet (featuring Brian Charette on organ, Sherman Irby on alto sax, Donny McCaslin on tenor sax, and Bill Sims on guitar/vocals). Both groups were excellent. David Schnitter (now 66) sounds his best. The Kenny Rampton group was mostly organ soul jazz (Rampton played trumpet for Jimmy McGriff for ten years) with a divergence into blues (featuring Bill Sims).

Sunday, an afternoon set with Zach Brock at the Blue Note (the music was okay, but the service at the Blue Note was miserable and surly). In the early evening, a couple of sets by the Junior Mance Trio at Cafe Loup. The setting here was incredibly annoying; a constant stream of waiters to and fro in front of the band and a very loud crowd, almost none of whom seemed to be there for Junior Mance (now 85); still I very much enjoyed, among other songs, the group's versions of Idle Moments and Sunset and the Mockingbird. Next, to Why Not, for a guitar duo set by Bern Nix and Christian Amigo. It was great to see Bern Nix again.

Monday, back to Smalls. First, guitarist Rotem Sivan. First set was fine, but bored with second. Then, the Ari Hoenig Time Quintet (Tivon Pennicott on tenor sax, Shae Maestro on piano, Orlando LaFleming on bass, and Gilad Hekselman on guitar) followed. Their two sets were the highlight of my visit--amazing super-intense music, a true group with fabulous soloists in all cases, and challenging compositions. This group is a joy.

Edited September 3, 2014 by kh1958

[CraigP]

Nice, kh, you made the most of your time!

[kh1958]

Nice, kh, you made the most of your time!

Yes, this was the first time I had been there since last October, so I had to take advantage. I also visited the Jazz Record Center and two Academy Records stores.

The proximity of jazz clubs in Greenwich Village is amazing--the Village Vanguard, Smalls, Fat Cat, 55 Bar, Why Not (a fairly new club), Mezzrow (a brand new piano/bass club), Zinc Bar, Cornelia Street Cafe, the Blue Note--nine alternatives where you can walk from any one to the other in five minutes or less.

I did notice an ominous development--construction cranes engaged in erecting what appeared to be luxury apartments in Greenwich Village. One sizable construction project was across the street and down one block from the Village Vanguard.

Edited September 4, 2014 by kh1958

[Steve Reynolds]

Ches Smith Trio with Craig Taborn & Mat Maneri

I've been fortunate to see them the first two times they have played together and I believe this will be their third show.

Improvisation at the highest most unpredictable level. Who would think that this would make sense? Hopefully it works again.

8:00 @ Greenwich House 46 Barrow Street NYC

[BillF]

Saw the great Don Weller at Wilmslow on Tuesday.

[kh1958]

Across the bridge to nowhere, except it led to Babb Bros., an unlikely music venue where Tutu Jones performed tonight, and he was really feeling it by the third set, ending with a very intense pair of instrumentals that nobody, including him, wanted to end.

[Leeway]

The concert hiatus is over. Managed to catch the Ingrid Laubrock Quintet at Bohemian Caverns, DC, before I depart for the Evan Parker Residency in NYC.

The Quintet is Laubrock on tenor, Tim Berne on alto, Ben Gerstein on trombone, Dan Peck on tuba, and Tom Rainey on drums. A wealth of brass for sure, and obviously some top-flight musicians. Rather funny when Rainey was introduced as Tom Murphy. Rainey startled, said, "Tom who?!"

Two sets, although the second was truncated a bit. Most of the music was through-composed, or at lease part-composed. Started slow and low and continued to build in volume and complexity, although it remained very much controlled. I'll pretty much come out to watch any ensemble Berne or Laubrock is in, since I enjoy the playing so much. So this was a good night. I will acknowledge, for all that, this is not my favorite Laubrock ensemble. Still, definitely worth catching, especially if you like a strong brass performance.

[sidewinder]

Saw the great Don Weller at Wilmslow on Tuesday.

[BFrank]

Tonight:

The Baseball Project (Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon & Mike Mills)

Always entertaining!

[BillF]

Gilad Atzmon at Wilmslow last night. Wow, he is one sensational altoist!

[Leeway]

Up in NYC for the Evan Parker residency, but I had a chance to catch the Sylvie Courvoisier Trio at Roulette Monday night. The trio is Sylvie on piano, Drew Gress on bass, Kenny Wollesen on drums.

In person, Sylvie has this charisma that's hard to explain, a sort of verve mixed with directness. I really enjoy her piano playing. Great touch, a tendency to blend classical elements into her compositions, sort of Debussy/Ravel meets Cecil Taylor, and one of the few who can smoothly mix playing inside the piano with playing the keyboard.

Alas, the other trio members were not quite that interesting or satisfying. Gress seemed as if he really didn't know the music, appeared tentative at times, and simply wasn't much of a presence. Wollesen did rather better, trying to bring the rhythm section to life, but in the end, nothing special. Compared to Tyshawn Sorey the next night (perhaps an unfair comparison since the circumstances were different, but still....), Wolleson looked especially meager; there was a Grand Canyon of difference in terms of artistry.

[colinmce]

Huh. I haven't yet heard the new trio, but the reviewer at Point of Departure said the opposite: that Gress & Wolleson knew the music inside & out. FWIW, though, I've never been a big fan of Gress' playing. Don't know Wolleson.

[Leeway]

The CD might be better (performance or production), or the POD guy might be blowing smoke (never a discouraging word heard, although the articles are great), or maybe the trio was having an off-night. There's no hiding in a live performance, and as much as I like Sylvie (and have seen her a bunch of times), this trio didn't click for me in concert. YMMV as we say

[colinmce]

We'll see! I'm going to check the record out. I like her, but don't cotton to piano trios very much, so...

[A Lark Ascending]

Gilad Atzmon at Wilmslow last night. Wow, he is one sensational altoist!

Due in Sheffield next month. Not seen him for a few years so might well go.

[BFrank]

SFJAZZ

Brian Blade Fellowship, 9/18

The Cookers, 9/26

[kh1958]

Last night, getting to Longview for the first day of the T Bone Walker Blues Fesival proved to be more difficult than anticipated, but ultimately I made it just in time to hear a long set by the Lurie Bell Chicago Blues Band with Eddie Clearwater. It's not usual to hear a working Chicago blues band in these parts, and they were good. Best of the lot was harmonica player Russ Green. Worth the drive.

Next, the Eric Gales Trio followed. More rock than I normally go for, and I was wishing for his brother, the late Little Jimmy King; but despite a fair amount of absurd posturing, it was a pretty good group.

Edited September 13, 2014 by kh1958

[Steve Reynolds]

Mat Maneri/Lucien Ban Quintet @ Cornelia Street Cafe

With Tony Malaby, Bob Stewart and Billy Mintz

[Steve Reynolds]

Mat Maneri/Lucien Ban Quintet @ Cornelia Street Cafe

With Tony Malaby, Bob Stewart and Billy Mintz

Well my wife gave me the Tony Malaby fashion critique on the ride home:

Same shirt untucked but she was pleased that he was wearing a nice grey sweater. Pants too short with a bad tailoring job with socks not pulled up far enough.

Her comments about the band:

Better than the last time as the two new Lucien Ban tunes played during the second set were extraordinary -"Rapture" which opened the second set is her favorite jazz composition ever. She said as far as the playing of the tenor saxophone, that Malaby is the greatest.

For me I know that if I'm thinking every time I see Mat Maneri he was even better than the last time, then something really special is happening.

This band is the most accessible of any band with these two monster improvisors and it is due to Ban and the great Bob Stewart on tuba setting the tempos (as my wife also pointed out to me)

Two wonderous 60 minute sets

Can't wait to hear the "New Band" ,as Mat called them a couple of times, the next time. In a better world, this music is on the radio.

[relyles]

Mark Turner Quartet @ Regattabar, Cambridge, MA

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Mark Turner Quartet @ Regattabar, Cambridge, MA

I was there last night. Some "CD Release Party", huh? You would think that announcing a show as a "CD Release Party" you might want to have the CD available for sale? Nope. No CDs for sale at all.

Start 20 minutes late? No problem. Leave after an hour and 10 minutes ignoring the crowd (hint: your fans) asking for an encore? No problem. Hang around to sign your new CD at your "CD Release Party"? Huh? What do you mean, "hang around"? We high-tailied it outta there and disappeared. We don't do no stinkin' autographs.