What live music are you going to see tonight?

[Chuck Nessa]

Snakeoil tonight.

[Larry Kart]

THE ANAGRAM SERIES PRESENTS MERIDIAN TRIO AND MATT ULERY'S LOOM

MONDAY, MAY 11
9 PM • $10

AT ELASTIC ARTS FOUNDATION
3429 W DIVERSEY AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR

SET 1: MERIDIAN TRIO
Nick Mazzarella – alto and C melody saxophones
Matt Ulery – bass
Jeremy Cunningham – drums

SET 2: MATT ULERY'S LOOM
Geof Bradfield – tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
Russ Johnson – trumpet
Rob Clearfield – piano
Matt Ulery – bass and compositions
Jon Deitemyer – drums

Pre-gig expectations:

Nick on C melody is a trip -- he's just taken it up after Tim Daisy gave him a battered horn from the '20s that Nick then refurbished (he works in a reed instruments shop) -- and on alto he just keeps getting better/stronger. Looking forward to hearing Russ Johnson again. It's been a while. Ulery's Loom should be a good setting for him and vice versa.

[jeffcrom]

SET 1: MERIDIAN TRIO

Nick Mazzarella – alto and C melody saxophones

Matt Ulery – bass

Jeremy Cunningham – drums

Nick on C melody is a trip -- he's just taken it up after Tim Daisy gave him a battered horn from the '20s that Nick then refurbished (he works in a reed instruments shop) -- and on alto he just keeps getting better/stronger.

I haven't heard him on C melody, but was very impressed with his alto playing at a recent gig in Atlanta and on the CDs I've heard - beautiful sound and lots of imagination. Nice guy, too.

[Chuck Nessa]

Joshua Abrams' Natural Information Society at Hallwalls in Buffalo on the 19th. Two nights later at the same venue I will hear Dave Rempis, Darren Johnson and Larry Ochs.

Saxophonist/presenter Steve Baczkowski has a great series going.

Baczkowski

Dave Rempis (saxophones)
Darren Johnston (trumpet)
Larry Ochs (saxophones) - See more at: http://www.hallwalls.org/music/#sthash.2vPOiB8f.dpuf

[jlhoots]

Joshua Abrams' Natural Information Society at Hallwalls in Buffalo on the 19th. Two nights later at the same venue I will hear Dave Rempis, Darren Johnson and Larry Ochs.

Saxophonist/presenter Steve Baczkowski has a great series going.

Baczkowski

Dave Rempis (saxophones)

Darren Johnston (trumpet)

Larry Ochs (saxophones) - See more at: http://www.hallwalls.org/music/#sthash.2vPOiB8f.dpuf

I like the Rempis / Johnson / Ochs Aerophonic CD!!

Edited May 11, 2015 by jlhoots

[HutchFan]

My wife and I are heading up to NYC on Thursday for a long weekend.

On Saturday night, we're planning to go see the Dave Liebman / Bobby Avey duo @ the Concert Space at Beethoven Piano.

I'm sure we'll catch some other shows too. Maybe Guillermo Klein at the Vanguard. Maybe Odean Pope at the Blue Note. Maybe Tim Hagans at Kitano. Not sure yet.

[Larry Kart]

SET 1: MERIDIAN TRIO

Nick Mazzarella – alto and C melody saxophones

Matt Ulery – bass

Jeremy Cunningham – drums

Nick on C melody is a trip -- he's just taken it up after Tim Daisy gave him a battered horn from the '20s that Nick then refurbished (he works in a reed instruments shop) -- and on alto he just keeps getting better/stronger.

I haven't heard him on C melody, but was very impressed with his alto playing at a recent gig in Atlanta and on the CDs I've heard - beautiful sound and lots of imagination. Nice guy, too.

Very nice guy. But then a whole lot of guys on the Chicago scene are. In fact, can't think of one who isn't.

[issho]

My wife and I are heading up to NYC on Thursday for a long weekend.

On Saturday night, we're planning to go see the Dave Liebman / Bobby Avey duo @ the Concert Space at Beethoven Piano.

I'm sure we'll catch some other shows too. Maybe Guillermo Klein at the Vanguard. Maybe Odean Pope at the Blue Note. Maybe Tim Hagans at Kitano. Not sure yet.

Also, consider Ron Carter & Ethan Iverson duo at Mezzrow Thursday through Saturday. I come up on Saturday to see Wayne Shorter at Lincoln Center, so I might miss it myself unless the Wayne Shorter show ends early enough for me to catch the late set at Mezzrow.

[HutchFan]

My wife and I are heading up to NYC on Thursday for a long weekend.

On Saturday night, we're planning to go see the Dave Liebman / Bobby Avey duo @ the Concert Space at Beethoven Piano.

I'm sure we'll catch some other shows too. Maybe Guillermo Klein at the Vanguard. Maybe Odean Pope at the Blue Note. Maybe Tim Hagans at Kitano. Not sure yet.

Also, consider Ron Carter & Ethan Iverson duo at Mezzrow Thursday through Saturday. I come up on Saturday to see Wayne Shorter at Lincoln Center, so I might miss it myself unless the Wayne Shorter show ends early enough for me to catch the late set at Mezzrow.

Carter & Iverson are definitely another possibility.

Edited May 12, 2015 by HutchFan

[Justin V]

On Saturday, I saw the ICP Orchestra in Buffalo. One segment of the concert pretty much summed up the ICP live experience. It started out as a chamber-ish piece with trumpeter Thomas Heberer, bassist Ernst Glerum and violinist Mary Oliver. Heberer wandered around the audience and eventually sat down several rows back, playing all the while. While Heberer played among the audience, Wolter Wierbos let out a rip on his trombone and fell to the ground, and was soon followed by reedist Tobias Delius and cellist Tristan Honsinger. Han Bennink then asked, 'Now what?' The downed members were then exhorted to get up by the barking commands of Bennink and Glerum. Thus revived, Honsinger called out a series of random numbers before returning to his seat. The piece then morphed into a calypso-like swing tune using the whole orchestra, with pianist Guus Janssen reaching inside the piano to coax a guitar-like sound from it. The segment ended with Honsinger's vocals on his 'Restless in Pieces', which included absurdist lyrics about being part of a human-chicken pie.

For me, the concert was a bittersweet experience, because the joy of seeing the orchestra was tempered by the knowledge that this would be the last time that I'd get to see them. The orchestra is such an iconic group of strongly individual musicians, the likes of which we won't see again. I can only hope that they play some reunion shows down the road and that the various members will continue to work together in other contexts. I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them with Misha Mengelberg, without a pianist and with Janssen, whose playing is deserving of a wider audience (the same could be said of the other orchestra members). I'll definitely continue to check out the orchestra's recordings and those of its members.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Justin V

[Larry Kart]

THE ANAGRAM SERIES PRESENTS MERIDIAN TRIO AND MATT ULERY'S LOOM

MONDAY, MAY 11

9 PM • $10

AT ELASTIC ARTS FOUNDATION

3429 W DIVERSEY AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR

SET 1: MERIDIAN TRIO

Nick Mazzarella – alto and C melody saxophones

Matt Ulery – bass

Jeremy Cunningham – drums

SET 2: MATT ULERY'S LOOM

Geof Bradfield – tenor saxophone and bass clarinet

Russ Johnson – trumpet

Rob Clearfield – piano

Matt Ulery – bass and compositions

Jon Deitemyer – drums

Pre-gig expectations:

Nick on C melody is a trip -- he's just taken it up after Tim Daisy gave him a battered horn from the '20s that Nick then refurbished (he works in a reed instruments shop) -- and on alto he just keeps getting better/stronger. Looking forward to hearing Russ Johnson again. It's been a while. Ulery's Loom should be a good setting for him and vice versa.

Nice night, very nice. Was most struck by how Russ Johnson sounded with Ulery's Loom -- big buttery sound, great range, gorgeous lyrical playing, all melody; he's in the top flight of trumpet players IMO. Bradfield (mostly on bass clarinet, where he gets a lovely woodsy sound and moves around with remarkable agility -- in my experience a woodsy sound on the instrument precludes top-level facility) ) and Clearfield played their asses off too, as did the whole band. Ulery's pieces are a bit modal folksy at times for my taste but in fact they turn out to enough grit, and they're darn nice to play on.

Nick was in good form, but I'd heard him a few weeks before in better form and can't think of anything to add to what I said then.

[Hot Ptah]

ICP Orchestra members in spontaneous small group settings at Elastic in Chicago. Superb work from everyone. Han Bennik sure hasn't slowed down. Guus Janssen, taking Misha's place at the piano, was excellent. Each of the two sets ended with a group performance, the second set's was "Black and Tan Fantasy." Bought a lot of CDs of the various band members and one of ICP itself because when will I ever see those discs again?

I saw the ICP Orchestra in Des Moines, Iowa on May 11. They were consistently superb. I think that they may be one of the best overall "real groups" out there today. By that I mean stable personnel touring and playing together regularly.

[charlesp]

I will be seeing the ICP Orchestra tonight (May 14) in Austin.

Short drive from San Antonio.

[jlhoots]

ICP Orchestra Fri. night.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

k im steamin mad i just got an email as 1230 am last nite "jazz events around" and at this little jazzclub way out yonder in the country an hr away or somethin, its all: thus: (2 days prior)- vancouver alto sax guy cory weeds w/ special guest HAROLD MABERN / no cover. i havent seen him in 20 yrs, i am so angry

[Head Man]

Off to see Kurt Elling with The Scottish Jazz Orchestra directed by Tommy Smith tomorrow night at The Sage, Gateshead.

I know there are mixed feelings about Kurt Elling here but I love his singing...very much looking forward to this.

[ejp626]

Haven't entirely decided but will probably be seeing Don Byron on Friday, though it isn't really a jazz setting.

It looks like one of those Stravinsky pieces written for Benny Goodman, if you recall those and others on the same lines. http://performance.rcmusic.ca/event/21C/illusions

Still, it looks like an interesting concert and tickets aren't outrageously expensive. It would be a no-brainer if I wasn't supposed to be at home packing...

[ejp626]

Haven't entirely decided but will probably be seeing Don Byron on Friday, though it isn't really a jazz setting.

It looks like one of those Stravinsky pieces written for Benny Goodman, if you recall those and others on the same lines. http://performance.rcmusic.ca/event/21C/illusions

Still, it looks like an interesting concert and tickets aren't outrageously expensive. It would be a no-brainer if I wasn't supposed to be at home packing...

I did go, and the first half with Don Byron and the Gryphon Trio was enjoyable. To me, the standout composition was Byron's piece "Basquiat." In the somewhat unlikely event he records it, I would go ahead and track it down. (I mean if he records this particular arrangement for clarinet and string trio.) I do believe this is the first time I've seen Byron without dreadlocks...

The second half was alternating between the Gryphon Trio playing a trio by Ives, which was ok, and several contemporary pieces played by the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM), which I strongly disliked. Had I known how it all would have unfolded, I would have left at intermission, but I guess you just never know.

Edited May 23, 2015 by ejp626

[BillF]

Dave Liebman with the Vein Trio at Band on the Wall, Manchester on Tuesday.

[A Lark Ascending]

Dropped into the Chippenham Folk Festival for an evening concert - four acts. As is the nature of these things, a mixed bag. A couple from the twee end of the genre in the middle.

Patterson/Dipper were excellent at the start - guitar/vocal and Hardanger fiddle. John Dipper, the fiddle player, is superb - to be found on many an English folk project. A really distinctive player who keeps your attention with his ornamentation rather than just scraping away.

Top of the bill were favourites of mine - Mawkin. Five piece band with a centre based around English folk song and tunes but who regularly veer off into Balkan, Swedish and other exotic instrumentals; and a great guitarist who knows his jazz. All done with welly. Marvellous arrangements too - they don't just cycle through the verses and choruses but write in lots of contrasting sub-clauses. A fair few jazz bands could learn a thing or two there.

Just the band to take someone who thinks they don't like folk music to. Why they are not festival headliners is beyond me.

Edited May 25, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[kh1958]

Yesterday, at Trinity University in San Antonio, Randy Weston and His African Rhythms, with Billy Harper on tenor sax, T.K. Blue on alto sax and flute, Alex Blake on bass, Neil Clarke on percussion, and trombone (didn't catch his name). Randy Weston, it should be noted, who is now 89 years old, was amazingly vigorous, with no apparent diminution in his playing at all. The concert, at approximately an hour and three-quarters, consisted of African Sunrise, Hi Fly, Billy Harper's If One Could Only See (a solo tenor saxophone performance), The Beauty of It All (the trio of Randy Weston, Billy Harper and Alex Blake, an utterly gorgeous performance), Blue Moses (really long and fabulous), a brief Mystery of Love, and finally an encore.

The small auditorium was completely full, and the audience wildly enthusiastic--it was a rare privilege to be present.

[BillF]

Dave Liebman with the Vein Trio at Band on the Wall, Manchester on Tuesday.

Excellent. The American visitor and the highly proficient Swiss trio made a perfectly balanced unit.

Do you know this outfit, Ubu?

[Steve Reynolds]

In ten to fifteen minutes:

Trio M

Myra Melford - piano

Mark Dresser - bass

Matt Wilson - drums

@ 10:00:

Larry Ochs - saxophones

Mark Dresser - bass

Vladimir Tarasov - drums

Pick my never thought I would see them musician

Fired up. Front row three feet from Myra's chair - four feet from the baby grand piano

[xybert]

Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock tonight.

[Steve Reynolds]

Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock tonight.

I'm very excited that you are getting this once in a lifetime opportunity to see this. I know you are a huge Corea fan and I guess the two of them are not coming back to New Zealand any time soon.

As you know, I am very fortunate to be able to see a wide variety of many of my favorite musicians on a very regular basis (if I choose to go), so I don't know what it's like to have a rare opportunity to see live music but I imagine you have it has you all kinds of fired up.

Very little in this world for compares favorably to seeing my musical heroes up close and personal. I love listening to my CDs - but as it was 2 nights ago seeing, hearing and feeling Mark Dresser and company from a few feet away simply makes the world feel like a better place.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Steve Reynolds