What live music are you going to see tonight?

[duaneiac]

MUKASHI TRIO
Abdullah Ibrahim piano
Cleave Guyton Jr. alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo
Noah Jackson bass, cello

So this was a unique and rewarding show.  The music was very intimate with many sections written out and at times sounding more like classical music.  Given the instrumentation, the music was quite beautiful and at times delicate and ethereal, but never wispy -- Abdullah Ibrahim's music is always grounded.

The program began with Mr. Ibrahim playing solo piano for about 15-20 minutes.  It was one continuous performance with one theme segueing into the next and that is kind of how the rest of the concert would go once the other musicians joined him.  Mr. Guyton played flute and piccolo in the first set and added clarinet into the program in the second set.  He was very good and I was impressed by his ability to play passionate music on the piccolo.

The music tended to flow from one piece to the next.  From what I could tell, Mr. Jackson played without music and would tell from the vamping by the pianist whether he had to switch from bass to cello or vice versa.  Much of the music was new to me as I have not heard the CD recorded by this group, but there were also reworkings of some old familiar Abdullah Ibrahim compositions.  The show concluded with a lovely version of "Water From An Ancient Well".

Abdullah Ibrahim is 81 now, but he certainly gave no indication that he is ready to take it easy.  This concert had two roughly one hour sets plus an encore and while his piano playing was not the primary focus of the show after that opening number, he still was very involved in the proceedings even when he laid out. 

I wish there had been a larger audience.  I was up in the balcony, but from what I could see, it seemed like the place was maybe 65-70% full and some left at the intermission.  Maybe there will be a better crowd for tonight's performance.

 

[A Lark Ascending]

Tim Berne's Snakeoil (@ Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham)

Tim Berne alto sax
Oscar Noriega woodwinds
Ryan Ferreira guitar
Matt Mitchell piano
Ches Smith drums

Exciting concert. Hard to get my head round to start. Berne seems to write knotty, mathematical themes that then cycle - clear structures but I wasn't connecting. Then mid concert a wonderful passage of improvising for the two reeds got me and I was there until the end. Absolutely stunning Berne solo in the final piece.

Alex Hawkins had Birmingham students dotted round the hall just before the start playing an lextended chord and subtly colouring it. Nice feel - like the opening to a grand piece.

The Printmakers (venue as above)

Nikki Iles piano
Norma Winstone vocals
Mike Walker guitar
Mark Lockheart sax
Steve Watts bass
James Maddren drums

Supergroup in my world. Lived up to the high expectations generated by what was my favourite jazz record of last year. Norma's records tend to be quite pastel - all those qualities in this group but a real fire and tremendous use of instrumental colour. Helped by going nowhere near the usual standards - tunes by Ralph Towner, John Taylor, Joni Mitchell and group members, often with Norma's words. But lots of solo room too. Special mention for Mike Walker who was outstanding - Britain's best kept secret.

Impressed by the venue - never been there before. Modern theatre with good acoustics and sight lines.

Edited May 2, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[duaneiac]

On 4/15/2016 at 10:20 AM, BFrank said:

Every year the SFJAZZ Collective's mission is to select a music legend and then woodshed for several weeks. They then re-arrange that artist's compositions for the ensemble and also write new pieces with that artist's influence in mind. When they're ready to go, they tour, record live, and then release a 2 CD album that's split evenly between originals and 'covers'. They've only recently expanded the artists they are honoring from strictly jazz to pop with Stevie Wonder and more recently MJ.

One would think they would finally do the right thing and dedicate next season to the music of one of the group's founding members, Bobby Hutcherson, while he is still among us.  Instead, how much ya wanna bet next year's honored composer will be Prince?

I saw one of the group's shows in SF this year in which they played music associated with Michael Jackson.  I enjoyed it more than I expected.  I see they have the CD out of this music and I will eventually get it.  I thought a couple of the originals by group members were pretty good and they are included on the 2 CD set.

[A Lark Ascending]

Thomas Stronen drums
Anders Jormin double bass
Tore Brunborg sax

(@ Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham)

Originally planned as a concert for the group Meadow with John Taylor, the other members decided to perform a memorial (empty piano on stage). Very ECM. Superb musicianship - but I found it hard to warm to. Skimpy themes that failed to stick; above all, wasn't at all keen on the tenor which seemed to slowly sculpt lines without any real personality. Music came alive when the drums and bass were on their own. Bass in particular superb. Would have been better, to my ears, as a duo concert.

Mulatu Astatke vibraphone, wurlitzer and percussion
James Arben saxophone, bass clarinet, flute 
Byron Wallen trumpet (not tonight - not sure who played)
Danny Keane cello
Alexander Hawkins piano and keyboard
John Edwards double bass
Richard Olatunde Baker percussion
Tom Skinner drums

(@ Jazz Stage at Cheltenham Jazz Festival)

Thrilling concert. A band of Brits accompany an Ethiopian legend in music as exciting as any Afro-Cuban band.  Included that tune that became a Radio 4 hit around the time of the Ethiopiques compilation. Superb soloing by all concerned - don't think I've ever heard John Edwards play tonal, groove based music before but when he came to solo he was as off the wall as ever. Crowd went wild.

Edited May 2, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[kh1958]

On Sunday, I arose early to take the short (65 minutes) flight to New Orleans to attend the final day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Unlike the first weekend which I attended, with perfect weather, the second weekend was marred by thunderstorms, with Saturday's deluge resulting in an early closing of the festival. On Sunday, I arrived just as rain was beginning, making it to the Jazz Tent just in time. A fierce storm ensued, which eventually settled down to just hard rain for the rest of the day. So I settled into the Jazz Tent for the duration.

First, a vocalist--Nyo Jones. Okay. With thunder and lightning and sheets of driving rain effects.

Next, The Trumpet Mafia. A fifteen piece band, with ten (!) trumpet players and a five piece rhythm section, plus Nicholas Payton as guest soloist. An excellent group--I really enjoyed their loud and  raucous set. Nicholas Payton's playing was the most exciting I've ever heard from him.

Followed by Ellis Marsalis. His very mainstream playing I've always found a bit dull; today was no exception, but his group (especially the trumpet player, one of the members of the Trumpet Mafia as well as the Jason Marsalis group, and the tenor/soprano saxophonist) was fine, as were Marsalis' original compositions. A decent set.

Now, getting serious, with The Mashup (Ike Stubblefield on organ, Terrence Higgins on drums, and Grant Green Jr. on guitar). An outstanding soul jazz group, this was one terrific set. This is and sounds like a working group, and I really enjoyed the organ player, as well as Grant Green Jr. I did not realize Grant Green's son was such a fine player. An exciting set I feel fortunate to have witnessed.

Finally, Heads of State (Gary Bartz, Al Foster, Larry Willis, and David Williams) bring the day to an appropriate climax. Gary Bartz attired in an elegant silver suit matching his long silvery hair, performed an intense and inspired set. Larry Willis, I used to see fairly often at the Caravan of Dreams, and it was great to see him again. He sounded wonderful. The whole group did, actually.

The final group in the Jazz Tent for the day was Chris Botti, so I was out of there. As I was exiting, B.B. King's band was playing at the Gentilly Stage, and they actually were sounding good; I would have stayed but for not wanting to stand in a muddy field in the rain.

Now I have to wait a whole year for the next festival. Supposedly they are working on bringing 150 Cuban musicians to the festival next year. I can't wait.

[BillF]

1 hour ago, kh1958 said:

On Sunday, I arose early to take the short (65 minutes) flight to New Orleans to attend the final day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Unlike the first weekend which I attended, with perfect weather, the second weekend was marred by thunderstorms, with Saturday's deluge resulting in an early closing of the festival. On Sunday, I arrived just as rain was beginning, making it to the Jazz Tent just in time. A fierce storm ensued, which eventually settled down to just hard rain for the rest of the day. So I settled into the Jazz Tent for the duration.

First, a vocalist--Nyo Jones. Okay. With thunder and lightning and sheets of driving rain effects.

Next, The Trumpet Mafia. A fifteen piece band, with ten (!) trumpet players and a five piece rhythm section, plus Nicholas Payton as guest soloist. An excellent group--I really enjoyed their loud and  raucous set. Nicholas Payton's playing was the most exciting I've ever heard from him.

Followed by Ellis Marsalis. His very mainstream playing I've always found a bit dull; today was no exception, but his group (especially the trumpet player, one of the members of the Trumpet Mafia as well as the Jason Marsalis group, and the tenor/soprano saxophonist) was fine, as were Marsalis' original compositions. A decent set.

Now, getting serious, with The Mashup (Ike Stubblefield on organ, Terrence Higgins on drums, and Grant Green Jr. on guitar). An outstanding soul jazz group, this was one terrific set. This is and sounds like a working group, and I really enjoyed the organ player, as well as Grant Green Jr. I did not realize Grant Green's son was such a fine player. An exciting set I feel fortunate to have witnessed.

Finally, Heads of State (Gary Bartz, Al Foster, Larry Willis, and David Williams) bring the day to an appropriate climax. Gary Bartz attired in an elegant silver suit matching his long silvery hair, performed an intense and inspired set. Larry Willis, I used to see fairly often at the Caravan of Dreams, and it was great to see him again. He sounded wonderful. The whole group did, actually.

The final group in the Jazz Tent for the day was Chris Botti, so I was out of there. As I was exiting, B.B. King's band was playing at the Gentilly Stage, and they actually were sounding good; I would have stayed but for not wanting to stand in a muddy field in the rain.

Now I have to wait a whole year for the next festival. Supposedly they are working on bringing 150 Cuban musicians to the festival next year. I can't wait.

Does sound good! 

[BFrank]

19 hours ago, duaneiac said:

One would think they would finally do the right thing and dedicate next season to the music of one of the group's founding members, Bobby Hutcherson, while he is still among us.  Instead, how much ya wanna bet next year's honored composer will be Prince?

I saw one of the group's shows in SF this year in which they played music associated with Michael Jackson.  I enjoyed it more than I expected.  I see they have the CD out of this music and I will eventually get it.  I thought a couple of the originals by group members were pretty good and they are included on the 2 CD set.

You make a good point about dedicating the season to Bobby. I used to see him regularly around the Jazz Center, but not for a while. Last time I saw him he looked pretty frail while hooked up to a mobile oxygen tank. Agreed about how the Collective is usually able to adapt the annual composer's music to their own sound, and also make it interesting no matter who it is.

+++

BTW, I have friends at JazzFest and heard about the horrendous rainstorm this past weekend!

[A Lark Ascending]

Laura Cantrell (Sheffield Memorial Hall)

Very nice concert of this one-time favourite of John Peel. Voice-guitar accompanied by electric bass and old-fashioned, twangy electric guitar (with a bit of dobro). My knowledge of the tributaries of country music is slight but this seems to hark back to a pre-Nashville sound era - lots of references to Kitty Wells and Merle Haggard (who might be contemporary with Nashville sound country but on a different path). Laura has a frail voice without a great range, often wobbly in pitch, but, like Neil Young, she is utterly distinct. Great songs - nice to see a voice I only know from record replicate the unfussy approach in a concert setting.    

[A Lark Ascending]

Moulettes (@ The Greystones, Sheffield)

Enjoyed this lot so much in Halifax last year that I couldn't miss their new album run through at what seems to be my local (not in picture). How can you not love a pop/rock band fronted by electric guitar, cello and bassoon playing songs inspired by marine biology? Think Porcupine Tree with the Boswell Sisters on vocals. Great night - we even got a three minute rant from the bassoon player who is also a junior doctor about the current dispute (got one of the loudest cheers of the night).

Only issue was that some hipster got in and took away all the chairs. Standing up for three hour is clearly 'cool' but it's a pain in the neck if you are ancient - and over half the audience fell into that category. Apart from anything else it makes it harder to see. Chairs rule, man! (there, I made them 'cool').   

[A Lark Ascending]

Greg Osby and the Vein Trio (Crookes Social Club. Sheffield)

Very good concert linking up Osby with this marvellous group of Swiss musicians (apparently they've worked together since the start of the century after the band had the audacity to e-mail Osby and suggest they play together!). All originals in the main set from the players, a nice Jitterbug Waltz for encore. I do like Osby's tart alto; nice sense of logical progression to his solos building to a fiery climax. The trio showed they had been playing together for ages (two brothers in the band) - perfect in ensembles, all excellent soloists.

Bit of a trauma for Sheffield Jazz. They've had to stop using their regular venue at sudden notice; secured this working men's social club (I know, should be 'persons') which has a good concert hall but that was in use. So we ended up in a small room that looked like a living room and smelt like a stable (this gig only....in the proper hall in September). The good thing was there was no need for amplification - amazing the difference that makes to the sound. So this was no 'Arts' venue - we had cabaret in the main hall, jazz in the stable lounge and bingo in the bar in between! THe band kept referring to the room in terms of wry astonishment. 

Finding it was a bugger - tucked in a dense rabbit warren of streets in one of the hillier parts of Sheffield - with the main road through closed for road repairs. A real adventure. 

Edited May 7, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

1 hour ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Greg Osby and the Vein Trio (Crookes Social Club. Sheffield)

Very good concert linking up Osby with this marvellous group of Swiss musicians (apparently they've worked together since the start of the century after the band had the audacity to e-mail Osby and suggest they play together!). All originals in the main set from the players, a nice Jitterbug Waltz for encore. I do like Osby's tart alto; nice sense of logical progression to his solos building to a fiery climax. The trio showed they had been playing together for ages (two brothers in the band) - perfect in ensembles, all excellent soloists.

Bit of a trauma for Sheffield Jazz. They've had to stop using their regular venue at sudden notice; secured this working men's social club (I know, should be 'persons') which has a good concert hall but that was in use. So we ended up in a small room that looked like a living room and smelt like a stable (this gig only....in the proper hall in September). The good thing was there was no need for amplification - amazing the difference that makes to the sound. So this was no 'Arts' venue - we had cabaret in the main hall, jazz in the stable lounge and bingo in the bar in between! THe band kept referring to the room in terms of wry astonishment. 

Finding it was a bugger - tucked in a dense rabbit warren of streets in one of the hillier parts of Sheffield - with the main road through closed for road repairs. A real adventure. 

Sounds like a great gig despite the venue problems. I noticed it advertised and decided it was just too far away for me. Last year I saw Dave Liebman with the Vein Trio at Manchester's Band on the Wall and they were excellent.

[A Lark Ascending]

1 hour ago, BillF said:

Sounds like a great gig despite the venue problems. I noticed it advertised and decided it was just too far away for me. Last year I saw Dave Liebman with the Vein Trio at Manchester's Band on the Wall and they were excellent.

You'd have found it difficult to get to from the station. There are buses that way and there seemed to be a vibrant shopping/eating suburb nearby so it's hardly out in the sticks (I suspect it might be a digs area for Sheffield University nearby) - but needs a bit of local knowledge to get there. Not an ideal location for pulling in the chance attender. They seem a bit nervous - thrusting flyers for the autumn programme at us, starting off with a £5 gig in September etc. 

The unfortunate casualty of the current troubles was the Allison Neale gig due in a fortnight which has had to be deferred to next spring - I was looking forward to that. 

Good line-up for the autumn:

• Benn Clatworthy Quartet - Crookes Social Club
• Tim Garland Electric Quartet - Crookes Social Club
• Glow Quartet (Trish Clowes etc) - Crucible Studio
• Gilad Atzmon and Alan Barnes’ Lowest Common Denominator - Crookes Social Club
• Pavillon - Crookes Social Club
• Clark Tracey Quintet - Crookes Social Club
• Stan Sulzmann & Nikki Iles Duo - Crucible Studio

Some favourites there. 

Edited May 7, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

1 hour ago, A Lark Ascending said:

You'd have found it difficult to get to from the station. There are buses that way and there seemed to be a vibrant shopping/eating suburb nearby so it's hardly out in the sticks (I suspect it might be a digs area for Sheffield University nearby) - but needs a bit of local knowledge to get there. Not an ideal location for pulling in the chance attender. They seem a bit nervous - thrusting flyers for the autumn programme at us, starting off with a £5 gig in September etc. 

The unfortunate casualty of the current troubles was the Allison Neale gig due in a fortnight which has had to be deferred to next spring - I was looking forward to that. 

Good line-up for the autumn:

• Benn Clatworthy Quartet - Crookes Social Club
• Tim Garland Electric Quartet - Crookes Social Club
• Glow Quartet (Trish Clowes etc) - Crucible Studio
• Gilad Atzmon and Alan Barnes’ Lowest Common Denominator - Crookes Social Club
• Pavillon - Crookes Social Club
• Clark Tracey Quintet - Crookes Social Club
• Stan Sulzmann & Nikki Iles Duo - Crucible Studio

Some favourites there. 

Thanks for the programme. Glad to hear the north of England is not out of bounds for Allison Neale: she's never played in the north west to my knowledge. Would love to hear her - preferably with Dave Cliff (who used to be a mate of mine back in his student days at Leeds College of Music.)

 

Edited May 7, 2016 by BillF

[JohnS]

 Agreed Bill, Allison and Dave Cliff were great together.  Her current band with Nat Steele is okay,  Neale still finds some interesting tunes you don't hear elsewhere but it doesn't work for me like the quartet with Cliff.

[BillF]

Rossano Sportiello at Malcolm Frazer's house this evening, joined for some numbers with remarkable success by local tenorman Liam Byrne.

[BillF]

Clips of Rossano playing in markedly contrasting styles at that gig now available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u02vdZGUmw

 

[BillF]

On 5/8/2016 at 10:35 PM, BillF said:

Rossano Sportiello at Malcolm Frazer's house this evening, joined for some numbers with remarkable success by local tenorman Liam Byrne.

Clips of Rossano and Liam now available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur1X83Xudes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2R9m1fiCVM

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

What a great show last night at The Ragattabar in Cambridge, MA. Eric Alexander brought in Harold Mabern, Nat Reeves & Joe Farnsworth and they delivered an incredible set. I haven't enjoyed a show this much in a while. My feet never stopped moving. It might've helped that I had great seats. 

 

[BillF]

1 hour ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

What a great show last night at The Ragattabar in Cambridge, MA. Eric Alexander brought in Harold Mabern, Nat Reeves & Joe Farnsworth and they delivered an incredible set. I haven't enjoyed a show this much in a while. My feet never stopped moving. It might've helped that I had great seats. 

 

Now that's a show I'd have loved to see! Have seen Eric twice, but never with a rhythm team like that!

[sidewinder]

On 14 May 2016 at 11:24 AM, BillF said:

Clips of Rossano and Liam now available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur1X83Xudes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2R9m1fiCVM

 

Good stuff ! Even after a couple of CDs of Anthony Braxton..

[Steve Reynolds]

Tony Malaby Quartet with Hank Roberts-cello, Michael Formanek-bass & Ben Perowsky-drums

second time for the group - first earlier this year - my first time seeing the band

@ Cornelia Street Cafe 9:00 & 10:30

 

[kh1958]

Bebel Gilberto at the Kessler Theater. A pretty spare concert, with just voice and guitar.  Live Brazilian music is rare in these parts, and there is nothing wrong with her voice or the guitarist--I liked a few songs, but overall not so much, something was missing for me.

[BFrank]

Saw Cassandra Wilson at SFJAZZ a couple of nights ago. Nice set of songs celebrating Billy Holiday, from her most recent album. Very solid band with her, but were mixed a little too loud in some places unfortunately. The only name I recognized was bassist Lonnie Plaxico who's played with her off and on since the early 90s.

[Steve Reynolds]

First set only the trio without the drummer - not my cup of java - not sure it was expected - nice playing but 50 minutes of continuous improvisation without the drummer when I'm expecting the drummer took me over half of that 50 minutes to open up to listen. Roberts unaccompanied solo towards the end had me a bit interested. When the set ended at a few minutes past 10:00, Malaby said Ben Perowsky would be joining the group for the second set. I hadn't seen him in almost 20 years and I know he's good but.....maybe no one here would believe it if I told you....cuz I was planning on going home angry - I came to see a full quartet with a DRUMMER!!!

Perowsky shows up at 10:45 / band finally starts at 11:05 or so and I'm losing patience quickly - questioning why I stayed as I was trying to get out of there after the first set before Tony made the announcement....

the next continuous 50 minutes should be the best live jazz record of the past 5 years in an alternate universe but nobody knows or really hears my guy too well, I think - for me better now on soprano - in fact for me - pretty damn untouchable on the straight horn / never have I heard him wail and scorch the earth like he did last night and THEN!!! a section on the big horn a half hour in with the band in full fucking roar - holy moly - and Hank Roberts with a little stick - with both Formanek & Roberts bowing - vibrations to end all vibrations

 

and Perowsky is what Malaby said when he introduced him as the *great* Ben Perowsky / I had no fucking idea that Malaby was right / the roster of truly world class drummers in NY is insane - here is another one / a few people besides me screamed with joy or terror a few times when things got very very intense.

see I know none of you believe me,,,,ignore these dudes at your peril

 

blood and guts, baby

Edited May 22, 2016 by Steve Reynolds

[king ubu]

Some great stuff lately ... trying to sum up some (for those who read German, go here for more detailed reports)

 

Last night (May 21), at a friend's, it was Nicolas Masson "Parallels" with Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Lionel Friedli. Pure bliss to be in a small room (probably 60 or so people attending, some out in the corridor) and witness music making of such quality and intensity. Started out with a tune (all compositions by Masson) that reminded me slightly of Miles Davis' "second quintet" ... but Vallon (on upright, opened so he could tackle the strings with various little things) and Friedli are totally different from Hancock/Williams, and the music took other turns anyway. Masson (on tenor) was impressive, classic (and classy) storytelling that sounded perfectly organic and - that was the best part, I thought - still succeeded in integrating the quartet into one close-knit unit. The others all had their turns as soloists as well, and made great use of it. Pure bliss to be there and witness it, as I said.

 

The two nights before were spent at Taktlos Festival, 33rd edition. The first night (May 19) started off with Matthew Shipp solo. I found it intriguing and pretty good, also quite amazing to watch him play (when he does that "rowing" thing with both his arms/shouldes, like: left hand at the piano, right pulled back, and then vice versa) - never saw him live, am somewhat ambivalent about his music, but always fascinated enough to keep listening to some of his output (which is way too huge for me to keep up, nonetheless). He was moody but clear, into it yet somewhat detached, letting things flow in a way that yet constantly interrupted everything again. And of course he harks back to all kinds of jazz, from Ellington to Tristano to Taylor. Not a great concert, but great to have finally seen him live!

Second set was the low point of the entire festival (I skipped the third night, yesterday - another venue would have had Sheila Jordan at the same time ... can't these folks coordinate somewhat better please?!?), Tiptons Sax Quartet + Drums. I guess they meant well, but it boiled down to a so-so high school project of kids that are constantly being told by their parents how exceptional, how unique, how very special, how great they are. No. Jessica Lurie was the best soloist by far, Amy Denio not half bad (and she did one wonderful klezmer-like tune on clarinet, though after her solo Lurie followed on alto and was at least as great), but Sue Orfield on tenor was a constant nuisance, Tina Richardson on baritone just so-so, and Austrian drummer Robert Kainar, while clearly a very good musician, was busy accompanying and reacting, instead of every intruding and pushing and giving the occasional slap that might have helped. Too much singing, too (and not good singing, mind me). So, okay, I was quite pissed after that, tried to relax as it went on and got somewhat better.

What about the final set? Well, that was some kind of ambient-y hommage to electric Miles, I guess, by Vallon-Michel-Götte-Chansorn, a quartet of Swiss musicians (the former two from the Romandie, the latter two from Zurich). Chansorn hit the simples of rock beats in a real hard way, while the others sort of merged into one, and that was the fascinating part of it. Michel, who's a great flugel and trumpet player (he was with the late Vienna Art Orchestra for a long time) had lots of delay and echo on his sound and merged with the Fender rhodes played by Vallon, as well as Götte's electric bass (which was sometimes played like a guitar, to pretty nice effect). Not a bad ending, but again, not outstanding either. We left a bit early, and Vallon told me yesterday that some ten or fifteen minutes later they had to end the concert because they had some severe feedback/sound issues.

Second night at the Taktlos looked somewhat less promising to me on paper, but it turned out to be, as they sa, da shit! The opening set was by Ephrem Lüchinger, another local guy, keys player, composer, songwriter, producer of pop acts etc., and trained pianist, he learned with Simon Nabatov who tried to break him, as he mentioned in an interview ... but he refused to go into the jazz school grind, and I guess it pays off now, almost 20 years later. His triple album "Are You Prepared" which was released last year (I think) was based on recordings done in 2008 and then re-worked and treated in all kinds of ways. He had also, hence the title, worked with a prepared piano. How to do that on stage? Well, he had two pianos, one mostly left as it comes, the other heavily prepared, he had an Akai synth on top of one of them, a notebook and various other stuff ... and he succeeded superbly in creating a flowing set of sounds that was quite gorgeous indeed! So yeah, off to a great start!

Second set was Poing + Maja S. K. Ratjke, doing their traditional programme for workers day (they seem to play this kind of concert yearly in Norway on April 30th) - a mix of songs by Brecht/Weill, Eisler, Norwegian stuff, for starters Lennon's "Working Class Hero", and they also did a Bowie song, "Rock'n'Roll Suicide" ("this is not on one of our records, we're not that commercial"). Great on all counts, Ratkje's singing and vocalising paired with her amazing stage presence was terrific to witness (first time I saw her live, alas!), and musically, the guys (Frode Haltli on accordion, Rolf-Erik Nystrom on alto and sopranino, sometimes simultaneously, and Hakon Thelin on double bass) were great, too. I was totally floored after that. (As an aside: they were so much more adventurous and musically so much better than the Tiptons, yet they had perfect stage presence all the time ... and they even watched the clock and stopped in due time - alas, as I could have gone on listening to them for another hour or two, easily!)

The final set of the night was to be Ken Vandermark-Nate Wooley, and I was ambivalent about it as I heard about a failed concert in Berlin a few days ago (and could relate to the reasons the guy who told me about it mentioned), which was in a quartet setting though. So let's relax and be open-minded about it, okay? It turned out a pretty fine set, Wooley was quite okay most of the time, and Vandermark played clarinet for about half of the time. They did pieces by John Carter as well as originals, and to close things, a wonderful version of Ornette Coleman's "I Heard It on the Radio" (an outtake from the first session for "This Is Our Music"). The music was hardcore jazz after the very different two acts before, and it was kind of difficult to get into it, after all a clarinet/trumpet duo isn't the most attractive sonic combination (which made VDMK's good tanor and baritone contributions more welcome than they would have been in a band setting - I like him best on clarinet, by a clear margin), but after two or three tunes, they really caught on with me.

 

Also, a few days before, on Tuesday (May 17), I had the immense pleasure of finally catching Kris Davis live, finally. Again, this was in a private setting, but much bigger-scale than the concert yesterday. She did an amazing solo set first, which displayed plenty of character, while harking back to Tristano quite regularly it seemed to me. She piled waves of sound on top of each other, played tiny little variations and combined melody and sheer power in a great way. Will truly have to check out more of her music (I started by buying "Save Your Breath" from her, the only disc she had with her).

 

The week before that (May 13), I went to the tiny WIM in Zurich. First set was Jacob Wick on solo trumpet, doing a set of minimal breath-music, not one actual "tone", and permanent circular breathing ("Has anybody seen LaMonte Young?", he asked before he started), which was pretty fascinating, if somewhat hard to focus on ... but eventually it turned out quite interesting as sounds started ot appear about which I really couldn't tell if they were just in my head or actually in the room. It was this kind of experience that throws you back into yourself, into your own head and brain. Then he was joined for the second half by Christian Weber on double bass, and off they went, both using their instruments to produce any kind of amazing sounds, including, now, conventional trumpet tones (but lots of quarter/microtones, too). The second set that night was by a trio of Bertrand Denzler (ts), Axel Dörner (t) and Antonin Gerbal (perc). This turned out to be a rather typical free improv set, but a pretty fine one at that! Denzler has a gorgeous sound and just as Dörner used circular breathing and all kinds of unconventional ways to produce a broad sonic palette. Gerbal had a very basic set of drums, just a few toms and one cymbal which was barely used for a long time, but he allowed the others to follow their path(s) and he joined in most of the time, not being content to just manage time. Dörner played a trumpet with valves plus a slide added, allowing him to adapt his tone seemlessly, and he made good use of that. Too long since I cauht him live (12 years, I think?), and actually this was - finally! - the first time I caught Denzler.

 

No photos, btw, as I left my stupid phone in my pocket this time.