What live music are you going to see tonight?

[ejp626]

Not tonight, but next week Kirk MacDonald is having a CD release party at the Rex Hotel in Toronto (Wed. and Thurs).  I believe this is for Generations, a recording of a quintet with MacDonald on saxophone, his daughter, Virginia, on clarinet, Harold Mabern on piano, Andre White on drums and Neil Swainson on bass.  Sadly, Mabern isn't making the gig (or I'd go both nights), but Swainson is.  I'm going primarily to see him (and perhaps get him to sign a copy of 49th Parallel).

[kh1958]

Depressingly, the excellent Greenwich Village music venue, Cornelia Street Cafe, is closing in January after 41 years.

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/12/cornelia-street-cafe.html

Edited December 15, 2018 by kh1958

[Steve Reynolds]

41 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

Depressingly, the excellent Greenwich Village music venue, Cornelia Street Cafe, is closing in January after 41 years.

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/12/cornelia-street-cafe.html

Very sad for me. Sorry I can’t make it to the 12/30 show with Tom Rainey’s Trio with Ingrid & Mary. Many many great memories of incredibly exciting music I’ve heard especially over the past 10 years 

[HutchFan]

So sad to hear that the Cornelia Street Cafe is closing. BIG bummer. 

That said, 41 years is a LONG time. It was a good run.

[BFrank]

When I lived in NYC in the 80s my girlfriend lived on the same block as the cafe. It wasn't so much of a music/performance venue then, but I remember it fondly.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Harold mabern on jazz at lincoln center facebook live now 5pm pst!

[Hardbopjazz]

Kenny Barron Quartet at the Village Vanguard.  

[ejp626]

On 12/15/2018 at 11:06 AM, ejp626 said:

Not tonight, but next week Kirk MacDonald is having a CD release party at the Rex Hotel in Toronto (Wed. and Thurs).  I believe this is for Generations, a recording of a quintet with MacDonald on saxophone, his daughter, Virginia, on clarinet, Harold Mabern on piano, Andre White on drums and Neil Swainson on bass.  Sadly, Mabern isn't making the gig (or I'd go both nights), but Swainson is.  I'm going primarily to see him (and perhaps get him to sign a copy of 49th Parallel).

Saw this group (without Mabern) at the Rex on Thurs.  They were quite good.  If it had started a bit earlier, I would have stayed for the 2nd set, but growing old...  I did remember to bring 49th Parallel to me, completely flooring Neil Swainson, but he was nice about it and signed it (a great album by the way).  I didn't actually buy Generations (the CD they were promoting), since i had downloaded it, but I picked up an earlier one called Symmetry by Kirk MacDonald with Tom Harrell and also Neil Swainson.

I don't go to the Rex all that often, but it can be a nice place to go and listen to up and coming artists and get some writing done, especially since they very rarely charge a cover for the first and sometimes even second set of the night. 

Jan 9 Kirk MacDonald is teaming up with drummer Jacek Kochan.  The rest of the line-up isn't listed, but there's a good chance Neil Swainson will be on the bandstand, and I think I'll probably go.

[sidewinder]

I remember quite enjoying the Rex back in the day and the regular Hammond organist they had there, John T. Davis. Beer markup was steep though !

[ejp626]

2 hours ago, sidewinder said:

I remember quite enjoying the Rex back in the day and the regular Hammond organist they had there, John T. Davis. Beer markup was steep though !

Interesting.  Someone was telling me it was once quite a dive -- and the easiest place to get in for underage drinking!  Under different management, of course.

[sidewinder]

Not particularly a dive as I recall but fairly rough and ready. Certainly a young clientele - lots of students. Wasn’t impressed with the aggressive waitress staff and their insistence on service minimum charge - mercenary !

At the time Toronto had lots of live jazz and some good clubs. The Rex was on my fallback list if the other places were quiet.

Edited December 21, 2018 by sidewinder

[ejp626]

3 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

Not particularly a dive as I recall but fairly rough and ready. Certainly a young clientele - lots of students. Wasn’t impressed with the aggressive waitress staff and their insistence on service minimum charge - mercenary !

At the time Toronto had lots of live jazz and some good clubs. The Rex was on my fallback list if the other places were quiet.

Definitely more laid back now.  But it is practically the last club standing.  Sad.

Several clubs have closed down, including a few recently.  Jazz Bistro is still around but isn't really my thing.  It's hard to fathom, but, in my view, Vancouver has a more active and interesting jazz club scene than Toronto.

[sidewinder]

Sad to hear that. However, I caught that scene I think right at the tail end of what was its peak period and before the 90s economic slump. Cafe des Copains/Montreal Bistro, Bermuda Onion, Top O’ The Senator plus that cafe on Danforth I think (correction - it was George’s on Dundas) where Moe Kofmann used to have a regular gig. All of these had regular jazz - and then there were the smaller outlying places like Chick n’ Deli plus you could catch occasional gigs/broadcasts by e.g. Dave McMurdo’s Orchestra at A.G.O.  And then there was the free stage stuff at the Summer DuMaurier Jazz Festival (where free meant the likes of Tony Williams Quintet and Loose Tubes - a rare instance of Ontario taxes put to good use ).

At that time, the local jazz scene was way more active than Vancouver, although Vancouver did have its local scene, as did Windypeg and Edmonton, which were stops for prominent touring US groups.

Re: the Rex, I probably just had bad luck with that service as it was just the one time. I could usually rely on an enjoyable hour or two there, it was laid back, accessible and  generally friendly.

Edited December 21, 2018 by sidewinder

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Barris Harris is at Dizzys Coca Cola /lincoln ctr all weekend and i got a message from them but so far no show link for a broadcast maybe they will do tomorrows show, i dont know

[Hardbopjazz]

1 hour ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said:

Barris Harris is at Dizzys Coca Cola /lincoln ctr all weekend and i got a message from them but so far no show link for a broadcast maybe they will do tomorrows show, i dont know

There should be a link by tomorrow.  

Houston Person’s Quartet at the Jazz Standard tonight.  Both sets were great.  

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

oh not much for me friday nite only seeing Sun Ra Arkestra in what is i believe is their 1st area apperence since 1991.  Dreams come true allright, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR ME TOMORROW 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Louis Hayes is returning to Scullers in Boston tonight. He's bringing back the very good band I saw him with in July of 2017: Abraham Burton, sax, Steve Nelson, vibes and Dezron L Douglas, bass. An added bonus is Anthony Wonsey on piano, who i haven't seen in a very long time.

For an 81 year old guy, Hayes can still play. Well worth seeing if he comes your way.

Edited January 4, 2019 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Stereojack]

Would you give us a report on the show, Kevin?

[Chuck Nessa]

Looking forward to see/hear Atomic in a couple of weeks at Hallwalls. 

[ghost of miles]

Seeing the Fred Hersch Trio with Miguel Zenon at the Village Vanguard tomorrow night and then heading to either Birdland for the Maria Schneider Orchestra or Smoke for Steve Turre. 

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

 or Smoke for Steve Turre. 

Get’s my vote !

[jlhoots]

3 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Seeing the Fred Hersch Trio with Miguel Zenon at the Village Vanguard tomorrow night and then heading to either Birdland for the Maria Schneider Orchestra or Smoke for Steve Turre. 

All good - last time I saw Maria Schneider in person it was an excellent concert.

[ghost of miles]

I had already bought the ticket for Steve Turre when I found out about the Maria Schneider sets.  Smoke tickets seem to be non-refundable... if anybody in the NYC area is interested in a supremely-discounted seat for tomorrow night's Turre/Larry Willis/Eric Alexander 10:30 set, drop me a PM.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

It was the greatest jazz concert ive seen, since Lionel Hampton orchestra 2001.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Do you understand this at our show and only our show we had not one but 2 members from the Sun Ra Chicago era:  Marshall Allen + very special guest Julian Priester.   And believe me when I tell you our show setlist this morning leaned very heavily toward the chicago era, they did stranger in paradise,  and ra's arrangement of prelude to a kiss. Also believe me when I tell you the lead singers voice had the some tone as the original lead singer, like on dreams come true- they could of done dreams come true and it would of sounded like the record, would of been rad, but we got a lot of good songs, we got "love in outer space" and ANGELS AND FREAKING DEMONS AT PLAY--- with the dual-flutes.  OH-MY-GOD.  it really brought me back i tell you what- it was classic chicago sun ra, and im bellypressed against the front of the stage center and julian priesters over there in full space outfit and marshall allen ripping a solo and there shouting angels and demons at play!  you guys must know ive seen a lot of concerts,but this was the greatest jazz show ive ever seen maybe, it really was them.