What live music are you going to see tonight?

[Uncle Skid]

Last night was Organissimo's 15th anniversary celebration at Randissimo's weekly jam session in Grand Rapids.

LOTS of people there, great music, great energy!!!  

 

[Cali]

Chucho is a marvel in concert. I've seen him 3 times and he was always amazing, with amazing bands.

[A Lark Ascending]

Just back from a few days in London taking in some concerts at the London Jazz Festival

Maria Schneider Orchestra/Liam Noble at Cadogan Hall (deep in the heart of Toffland at Sloane Square, temporarily transformed into Lapland)

Lovely 30 minute solo piano set from Liam Noble including a couple of pieces not usually associated with jazz (Wouldn't it be Loverly and The Way We Were) as well as one that is (Body and Soul). Wish I'd gone to his Sheffield gig a few weeks back; 30 mins was too short. 

I've been following Schneider for about 15 years after hearing an interview on the radio one night driving back from London. Absolutely beautiful performance - those lush, almost Ravel/Debussyesque orchestrations that just seem to roll off the orchestra. Some marvellous soloing throughout - I was particularly taken by a Frank Kimbrough solo in 'The Thompson Fields' that had me thinking Ives!; and a storming pair of solos from Scott Robinson and Donny McCaslin. One of encores had Robinson playing flugelhorn which seemed to even take Schneider by surprise.

Proper review here:   http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/18/maria-schneider-orchestra-review-cadogan-hall-london-jazz-festival

Nice to chat to Mark (mjazzg) as ever (thanks for the gallery tip...well worth the visit) 

**************************

Kenny Wheeler - An Evocation (again at Cadogan)

This was very special. A host of musicians associated with Kenny Wheeler in various permutations, all paying tribute (an overused term but here used sincerely) to the man. With 20-30 minute segments it was never going to be a concert where anyone would have the time to really dig in but there were some remarkable performances.

Opened with the band that made one of KW's last recordings, 'Song's for Quintet' - Stan Sulzmann, Martin France, Chris Laurence, John Parricelli and Gwilym Simcock. augmented on one track by Henry Lowther. Took a bit of time to warm up but the third song, 'Od Time', was afire.

Then Ralph Towner, first solo and then two songs with Norma Winstone. Beautiful.

Foxes Fox  (Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Percy Pursglove) marked another side of KW's musical personality with an explosive 20 minute free improvisation. A band I definitely need to see in a full concert though I suspect their performances are rare. 

Before the first and second sets an 8 piece trumpet chorale led by Nick Smart played short arrangements of KW pieces from the gallery above the stage. Wonderful idea.

Part two began with Dave Holland and Norma Winstone, a particularly fine version of 'By Myself', a song that concludes my favourite KW recording, 'Music for Large and Small Ensembles'. The heart from then on was provided by a band of Nikki Iles (one of the UK's best kept secrets), Holland, Martin France, Mark Lockheart augmented or reduced as various stages. Two songs from the 'Mirrors' album with the London Vocal Project made me realise how I'd not given that record the attention it's due. Never realised these were pieces KW wrote for smaller forces and then filed them away. Brought to life by Pete Churchill. Also a beautiful trio performance by Holland, Iles and France of piece of Holland's called 'Waltz for Wheeler'.  

The home straight saw Lowther, Smart, Winstone, Parricelli and Sulzmann rejoin the core for two really exciting pieces - one of those wonderful pieces with ever shifting chords from 'Music for Large and Small Ensembles' and a thrilling 'Foxy Trot' ( a great tune). 

Two really poignant moments. One where Norma was almost overcome in introducing a song played with Kenny and John Taylor and referring to the additional loss there; and then Dave Holland ended the concert by playing a solo three minute recording of Kenny in his prime. I doubt if there was a dry eye in the house. Certainly solved the problem of the encore rituals - you couldn't follow that.

I expect there will be a Guardian review at some point - I'll link it if it appears.      

Edit: No Guardian review but one with pictures from London Jazz News here: http://www.londonjazznews.com/2015/11/review-kenny-wheeler-evocation-at.html

 

Edited November 21, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[jlhoots]

Eilen Jewell last night, Richard Thompson tonight, George Cables tomorrow night.

[erwbol]

The Bad Plus at the Bimhuis tonight.

Excellent musicians and with a sense of humour. Reid Anderson showed off his singing voice.

Edited November 22, 2015 by erwbol

[mjazzg]

Julia Hulsmann Quartet w.Theo Bleckmann tonight

[optatio]

I will leave my home now to meet Gunter Hampel and Cavana Lee-Hampel, daughter of Jeanne Lee and Gunter. They will perform in a club on the campus of the University of Goettingen:

 

[optatio]

The day before Gunter, Cavana and Band have played with refugees in the village Friedland near Göttingen. The 'Camp' Friedland exists for refugees continuously since 1945!

http://www.goettinger-tageblatt.de/Region/Bildergalerien-Region/Workshop-fuer-Asylsuchende-in-Friedland#n13169343-p1

 

[Steve Reynolds]

10:00 @ The Stone

Dragonfly Breath

Steve Swell: trombone

Paul Flaherty: tenor saxophone

C. Spenser Yeh: violin & voice

Weasel Walter: drums

 

[Steve Reynolds]

Front row - 30 minutes from the edge of an oncoming storm 

 

Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

[Chuck Nessa]

Say "hey" to Swell for me.

[Steve Reynolds]

I missed your message, Chuck. If I get back there on Sunday night, I will do so

words by thanksgiving once i digest what I just experienced 

[A Lark Ascending]

Topette at the Yellow Arch Studios in a rundown industrial part of Sheffield (expected the Peaky Blinders to walk in at any moment).

Andy Cutting - Diatonic Button Accordion; Julien Cartonnet - Bagpipes and Banjo; James Delarre - Violin; Tania Buisse - Bodhran; Barnaby Stradling - Acoustic Bass Guitar

Mainly French traditional dance music but with a smattering of Sweden, North Africa, Macedonia and one token English tune. Anti-Farrage music at its best. The three Brits play in the cream of UK folk bands (and individually); the two French players from Burgundy are unknowns to me. Cartonnet was a wizard on the bagpipes - his solo bourrees were a high point.

Great dancing from the people of Sheffield (well some of the people of Sheffield). Average age of audience dropped 30 years from concerts I usually go to. 

Edited November 26, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[OliverM]

Tonight: Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarély and Vincent Courtois.

Already saw them in Lyon earlier this year and am really expecting to seeing them in this smaller concert venue.

[mjazzg]

4 hours ago, OliverM said:

Tonight: Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarély and Vincent Courtois.

Already saw them in Lyon earlier this year and am really expecting to seeing them in this smaller concert venue.

What a great trio. I've never seen Sclavis play with Pifarely and would love to....maybe if I make a dash to Eurostar now.

it seems too long since Sclavis has played in London

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

thanksgiving with king crimson

[BillF]

Piano duo by David Newton and Rob Van Bavel at Malcolm Frazer's house this evening.

[A Lark Ascending]

Marry Waterson and David A. Jaycock at The Greystones in Sheffield

Bloody brilliant! I often enthuse about the wonderful young singers and players currently emerging but here are two musicians somewhat longer in the tooth who have only recently emerged. Marry Waterson (daughter of Lal Waterson and part of the Watersons tribe), after years of doing other things, has put out three albums in the last five years, the most recent with Jaycock.

It seems many of the melodies here started with Jaycock. A wonderful guitar player who threw you back 40 years to the days of Michael Chapman, early John Martyn, Nick Drake (even the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin!) - intricate finger picking and that determination to choose unexpected chords. Extraordinary use of pedal electronics in the final song. Waterson added lyrics clearly growing out of the deep roots of a family immersed in folk music and wider British popular music before pop. All geographically very particular to growing up and living her life in East Yorkshire.

Waterson's voice eerily evokes that of her mother; she has a very strong lower register, a more fragile higher register that she manipulates superbly. 

Audience of about 20 (and one of those was Martin Simpson, a local)! Sheffield is supposed to be a thriving hub of folk music...where was everybody? 

 

[jlhoots]

The Bad Plus + Joshua Redman

[Steve Reynolds]

3 hours ago, erwbol said:

The Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio swung the Bim tonight. Evan Parker stuck to tenor.

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

WTF is it with this type of self-important middle aged male asshole?

Talking during the Schlippenbach Trio. Fucking Wonderful. Beyond assholes. Why the fuck did they show up to disrespect giants who walk this earth is beyond my ability to comprehend. I might have hurt them badly. 

Especially if I ever get the opportunity to see them. I've seen all three but never together. I hope you still enjoyed the concert, erwbol

Edited December 5, 2015 by Steve Reynolds

[A Lark Ascending]

8 hours ago, erwbol said:

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

It's not just the middle aged. I had a group of students near me at the Kenny Wheeler tribute in London last month. They whooped and hollered in an oh-so-hip way to make sure they were noticed during the applause; once the music started they whispered loudly and played with their mobile phones. Entitled London rich kids.

***************************

 

Mingus Profiles Sextet at Sheffield Crucible

Chris Biscoe, alto sax and alto clarinet; Tony Kofi, alto & tenor saxophones; Henry Lowther, trumpet, flugelhorn; Kate Williams, piano; Larry Bartley, bass;
Stu Butterfield, drums

Absolutely thrilling concert of Mingus tunes. Demonstrated again how 'tribute' concerts can be much more than just walking through old music. These are compositions that deserve to be heard live as much as Haydn or Beethoven, tunes that seems to inspire fabulous improvisations from excellent musicians. Everyone was on fire but special mention for Kate Williams on piano. Mingus performances usually (and quite naturally) have pianists from or playing in the soul/blues/gospel tradition of jazz but Williams is more from the impressionistic Bill Evans side of things. Gave a quite different feel to the music. It was also great to watch her, rarely without a smile on her face, obviously enjoying every moment of the gig. 

A sold out performance to a hugely appreciative and attentive audience. Biscoe (who looked remarkably like Jeremy Corbin!) said how good it was to play to a full house and they all looked a bit overwhelmed by the applause at the end. The Jean Toussaint Blakey concert I went to last month was also near capacity and I know Andy Sheppard sold out in advance last week (wasn't at that). Sheffield Jazz are getting something right. 

Good spring season coming up too - Peter King, Gilad Atzmon (protests permitting!), Partisans, Kofi/Barnes, Malija (Lockheart/Noble Holby), Greg Osby, Allison Neale and others. 

(n.b. Not my photo, from web)

 

Edited December 5, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[Steve Reynolds]

2 hours ago, erwbol said:

Yes, it's sacrilege. One of them had seen the trio before and informed his talkative friend on the left they usually played for an hour. Mr. left, however, was there to just casually observe and really should have gone to a bar instead and save himself the €20 entry fee. So disrespectful to these great musicians.

Fortunately, once they moved to the back, I didn't have any trouble concentrating on the music.

Does this kind of thing happen at the clubs you frequent?

Ah. The self appointed master of ceremonies.

NEVER at The Stone

once in a while @ Cornelia Street way in the back but I think anyone close up with us intense serious listeners would risk limbs if they talked during a Malaby or Halvorsen or Berne or Wooley or Maneri excursion into the nether worlds.

[Steve Reynolds]

There are relatively few serious listeners for this stuff even here in the NYC area 

[OliverM]

On 26/11/2015 18:35:34, mjazzg said:

What a great trio. I've never seen Sclavis play with Pifarely and would love to....maybe if I make a dash to Eurostar now.

it seems too long since Sclavis has played in London

It was great to see them again as expected. The trio are recording for ECM this month. I also offered the concert to family members on the second night and they especially enjoyed Courtois' approach to the cello, really new for them. Sclavis excelled, one of his solos I enjoyed most was quite out there, and his tone is superb.

Edited December 8, 2015 by OliverM

[BillF]

19 hours ago, erwbol said:

The Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio swung the Bim tonight. Evan Parker stuck to tenor.

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

WTF is it with this type of self-important middle aged male asshole?

It's a sobering thought that half a century ago when jazz giants roamed the earth audiences in clubs generally talked right through their playing. First example that comes to mind is Monk at the Blackhawk - I'm sure you'll think of many more. Returning to jazz club visiting after a hiatus of a few decades, the first change I noticed was a new respect for what the musicians were doing.