What live music are you going to see tonight?

[mjazzg]

Good to hear that Byron's still playing well. He used to have quite a high profile over here but I've not heard about him for a while

[kh1958]

Last night, Marvin Stamm at the Kitchen Cafe. At 85, he was seated and it took a couple of songs to get warmed up. After that, beautiful flugelhorn playing for the rest of the evening.

[adh1907]

London Jazz Festival, looking forward to Charles Tolliver big band on Monday. Also the Jazz on screen event on Saturday looks interesting, showing some rare 70s British free jazz From the TV, including Evan Parker live in 1975 at the Unity theatre. Panel includes Maggie Nicols and comedian Stewart Lee. 

 

[mjazzg]

I've tickets for Anouar Brahem, Tolliver (though may not make it), ahmed and finally David Murray.

Would have liked to see more but life won't allow. I may sneak in Tim Berne if tickets are still available on the day

[sidewinder]

I also hope to make the Tolliver/Roach Tribute concert and also have a ticket for the Tubby Hayes/Ronnie Scott 'With Strings' concert featuring Simon Spillett the following weekend. I would have probably gone for more but it's a train exped from the West.

Time permitting I'm also going to check out that Blue Note 'Pop Up' store, which has relocated to the Barbican area this year. Last year I got to meet Charles Lloyd so you never know who you might see in there.

Thinking about it, this will be the 3rd time I have seen Charles Tolliver in London. First with the big band in the 2000s, then the Strata East Tribute. First time I saw him was '89 in Toronto in the Louis Hayes Quintet, where he was partnering John Stubblefield in the front line.

 

12 hours ago, adh1907 said:

London Jazz Festival, looking forward to Charles Tolliver big band on Monday. Also the Jazz on screen event on Saturday looks interesting, showing some rare 70s British free jazz From the TV, including Evan Parker live in 1975 at the Unity theatre. Panel includes Maggie Nicols and comedian Stewart Lee. 

 

Sadly, that 70s film thing was sold out when I looked on line. Reminds me of those David Meeker/BFI hosted things 'back in the day' that they ran at places like the Scala.

19 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Last night, Marvin Stamm at the Kitchen Cafe. At 85, he was seated and it took a couple of songs to get warmed up. After that, beautiful flugelhorn playing for the rest of the evening.

Reminds me that I saw him with a Canadian backing group in a club about 30 years ago and he was predictably excellent. Great that he is still playing !

Edited Saturday at 09:53 AM by sidewinder

[adh1907]

Stretching the live definition, but the films played today at the Barbican cinema as part of the London Jazz Festival were incredible.  Details here (I think that is a very hairy Henry Lowther with Norma W): https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/jazz-on-screen-so-watt-jazz-and-improvisation-on-british

the Musicians Action Group doc introduced by Spike Milligan featured a top notch selection of Brit jazzers from ‘74, including Maggie Nicols who was magnificent in the panel discussion afterwards. Some wild Evan Parker, David Toop, Max Eastley, Hugh Davies and Derek Bailey. Despite the complaints from some of the musicians featured (Gordon Beck, v aggrieved), the 70s now seems a magical time for Jazz on TV and radio. Good to see Charles Fox on screen and some love in the audience for his radical R3 programmes. 

 

[sidewinder]

Blue Note Pop-Up Store in Ropemaker St. a non-event, closed for the day. Disappointing.

[T.D.]

Kingston, NY yesterday (Sunday)

Tani Tabbal (d) Quartet with Peyton Pleninger (ts), Adam Siegel (as), Michael Bisio (b).

Played for about an hour and really on fire. Biggest turnout I've seen at the venue (Lace Mill). I hadn't heard either of the saxophonists before.

[sidewinder]

Great music from the Tolliver Sextet and Big Band tonight and a real pleasure to meet board member adh1907/anthony.

Thankfully I don't need to think about working tomorrow !

Edited Monday at 11:09 PM by sidewinder

[adh1907]

15 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Great music from the Tolliver Sextet and Big Band tonight and a real pleasure to meet board member adh1907/anthony.

Thankfully I don't need to think about working tomorrow !

Great to meet you too Bob and have a chat. Not sure if you noticed, but we were being told off at one point in the pub afterwards by a 'youngster' for talking too loud! Excitable business, live jazz! 

First half was Charles with a small group, suffered a bit from the Barbican acoustics muddying the sound. Charles didn't play too much solo but checking his age (82), that was perhaps understandable. He gave a lot of space (maybe too much) to Camilla Thurman on tenor. The second half, the big band, worked better for me.  Spirited stuff and the power of the band really cut through. 

 

Anthony

 

PS Hope I get chance to buy you that pint I owe you!

[sidewinder]

Bizarre !  I can't say I noticed said 'youngster' but I do recall us having to move position a couple of times due to excessive noise of other patrons, in order to get heard ! No doubt the 'aggrieved' will have fun tonight when the massed ranks of farmers pile in !

Obviously couldn't handle the discussion of Charles Fox on TV and who was in the various Blakey bands seen at Ronnie's. No sense of priorities !

Ended up getting in at around 3am due to extreme weather en-route. Around Stonehenge was particularly wild, not a place or time to break down. As a result I have slept for much of today - worth it though.

Both sets were great - I was very impressed with Camille Thurman, both her fiery tenor and vocals. The drummer and pianist were excellent too. Incidentally, I found the sound in the first half to be OK, not noticeably muddy but that may be because of where I was sat. Agree that they did a great job with the big band in the second half - my Tolliver Big Band Mosaic Select has been on deck today. Notably though, the concert really succeeded as a tribute to Max Roach and managed to cover a lot of bases in his varied career.

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:57 PM by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Seeing this big band gig reminded me of the previous Tolliver Big Band performance in London, around 2007 I think, which I caught at QEH. Kevin Le Gendre introduced that one too. From memory, I remember Billy Harper, Howard Johnson, Kiane Zawadi, Kirk Lightsey, Reggie Johnson and Alvin Queen I think, as being in the lineup. Tolliver did a Q&A with Le Gendre before the show and at the interval break I somehow got roped into a TV recording being done by James May just outside the hall !

Edited Tuesday at 07:35 PM by sidewinder

[adh1907]

4 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Bizarre !  I can't say I noticed said 'youngster' but I do recall us having to move position a couple of times due to excessive noise of other patrons, in order to get heard ! No doubt the 'aggrieved' will have fun tonight when the massed ranks of farmers pile in !

Obviously couldn't handle the discussion of Charles Fox on TV and who was in the various Blakey bands seen at Ronnie's. No sense of priorities !

Ended up getting in at around 3am due to extreme weather en-route. Around Stonehenge was particularly wild, not a place or time to break down. As a result I have slept for much of today - worth it though.

Both sets were great - I was very impressed with Camille Thurman, both her fiery tenor and vocals. The drummer and pianist were excellent too. Incidentally, I found the sound in the first half to be OK, not noticeably muddy but that may be because of where I was sat. Agree that they did a great job with the big band in the second half - my Tolliver Big Band Mosaic Select has been on deck today. Notably though, the concert really succeeded as a tribute to Max Roach and managed to cover a lot of bases in his varied career.

 

I admire your dedication, an epic trip, getting home at 3am, you’re probably relieved it’s not tonight, with the ice and snow. Puts my 20 minutes on the tube in the shade.
 

Yes, it’s definitely worth noting the reverence with which Charles spoke about Max throughout the evening. I liked his anecdotes about having to nail the Max Roach Clifford Brown tunes as a young trumpeter.  Shame I missed that Tolliver select. 

[sidewinder]

19 hours ago, adh1907 said:

Charles didn't play too much solo but checking his age (82), that was perhaps understandable. 

To be in his 80s and still playing trumpet at that level I find astonishing. Few jazz trumpeters pull this off - at present time I can only think of Henry Lowther. Such physical demands - even so that telling solo on 'Effi' in the first half was worthy of admission on its own.

Understandably, Charles is putting much energy now into band direction. The incredible level of energy directing the big band reminds me of Gerald Wilson's performance on stage at QEH at LJF over 20 years ago. I suspect he has taken on board Gerald, his former boss of over 60 years ago !

12 hours ago, adh1907 said:

you’re probably relieved it’s not tonight, with the ice and snow. 

Too damn true !

Edited yesterday at 10:05 AM by sidewinder