What live music are you going to see tonight?

[relyles]

Thursday, March 28, 2013 8pm

Bezanson Recital Hall Umass - Amherst, MA

HARRISON BANKHEAD QUARTET

Edward Wilkerson, Jr. and Mars Williams, reeds; Avreeayl Ra, drums

They performed two sets consisting of two extended pieces each set. This ensemble is clearly in sync with each other and was overall good to hear. In addition to a number of reeds, Wilkerson and Williams also played a variety of "little instruments", toys, flutes and percussion. Bankhead also played some piano, scatted on one piece and had some low key wordless vocals at another time. On one piece Ra picked up the thumb piano. In some regards the different sounds and textures accomplished by the use of a variety of instruments by the musicians seemed representative of what many associate with a frequently used AACM approach. Especially in the way a couple of the pieces seemed to develop with changing moods and dynamics. At times the band rose to a roar with Ra bashing away and Williams and Wilkerson blowing hard. I have been a fan of Wilkerson for quite a while and as Steve noted opportunities to hear him live on the east coast have been rare. He was a delight to hear, although at times when he put a cloth inside his horn the sound did not project as well over Ra's drums, which were loud. I get the difference in the sound and it was definitely appealing, but one had to make an extra effort to hear. The sound from where I sat right in front of the stage was a bit loud and Bankhead's bass at times had a little too much something in the mix, but he did not disappoint. Overall, very happy I was able to catch this group because there is no telling when they will be back around. I think they are scheduled to go into the studio today to record Bankhead's next Engine Studios release.

[Larry Kart]

Some Caroline Davis links:

Of those below, I've listened to "Blood Count" and "You Send Me," both interesting:

http://carolinedavis.org/#f93/soundcloud

[Blue Train]

Last night, it was Mitsuko Uchida dropping Mozart. Tonight it was supposed to be Sonny Rollins.

Thurston Moore's Chelsea Light Moving

Speaking of Chicago. What exactly happened to Green Mill and Empty Bottle?

P.S. Keeping in mind I there were no problems the first 7 times. Last three Sonny Rollins performances we had tickets for.

1. Took my fiancee to see him for the first time in Detroit. It was our first time in Detroit. I broke my foot while running the next morning. I needed surgery for the first time in my life.

2. Fiancee was sick and we gave our tickets in the UK away.

3. A respiratory illness cancelled tonight.

There might be a hint in there for us and Sonny Rollins.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Blue Train

[Larry Kart]

Speaking of Chicago. What exactly happened to Green Mill and Empty Bottle?

AFAIK, the Empty Bottle no longer books jazz; The Green Mill is going strong:

http://greenmilljazz.com/

[Blue Train]

So everyone that used to go to Green Mill, Empty Bottle, or for that matter Velvet Lounge are now going to the Hideout and Elastic. I don't agree about the Green Mill. I went through several months of calenders, which is why I made the comment I made.

Several good performances at the Hideout and Elastic that I won't be able to make for anyone interested.

With the talk about Roscoe Mitchell in Houston and sorry if this a repost.

Surround Sound: Prairie and Beyond

From cities to environmental ecosystems to musical notes, how things fit together and influence one another to shape patterns and systems is a topic of limitless discussion and a site of continuous innovation. This panel convenes some extraordinary thinkers across discipline to consider ideas such as organizing sound, planning dynamic spaces and innovative environments, improvising and self-organizing systems, and convening natural and manipulated environments.

Thursday, April 18 6:00 pm-8:00 pm

Panelists: Roscoe Mitchell, Ken Vandermark, Pamela Jennings

Moderator: Dieter Roelstraete

Location: Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater

Edited March 30, 2013 by Blue Train

[Larry Kart]

So everyone that used to go to Green Mill, Empty Bottle, or for that matter Velvet Lounge are now going to the Hideout and Elastic. I don't agree about the Green Mill. I went through several months of calenders, which is why I made the comment I made.

I didn't say that "everyone that used to go ... is now going to" etc. I was just responding to your "what happened to?" question. Do agree, though, that the Green Mill calendar doesn't make the heart go pitty-pat. Just meant that the place is still up and running and probably still drawing its regulars.

[BFrank]

Saw the SF Jazz Collective last night. They're recording their new album celebrating the music of Chick Corea.

Good show - they're never "not" entertaining (I know......double negative there).

Some of the pieces included: Spain, La Fiesta, Matrix, and Space Circus (with Robin Eubanks using some crazy effects pedals in his trombone solo).

[Steve Reynolds]

Kris Davis Quartet with Mat Maneri, Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits

Now for a cat nap before my wife and I drive in to NYC

[tranemonk]

Was going to see Snarky Puppy @ Berklee but I'm too wiped out!

At least next week is McCoy!

[PHILLYQ]

Caught Red Baraat last night at Webster Hall in NYC. They're a Brooklyn-based band that plays largely bhangra music, Indian dance stuff, but with bits of klezmer and N'awlins brass band stuff. Their live shows are very energetic and danceable with some nice solos by the horn players. Last night was a celebration of Holi, a Hindu holiday of color. besides the excellent live show, they had two women on stilts dancing in the audience, and for their finale they had them onstage with them and about a dozen other folks! It was quite a blast and like a giant dance party all night.

Here's a Youtube:

[BFrank]

Caught Red Baraat last night at Webster Hall in NYC. They're a Brooklyn-based band that plays largely bhangra music, Indian dance stuff, but with bits of klezmer and N'awlins brass band stuff. Their live shows are very energetic and danceable with some nice solos by the horn players. Last night was a celebration of Holi, a Hindu holiday of color. besides the excellent live show, they had two women on stilts dancing in the audience, and for their finale they had them onstage with them and about a dozen other folks! It was quite a blast and like a giant dance party all night.

Here's a Youtube:

My friend caught them at SXSW a couple of weeks ago. Said they were great!

[PHILLYQ]

Caught Red Baraat last night at Webster Hall in NYC. They're a Brooklyn-based band that plays largely bhangra music, Indian dance stuff, but with bits of klezmer and N'awlins brass band stuff. Their live shows are very energetic and danceable with some nice solos by the horn players. Last night was a celebration of Holi, a Hindu holiday of color. besides the excellent live show, they had two women on stilts dancing in the audience, and for their finale they had them onstage with them and about a dozen other folks! It was quite a blast and like a giant dance party all night.

Here's a Youtube:

My friend caught them at SXSW a couple of weeks ago. Said they were great!

I saw them on 2/1 also and they were great then, too. Terriffic live band, and their two CDs are excellent, too.

[Steve Reynolds]

More later but suffice to say with the Great Jim Black in place of Nasheet Waits, Kris Davis' band with Drew Gress and Mat Maneri played two sets of free improvisations that were sublime to bordering on incendiary.

Tension was high, interplay at the highest level with a band that included a borderline genius pianist/thinker and a true improvisational giant on the viola.

And the best replacement drummer in the history of music

Edited March 31, 2013 by Steve Reynolds

[Steve Reynolds]

Still a bit speechless but I have to say that Jim Black really brought his a game even incorporated his groove stuff into some mighty trio passages with Gress and Davis.

Gress in the second set especially brought out some real abilities in his smallish sounds bag doing some very neat and apt things with the bow. Scraping, a bit rough and totally with Davis' sometimes very precise soft playing.

[jlhoots]

Gerald Clayton Trio

[Kevin Bresnahan]

McCoy Tyner is coming to the Regattabar in Cambridge, MA tonight. Gary Bartz on tenor will be interesting. I haven't seen Bartz in a long time.

[LarryCurleyMoe]

Caught Henry Grimes with Avreeyal Ra last night out here in Champaign, IL. Simply beautiful!

[BFrank]

Seeing Johnny Marr in about a week.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

McCoy Tyner is one of the greatest Jazz musicians still walking but it's painful to say that it doesn't look like that will be true much longer. He looked more than a little frail last night. Barely walking and barely talking. I felt like I did at Tommy Flanagan's last concerts - I think that I just saw McCoy for the last time.

And as great as the show was, it was incredibly short. They started late and played for about 45 minutes. The crowd gave them a standing O and they came back and played a short encore. I haven't been to a show with a set under an hour at a Jazz club in a long time. Short but oh so sweet. McCoy may be frail on his feet but he can still wail at the piano. It's actually pretty amazing to see him shuffle in and sit down and then see his hands and fingers start flying.

[kh1958]

Last night, Tuckers Blues in Deep Ellum reopened for the weekend. Andrew Jr. Boy Jones and Lucky Peterson performed, among others. Lucky Peterson was fantastic, as usual.

[king ubu]

Tonight: Häns'che Weiss Quartet

Tomorrow night: Mark Helias' Open Loose

[Steve Reynolds]

Enjoy Open Loose, Ubu

Let me know if Rainey destroys the world like he is wont to do from time to time!

I should be seeing them again on May 24th @ Cornelia Street. Tell Tony if you get a chance that Steve who sees him often at Cornelia Street says hello!

Edited April 9, 2013 by Steve Reynolds

[king ubu]

Häns'che Weiss was amazing! Best guitar jazz I ever heard live ... wonderful sweet sound, it was heaven! His solo on "Time After Time" (the original) was drop-dead gorgeous, his lines, his attack, his rhythm ... wow! He had a fine rhythm guitar player with him by name of Holzmanno Winterstein who played a few wonderful solos in the second set (on both Django titles they played, a wonderfully lyrical "Nuages" and an engaging and pretty wild "Minor Swing"). The rhythm guitar and the bass of Weiss' longtime partner Vali Mayer on bass (a local guy) were the engine of the group, propelling the music with an infectious swing. The programme was a mix of standards and originals, there was a waltz, there was some gypsy stuff (I couldn't tell what it really was, balcans for sure, but ...) and there was some singing and some showmanship too (mostly from Mayer who did a short segment on banjo opening the second set). Pianist Mickey Bamberger played an entertaining mix of Garner and Jamal, if that makes sense, sometimes a bit too flashy I found, but still good. And he engaged in some wonderful exchanges with Weiss, too.

When Weiss was soloing, I was really in jazz guitar heaven - it was probably the closest I'll ever get to the greats of what's a long bygone era. It felt like I was listening to Tal Farlow/Johnny Smith/Jimmy Raney there, live and in person. Truly magic!

Bottom line: Häns'che Weiss smokes the asses of all those post-bop retro guys ... easily so!

Edited April 9, 2013 by king ubu

[king ubu]

Open Loose last night ... rather short concert and it took them a while to get warm, but the second half of the first set and some of the second, including the encore, were really good. Rainey was amazing, Helias sometimes reminded me a bit of Charlie Haden, at least in his more quiet moments, when he allowed his bass to sing. Malaby was tender and brutal at the same time, early on I found his switching between the two rather unorganic, but it got pretty darn intense and the best few tunes were mighty good. However, I still have some quibbles ... Malaby sounded like he was in his own way, seemed like he just never could let loose and just play - and that was the part of this group that I missed. They had their tricky (and often beautifully crafted) tunes and arrangements and rhythms - and Rainey was LOOSE! - but somehow it all sounded a bit too technical and too restrained to me - not quite living up to the band name, really. But it was still a pretty good concert, altogether.

[ejp626]

I saw the Borodin Quartet in town last night. They were going to do Shostakovich String Quartets 3 & 5 and Tchaikovsky's Quartet Movement in B flat. The first violin and maybe one other member were fairly ill, and having a bit of trouble keeping it together (even coughing between movements and once during a movement!). I salute them for doing as well as they did. They dropped the Tchaikovsky and did two encores instead. The Scherzo from Shostakovich's 1st Quartet and something else by Shostakovich. I think it was a bit of film music, but hard to track down so far. I thought they did a nice job and I'm glad I saw them.

But Pacifica was definitely better when I saw them, particularly in that ultra-tricky ending of the 3rd Quartet. So they really will be my go-to ensemble for these pieces, though I'll still listen to the Fitzwilliam recordings as well.

Edited April 10, 2013 by ejp626