What live music are you going to see tonight?

[TedR]

Thanks for the tour schedule Chuck. I see that Steve Swell is joining the trio. I'll make a point of seeing them here in Cleveland (Lakewood, Ohio actually) on Tuesday night.

Edited to say I just read Jeff's summary that mentions Steve Swell. Looking forward to the concert.

Edited November 16, 2014 by TedR

[jeffcrom]

Sounds like it turned out to be worth the drive. Since you didn't mention him, what were your impressions of PNL drumming?

There were a few more things I wanted to say in my post, but my wife was rushing me out the door to go to dinner with some friends.

Nilssen-Love's drumming was powerful and complex, but also very responsive to what the other musicians were doing. I was very impressed. I bought a CD from him - his duet with Brotzmann.

I also enjoyed Swell's playing more than the brief mention above would indicate - he has a large palette of sounds, and knew just when to change sonorities. I assume he's got a good instrument repairman, because several times he went out to 7th position and shook the horn in a way that must be hell on the slide. It was a cool sound, though.

I sat with a bass-playing friend who was amazed by how good Strom sounded, even though some aspects of his playing were "wrong" technically. He plans on stealing some of the techniques.

And this has nothing to do with the concert, but I stayed in that friend's barn outside of Columbia. He and his wife have built an apartment over their barn that's amazing. Great views, an iPod (with Von Freeman, Lucinda Williams, and lots of cool music), good beer in the fridge, and interesting art on the walls. So, yes, it was a great trip for a lot of reasons.

[A Lark Ascending]

The Dedication Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth Hall. Some of the musicians who have been there for most of my music listening life - Louis Moholo-Moholo, Keith and Julie Tippett, Ray Warleigh, Henry Lowther, Evan Parker and a bunch of Loose Tubers; plus people I've come to admire more recently like John Edwards,Jason Yarde, Maggie Nichols, Steve Beresford - all whipping up a storm playing the music of The Blue Notes. Most of the two CDs they made in the 90s but an excellent new arrangement by Alex Hawkins (who conducted too). Sat almost directly behind Tippett I was again struck by how individual his style of accompaniment was. And I'm sure that was Courtney Pine lapping it up in the audience just in front of me.

Really good to meed Mark (mjazzg) again and chew the fat on our ludicrous musical obsessions over an excellent lunch (he's the man to ask if you are in London and want to know where to eat!). ['Guillermo Klein' by the way, Mark!]

John Surman and the Bergen Big Band (King's Place) - first half was a bit slow and disjointed. Karin Krog has always been a 'best in small doses' voice for me and it's well past its peak, so the three or so vocal standards were a bit distracting (although I did like the duet she did with hubby playing 'In A Sentimental Mood' on baritone...her wayward pitching wasn't so evident without the chordal accompaniment of the band). Part two was superb - John Warren came on to conduct a marvellous piece he wrote for Surman called 'Windy Kent' and then an excellent sequence of new pieces from a new CD. Surman ebullient throughout - you don't imagine such a jolly fellow from the often moody music he writes. Concert ended with a beautiful version of 'J.J. Johnson's 'Lament' with Krog again, in memory of a recently departed band member.

Edited November 16, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[RogerF]

The Dedication Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth Hall. Some of the musicians who have been there for most of my music listening life - Louis Moholo-Moholo, Keith and Julie Tippett, Ray Warleigh, Henry Lowther, Evan Parker and a bunch of Loose Tubers; plus people I've come to admire more recently like John Edwards,Jason Yarde, Maggie Nichols, Steve Beresford - all whipping up a storm playing the music of The Blue Notes. Most of the two CDs they made in the 90s but an excellent new arrangement by Alex Hawkins (who conducted too). Sat almost directly behind Tippett I was again struck by how individual his style of accompaniment was. And I'm sure that was Courtney Pine lapping it up in the audience just in front of me.

Really good to meed Mark (mjazzg) again and chew the fat on our ludicrous musical obsessions over an excellent lunch (he's the man to ask if you are in London and want to know where to eat!). ['Guillermo Klein' by the way, Mark!]

I was there too Bev! Sorry we didn't meet up. A terrific concert and as I was sitting in the back row but one I only identified around 2/3 of the musicians. I think I saw Chris Biscoe and definitely saw Julian Arguelles and Mark Lockheart in the horn section and also Chris Batchelor on trupet. Also thought I might have glimpsed Mark Charig but only as they all left the stage! I think Clevaland Watkiss was one of the four vocalists in the back row. Really great concert and probably my gig of the year.

Edited November 16, 2014 by RogerF

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, Mark suggested it was Marc Charig. Don't think I've seen him since Isipingo in 1977!

Think you were right on the others.

Was the chap sitting next to Julie Tippets Claude Deppa?

Who were the trombonists who did that great duet early on?

[mjazzg]

The Dedication Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth Hall. Some of the musicians who have been there for most of my music listening life - Louis Moholo-Moholo, Keith and Julie Tippett, Ray Warleigh, Henry Lowther, Evan Parker and a bunch of Loose Tubers; plus people I've come to admire more recently like John Edwards,Jason Yarde, Maggie Nichols, Steve Beresford - all whipping up a storm playing the music of The Blue Notes. Most of the two CDs they made in the 90s but an excellent new arrangement by Alex Hawkins (who conducted too). Sat almost directly behind Tippett I was again struck by how individual his style of accompaniment was. And I'm sure that was Courtney Pine lapping it up in the audience just in front of me.

Really good to meed Mark (mjazzg) again and chew the fat on our ludicrous musical obsessions over an excellent lunch (he's the man to ask if you are in London and want to know where to eat!). ['Guillermo Klein' by the way, Mark!]

I was there too Bev! Sorry we didn't meet up. A terrific concert and as I was sitting in the back row but one I only identified around 2/3 of the musicians. I think I saw Chris Biscoe and definitely saw Julian Arguelles and Mark Lockheart in the horn section and also Chris Batchelor on trupet. Also thought I might have glimpsed Mark Charig but only as they all left the stage! I think Clevaland Watkiss was one of the four vocalists in the back row. Really great concert and probably my gig of the year.

Yes Roger, I wondered whether that was Mark Charig, after all there aren't too many horn players around. Also took it to be Watkiss but neither Bev or I could ID the second male vocalist. I checked for a line up on the sbc site but no luck.

Bev says it all really about the gig. I was particularly moved by the Wheeler arrangement of Pukwana's 'Be my dear' - the first Kenny I'd heard live since his death and the instantly recognisable style really brought home what we've lost but also what we've got to keep. Ray Warleigh's solo (he's on one of those LPs Bev) on this tune was a highlight too. On a lighter note, Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nichols' enthusiasm and lighthearted messing about on the back row brought to mind the naughty kids at the back of a school class. Their vocal contributions were peerless. That Courtney Pine was in the audience did make me woner how ideal he'd've been on the stage. Always enjoy seeing the Evan P ina horn section of a big band as it always seems somewhat incongruous. Great gig all round that really brought home the enduring legacy of those visitors from SA 50 years ago

Yes, Mark suggested it was Marc Charig. Don't think I've seen him since Isipingo in 1977!

Think you were right on the others.

Was the chap sitting next to Julie Tippets Claude Deppa?

Who were the trombonists who did that great duet early on?

Some cross posting going on here. I think the more exuberant of the duelling bone players was Alan Tomlinson. That's a good call on Deppa - he was mentioned on the website and he wasn't any of the others so by amazing powers of deduction....

[A Lark Ascending]

He wasn't playing (as far as I remember), just vocalising. Might be health issues.

[RogerF]

Yes Claude Deppa was listed on the QEH website as one of the participants. I also would like to know who the trombonist doing all the stuff with the mute was - real touch of the George Chisholms there ;-)

[Steve Reynolds]

Thanks for the comments all on that dream show!

[Teasing the Korean]

Tomorrow (Saturday night), Plano Symphony Orchestra http://planosymphony.org/concerts/14-15/3-rite.asp

Stravinsky: Rite of Spring

How was it?

[JSngry]

Interesting, and enjoyable, like a well-played minor-league baseball game, and I do mean that in a positive sense.

The DFW metroplex is overflowing with young talent, mostly out of UNT, but also a great deal from the area's numbers of advanced orchestral programs at the high school level. All these young people keep wanting to play, and the DSO/FWSO only have so many chairs, so there's...overflow, and it does create sort of a "farm system". We have more than a few "suburban" orchestras around here who increasingly seem to exist as tax breaks and entertainment organizations long before they do actual musical presences. The PSO is one such group, but the level of players has taken a notable turn for the better, and this is the first time I know that they've ever attempted something even remotely like Rite.

Plano's orchestra, after years of haggling with the AFM finally resolved their issues about players being employees rather than contractors, with the predictable result - some stabilization could begin to take root, principles could be recruited more aggressively than before, and the overall standards could be set a little higher, more was being offered, and more was being asked in return. So the principals chairs are more likely now to be filled with tenured faculty from the areas' better musical schools. Not a bad combination of ingredients, for a "local" orchestra, not at all.

So, it's getting to be a good band. The energy and focus are there to tackle a piece like Rite, and what miscues there were were occasional, and came in the realm of intonation on tightly voiced woodwind passages, occasional bleatings out of the french horns and tuba, but temporary is all they were, glitches, not ongoing flaws. And - recoveries were knowing and immediate.

Tempo was..."safe" this was no Michael Tilson Thomas turning the whole thing into a dizzying midway ride, this was firmly mid-1950s in design,but the effect was not one of retro-comfort, it was a this is where this orchestra can play it to where there are still challenges and still opportunities to nail it things. Very much a "real time" listening experience for a listener, knda like root-root-rooting for the home team, and when it was over, you felt that they had won the game, although pshew, it got tight there a couple of times. But they won!

Don't know how much more of this programming we'll be seeing out of the PSO, if the crowd reaction was any indicator...pleasant applause, but a lot of looks back and forth and overheard commentaries during intermission about uhhhh....I liked the loud parts well enough....lots of drums, eh (and btw - the percussionists excelled, nicely played!)?' stuff like that. But hell, down the road a piece, the DSO, still resolutely working on becoming a "world class" orchestra", programs a whole season that very rarely steps into the 20th Century, so kudos to the PSO for at least doing a one-off from the Christmas shows and Sinatra tributes and such of their usual fare, to give everybody involved an opportunity at some real meat.

The second piece of the evening, was a real treat as well, although for totally different reasons. Emanuel Borok's reading of the Brahms was a totally anti-star-soloist performance. No body drama, no "personalized" interpretations of dynamics, tempo, or attack,. This is a guy who's career was made being a section player/concert-master, and he was a pretty good one at that. So he was stepping out there and playing with an attitude that seems to be this music is great enough that I don't have to do anything extra to it. I just need to stand here and play it right, play it as well as it can be played, and everything else will take care of itself.

And as far as I'm concerned, it worked. Just old-school craftsmanship on display in its best manifestation, just play the music as well as it can be played and everything else will take care of itself.

The whole program was like that, actually. Very "local" but also very rewarding because of that. Activist listening can come from several different angles. Last night came from, here's the material, here's the players, let's see if either/both can hold up to the other, no sure things anywhere here.

In the end, it was a nice night out, even if the weather was kind of schmutzy.

[RogerF]

The Dedication Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth Hall. Some of the musicians who have been there for most of my music listening life - Louis Moholo-Moholo, Keith and Julie Tippett, Ray Warleigh, Henry Lowther, Evan Parker and a bunch of Loose Tubers; plus people I've come to admire more recently like John Edwards,Jason Yarde, Maggie Nichols, Steve Beresford - all whipping up a storm playing the music of The Blue Notes. Most of the two CDs they made in the 90s but an excellent new arrangement by Alex Hawkins (who conducted too). Sat almost directly behind Tippett I was again struck by how individual his style of accompaniment was. And I'm sure that was Courtney Pine lapping it up in the audience just in front of me.

An excellent review of this concert has just been published at the London Jazz website here:

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2014/11/review-dedication-orchestra-at-queen.html

and gives the full personnel details

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks, Roger.

Not Claude Deppa at all!

[Teasing the Korean]

Tempo was..."safe" this was no Michael Tilson Thomas turning the whole thing into a dizzying midway ride, this was firmly mid-1950s in design,but the effect was not one of retro-comfort, it was a this is where this orchestra can play it to where there are still challenges and still opportunities to nail it things. Very much a "real time" listening experience for a listener, knda like root-root-rooting for the home team, and when it was over, you felt that they had won the game, although pshew, it got tight there a couple of times. But they won!

Don't know how much more of this programming we'll be seeing out of the PSO, if the crowd reaction was any indicator...pleasant applause, but a lot of looks back and forth and overheard commentaries during intermission about uhhhh....I liked the loud parts well enough....lots of drums, eh (and btw - the percussionists excelled, nicely played!)?' stuff like that. But hell, down the road a piece, the DSO, still resolutely working on becoming a "world class" orchestra", programs a whole season that very rarely steps into the 20th Century, so kudos to the PSO for at least doing a one-off from the Christmas shows and Sinatra tributes and such of their usual fare, to give everybody involved an opportunity at some real meat.

Thanks for the review. There were some brisk readings of Le Sacre in the 1950s - I'm thinking the Dorati Minneapolis? - but I get what you mean. It's amazing to me that 100+ years later, Le Sacre still shocks audiences. I don't know if that speaks to the inherent power of the piece, or the cluelessness of the audiences. Or both. It just seems that anyone with the wherewithal to buy a ticket to hear an orchestra play might know something about 20th Century music.

[JSngry]

Tempo was..."safe" this was no Michael Tilson Thomas turning the whole thing into a dizzying midway ride, this was firmly mid-1950s in design,but the effect was not one of retro-comfort, it was a this is where this orchestra can play it to where there are still challenges and still opportunities to nail it things. Very much a "real time" listening experience for a listener, knda like root-root-rooting for the home team, and when it was over, you felt that they had won the game, although pshew, it got tight there a couple of times. But they won!

Don't know how much more of this programming we'll be seeing out of the PSO, if the crowd reaction was any indicator...pleasant applause, but a lot of looks back and forth and overheard commentaries during intermission about uhhhh....I liked the loud parts well enough....lots of drums, eh (and btw - the percussionists excelled, nicely played!)?' stuff like that. But hell, down the road a piece, the DSO, still resolutely working on becoming a "world class" orchestra", programs a whole season that very rarely steps into the 20th Century, so kudos to the PSO for at least doing a one-off from the Christmas shows and Sinatra tributes and such of their usual fare, to give everybody involved an opportunity at some real meat.

Thanks for the review. There were some brisk readings of Le Sacre in the 1950s - I'm thinking the Dorati Minneapolis? - but I get what you mean. It's amazing to me that 100+ years later, Le Sacre still shocks audiences. I don't know if that speaks to the inherent power of the piece, or the cluelessness of the audiences. Or both. It just seems that anyone with the wherewithal to buy a ticket to hear an orchestra play might know something about 20th Century music.

Unfortunately...ya' know?

I talked with the principal trombonist of the PSO, he's somebody I do the occasional wedding gig with (sic), and I sensed that he was very proud of having been a part of this, that it was more than just another gig for him. I told him I was happy to have bought the tickets, that it was more than just another show for me as a local listener. Maybe not in The Bigger World Of All Time, but...nobody alive today saw the Grand Canyon being formed, but there it is anyway, you can pretend it's not there, but good luck with that.

[ejp626]

I'm just back from seeing Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi (sort of a youth ensemble that she is training). They did Mendelssohn's Octet and Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Both very well done, and there are relatively few performances of the Octet, so I was really glad to see this pairing. Two encores. Quite a night.

Apparently some nights on the tour she does Previn's Violin Concerto #2, but on this night it was more of a curiosity to round out the bill -- Sebastian Currier's Ringtone Variations, which sounded pretty much like you would expect a piece of music inspired by ringtones to sound. I'm assuming, though don't know for sure, that they alternate the Previn and the Mendelssohn. If that's the case, I am glad they selected the Octet for tonight's performance.

[BFrank]

Saw the Drive-By Truckers at the Fillmore last night. Was a little disappointed - they were too loud (or maybe the mix was bad), and a lot of the songs tended to sound alike. Maybe I don't know their music well enough, but I had high expectations, I guess.

Sturgill Simpson opened, who's had a LOT of buzz going for him this year. He's got a real Waylon Jennings-type voice, but his lyrics are a little more abstract, and he has a couple of tunes that are down-right psychedelic. His guitar player is a MONSTER.

[Justin V]

The most recent shows:

Trio X, Rochester

I only have one Joe McPhee album, but I saw him last year with Peter Brotzmann. I'd never heard Trio X before. McPhee played two songs on tenor, one on soprano and two on (a plastic) alto sax. I was struck by how masterfully McPhee builds a solo. From a bluesy song on tenor, a song from Do the Right Thing on alto or unabashedly melodic excursions on tenor and soprano, McPhee and the group showed a tremendous amount of breadth and depth. Dominic Duvall's son, Dominic Jr., filled in for his father and acquitted himself quite admirably. Afterward, I was talking to Joe McPhee and he handed me his plastic sax to show me how light it was. I am happy to say that I didn't drop it The concert left me with the feeling that McPhee deserves much more attention than he receives.

Steve WIlson/Lewis Nash Duo, Dayton

I'd never seen Lewis Nash before and missed the concert that produced their new (and excellent) duo disc, Duologue, so I wasn't about to miss seeing them a second time, even if it meant driving 220 miles one way by myself. My long drive was rewarded by a great two-set concert. Wilson has such a distinctive, mainly vibrato-less sound on alto and soprano, and his articulation is flawless. Nash, in my humble opinion, ranks among the all-time great drummers. I don't think that I've heard anyone play Monk's 'Four in One' live before. It was a night of thoughtful arrangements and impeccable musicianship by an empathetic duo. Wilson and Nash also came across as genuinely humble and friendly guys when meeting people afterward.

Buster Williams/Sonny Fortune, Pittsburgh

Buster Williams had Steve Wilson, Patrice Rushen and Lenny White with him. Williams displayed a disarming sense of humor between songs and smiled frequently during his set. It was a well-matched quartet, with White's combustible playing, Rushen's power, Wilson's precision and Williams anchoring the whole group with his milkshake-thick sound. A highlight for me was Williams's feature on 'Concerto de Aranjuez' and 'Summertime' and the rousing number they closed with, which ended the four-song set on a high note and saw the whole group push the envelope with intense group interplay.

Sonny Fortune had his regular band consisting of Michael Cochrane, David WIlliams and Steve Johns. It'd been years since the only other time that I'd seen Fortune. When he came out, I told my wife that he was like a flamethrower. I realized afterward that seeing Fortune is the closest I'm ever going to get to seeing Trane. The way that he'll worry a sequence of notes until he's exhausted several rhythmic possibilities is Trane-like, as is his total focus. He blows his horn like he may never blow again. He also seemed to thoroughly enjoy listening to his sidemen play, frequently clapping his hands and dancing to the music. As if playing burning alto, soprano and flute weren't enough, he even played some pretty interesting cowbell at one point! Although Fortune does tour solo some, I could see why he prefers to tour with his regular group, as it is a tightly knit, powerful (yet sensitive) group of underrated musicians. It was also something to hear two of the top saxophonists on the scene and how wildly different they sounded from each other.

Tony Bennett, Cleveland

My wife didn't want to go, so I bought a single ticket. I'm only passingly familiar with Bennett's music and don't listen to a lot of vocalists, but I figured that I'd better see Bennett or I'd someday regret not going. With his daughter, Antonia, warming up the crowd with a 15-minute set, Bennett sang for 75 minutes. He had a quartet consisting of Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood and Harold Jones (whom Bennett introduced as Count Basie's favorite drummer). At 88, Bennett's energy didn't flag in the least; on the contrary, it actually seemed like he picked up steam with each passing song and could've sung all night. The way he gets inside a song and invests it with so much passion is remarkable.

His not-so-secret weapon was Sargent, whom Bennett often brought to the front of the stage to sing next to him. Sargent, like the rest of the band, really took advantage of his solo opportunities and provided tasty backing throughout the night, even throwing in a 'Salt Peanuts' quote during his 'I Got Rhythm' solo. Although the group has probably played many of the songs at countless gigs by now, they certainly didn't ever seem to be on autopilot.

Bennett dropped his mic on the piano for the last song and performed his last song without a mic. His voice filled the theater and provoked stunned murmuring from the sold-out crowd. I've never heard a crowd go as bonkers after he finished as the crowd did. It was a night celebrating the Great American Songbook and covered many of Bennett's signature songs like 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco', 'The Boulevard of Broken Dreams', 'The Shadow of Your Smile', 'For Once in My Life', 'But Beautiful' and many more. Bennett is such a warm, dynamic and thrilling performer. It was an amazing concert, and I'd see him and his top-notch band any day.

[mr jazz]

Pat Metheny tonight in Annapolis, MD

[Alexander Hawkins]

The Dedication Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth Hall. Some of the musicians who have been there for most of my music listening life - Louis Moholo-Moholo, Keith and Julie Tippett, Ray Warleigh, Henry Lowther, Evan Parker and a bunch of Loose Tubers; plus people I've come to admire more recently like John Edwards,Jason Yarde, Maggie Nichols, Steve Beresford - all whipping up a storm playing the music of The Blue Notes. Most of the two CDs they made in the 90s but an excellent new arrangement by Alex Hawkins (who conducted too). Sat almost directly behind Tippett I was again struck by how individual his style of accompaniment was. And I'm sure that was Courtney Pine lapping it up in the audience just in front of me.

Really good to meed Mark (mjazzg) again and chew the fat on our ludicrous musical obsessions over an excellent lunch (he's the man to ask if you are in London and want to know where to eat!). ['Guillermo Klein' by the way, Mark!]

I was there too Bev! Sorry we didn't meet up. A terrific concert and as I was sitting in the back row but one I only identified around 2/3 of the musicians. I think I saw Chris Biscoe and definitely saw Julian Arguelles and Mark Lockheart in the horn section and also Chris Batchelor on trupet. Also thought I might have glimpsed Mark Charig but only as they all left the stage! I think Clevaland Watkiss was one of the four vocalists in the back row. Really great concert and probably my gig of the year. Yes Roger, I wondered whether that was Mark Charig, after all there aren't too many horn players around. Also took it to be Watkiss but neither Bev or I could ID the second male vocalist. I checked for a line up on the sbc site but no luck.

Bev says it all really about the gig. I was particularly moved by the Wheeler arrangement of Pukwana's 'Be my dear' - the first Kenny I'd heard live since his death and the instantly recognisable style really brought home what we've lost but also what we've got to keep. Ray Warleigh's solo (he's on one of those LPs Bev) on this tune was a highlight too. On a lighter note, Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nichols' enthusiasm and lighthearted messing about on the back row brought to mind the naughty kids at the back of a school class. Their vocal contributions were peerless. That Courtney Pine was in the audience did make me woner how ideal he'd've been on the stage. Always enjoy seeing the Evan P ina horn section of a big band as it always seems somewhat incongruous. Great gig all round that really brought home the enduring legacy of those visitors from SA 50 years ago

Yes, Mark suggested it was Marc Charig. Don't think I've seen him since Isipingo in 1977!

Think you were right on the others.

Was the chap sitting next to Julie Tippets Claude Deppa?

Who were the trombonists who did that great duet early on?

Some cross posting going on here. I think the more exuberant of the duelling bone players was Alan Tomlinson. That's a good call on Deppa - he was mentioned on the website and he wasn't any of the others so by amazing powers of deduction....

Yes, what a beautiful gig...was so happy to have caught it. To confirm, the male vocalists were indeed Cleveland, and David Serame (who, incidentally, I'd never met before, and is an extremely nice guy). No Claude Deppa; the lead trumpet was George Hogg (the others being Chris Batchelor, Henry Lowther, and Jim Dvorak). Indeed, Mark Charig on tenor horn. And the duelling trombones on 'Traumatic Experience' were Alan Tomlinson (who, if I remember right, did more of the plunger work), and Paul Taylor.

[ejp626]

Just back from the Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life show in Toronto (only Canadian stop on the tour). Pretty amazing band -- two of almost everything -- backup keyboards, guitarists, drummers, percussionists. 6 back-up singers, including his daugher (the one that Isn't She Lovely is dedicated to). On some stops, Indie Arie is the opening act and then joins the show. Here she just joined in on 5 or so songs -- 4 costume changes (off-stage). Great concert, though I wish he had started more or less on time -- it was 45 minutes late. Thus, we had to split as he was getting ready to do an encore. Really wanted to hear that (on some stops it has been Superstition), but it was past our bedtime (and more to the point the baby-sitter meter was ticking...).

[Leeway]

The most recent shows:

Trio X, Rochester

I only have one Joe McPhee album, but I saw him last year with Peter Brotzmann. I'd never heard Trio X before. McPhee played two songs on tenor, one on soprano and two on (a plastic) alto sax. I was struck by how masterfully McPhee builds a solo. From a bluesy song on tenor, a song from Do the Right Thing on alto or unabashedly melodic excursions on tenor and soprano, McPhee and the group showed a tremendous amount of breadth and depth. Dominic Duvall's son, Dominic Jr., filled in for his father and acquitted himself quite admirably. Afterward, I was talking to Joe McPhee and he handed me his plastic sax to show me how light it was. I am happy to say that I didn't drop it The concert left me with the feeling that McPhee deserves much more attention than he receives.

Thanks for that account of Trio X. I'm a staunch Joe McPhee fan, in whatever ensemble he's playing. Wonderful person too. I've seen Trio X a couple of times, but it has been quite a while. Wasn't sure if they were still touring. Any word on what the problem was with Dominick Duval?

[Leeway]

I'm almost certainly going to see this concert unless force majeure prevents me

Sunday, December 7th, Windup Space, Baltimore

CREATIVE DIFFERENCES presents:

MAT MANERI & LUCIAN BAN NEW QUINTET with special guest BILLY HART

Mat Maneri (viola), Tony Malaby (ts, ss), Bob Stewart (tuba), Lucian Ban (Fender Rhodes)

Here's the odd thing. On another concert notification, the same group and concert is billed as:

MAT MANERI'S FANTASM

Mat Maneri ,Lucian Ban,Bob Stewart, Tony Malaby and Billy Hart

I wonder why the confusion over names? I'm not thrilled with Ban on Fender Rhodes, but it might turn out interesting after all.

[medjuck]

Saw Allen Toussaint with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band last week. The PHJB sounded more like a New Orleans brass band than a Dixieland band which was fine with me and it was great to hear Toussaint backed by a Sousaphone .

[Steve Reynolds]

I'm almost certainly going to see this concert unless force majeure prevents me

Sunday, December 7th, Windup Space, Baltimore

CREATIVE DIFFERENCES presents:

MAT MANERI & LUCIAN BAN NEW QUINTET with special guest BILLY HART

Mat Maneri (viola), Tony Malaby (ts, ss), Bob Stewart (tuba), Lucian Ban (Fender Rhodes)

Here's the odd thing. On another concert notification, the same group and concert is billed as:

MAT MANERI'S FANTASM

Mat Maneri ,Lucian Ban,Bob Stewart, Tony Malaby and Billy Hart

I wonder why the confusion over names? I'm not thrilled with Ban on Fender Rhodes, but it might turn out interesting after all.

I wonder why Ban is playing the Fender Rhodes

Third drummer for this band - Cleaver, then Mintz - now Billy Hart!!! Great choice - maybe the only better choice would be for Randy Peterson to crank it up with this quintet, but on a serious note, for this band, Hart sounds like a perfect choice as Stewart often drives this band with that tuba groove thing he does

As you know, both times I saw them they were great - the second time they were awesome. Ban's compositions are very striking. Maneri's are oblique sketches with a much more open vibe. Malaby and Maneri together are a dream. Expect them both to be seated facing each other.