What live music are you going to see tonight?

[RDK]

Billy Harper Quintet, hopefully tonight or tomorrow.

[Joe G]

Joe, how was the SF Jazz Collective? I've loved all 4 of their albums so far, and definitely will preorder the 2008 set soon. Sure beats what LCJO does, b/c its fresh and relevant

While there were some exciting moments, nice arrangements, and great solos, to me, the whole thing came off as some sort of a clinic. "Music about music"; at times intentionally and explicitly so. The players who meant the most to me were Miguel Zenon and Eric Harland. Both played beautifully when it was their turn to shine. But the music almost never got to that point of transcendant lift that I seek to experience when I go to concerts, sorry to say.

What did you think, Mark?

[jimi089]

Going to the Velvet tonight to see Lester Lashley and the Urban Bushmen. I've only seen Lester as a sideman and I'm looking forward to finding out who's in his band and what he has in store for us.

[jlhoots]

Ravi Coltrane Quartet (Perdomo, Glawischnig, Strickland)

[ejp626]

Sal, sheldonm and I saw the SF Jazz Collective last night in Chicago. This year they are playing the songs of Wayne Shorter, though the set list was 5 originals and 3 Shorter tunes. Most of the original members have left, though Renee Rosnes is still there along with Miguel Zenon. Stefon Harris has replaced Bobby Hutcherson, and Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano are on board, so it is quite the supergroup. (I am glad I saw the incarnation with Hutcherson and Josh Redman though.) I thought the pieces by the bassist, Douglas and Harris were the strongest of the originals.

Anyway, a good night was had by all.

[Kalo]

Sal, sheldonm and I saw the SF Jazz Collective last night in Chicago. This year they are playing the songs of Wayne Shorter, though the set list was 5 originals and 3 Shorter tunes. Most of the original members have left, though Renee Rosnes is still there along with Miguel Zenon. Stefon Harris has replaced Bobby Hutcherson, and Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano are on board, so it is quite the supergroup. (I am glad I saw the incarnation with Hutcherson and Josh Redman though.) I thought the pieces by the bassist, Douglas and Harris were the strongest of the originals.

Anyway, a good night was had by all.

I saw them at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston last weekend and they were something else, exceeding my expectations by quite a bit. Lovano and Harris were as good or better than I've ever heard them live. Everyone was in top form, and they sounded like a true band rather than an all-star get-together. Perhaps it was a particularly good night, but I did experience those moments of transcendence that Joe felt were lacking at the perfomance he attended. I'm only sorry that I missed them in previous years; I won't make that mistake again.

[AZ_Gary]

Ramsey Lewis Trio. Last night at the Del Webb Center in Wickenburg, AZ.

Gary

[Joe G]

Jesus! Sorry I'm probably going to have to miss this one (KCH always sends out notices like, two minutes in advance ):

Hi KCH Jazz Fans -

You won't want to miss this performance on Friday --- including the great

tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin, world-renowned singer Kate McGarry, and

Pat Metheny's drummer, Antonio Sanchez!

A moment not-to-be-missed.

PS - Tickets are still available, but an article will be in the Ann Arbor

News shortly, so make your reservations soon!

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

Kerrytown Concert House

415 North Fourth Ave

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

For reservations, call 734-769-2999 or

Visit www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com

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

Friday, March 21, 8 pm

KCH Jazz in Concert Series:

DONNY McCASLIN GROUP: In Pursuit

Donny McCaslin, tenor saxophone

Steve Wilson, alto saxophone and alto flute

Kate McGarry, voice

Ben Monder, guitar

Antonio Sanchez, drums

Hans Glawischnig, bass

Pernell Saturnino, percussion

$25 assigned rows 1-2

$15 assigned rows 3-5

$10 general admission

$5 student

[RDK]

Going tomorrow night to a "secret" and "mysterious" Herbie Hancock show, one that looks like it's going to be filmed for a DVD. Invite from Verve, to be taped at, I think, Sony or a nearby studio (we're being "shuttled" to the actual concert site). Don't know who/what's on tap - either Joni Letters or Herbie's new touring band with Dave Holland (I hope the latter). Should be fun to see Herbie in a relatively small (200 on the guest list) venue.

[HolyStitt]

Tonight George Jones at the Mystic Lake Casino.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Hadley Caliman's CD release party for Gratitude at Tula's in Seattle.

[papsrus]

Going tomorrow night to a "secret" and "mysterious" Herbie Hancock show, one that looks like it's going to be filmed for a DVD. Invite from Verve, to be taped at, I think, Sony or a nearby studio (we're being "shuttled" to the actual concert site). Don't know who/what's on tap - either Joni Letters or Herbie's new touring band with Dave Holland (I hope the latter). Should be fun to see Herbie in a relatively small (200 on the guest list) venue.

How was it?

[RDK]

Going tomorrow night to a "secret" and "mysterious" Herbie Hancock show, one that looks like it's going to be filmed for a DVD. Invite from Verve, to be taped at, I think, Sony or a nearby studio (we're being "shuttled" to the actual concert site). Don't know who/what's on tap - either Joni Letters or Herbie's new touring band with Dave Holland (I hope the latter). Should be fun to see Herbie in a relatively small (200 on the guest list) venue.

How was it?

Very interesting, though also a very mixed bag. Turns out it was a taping for Yahoo Music's live concert series. Should be on-line (they said) April 1st. Quickly realized once we got there that it wasn't the new band (which I thought was premature anyway) or an acoustic Joni band. Instead, it was Herbie on a variety of keyboards, Marcus Miller on bass, Vinny Coluata (sp?) on drums, Bob Shepherd on sax, and an African guitarist whose name I can't remember/pronounce. They started off pretty funky/electric with some Headhunters-type stuff. I think they did Chameleon, but I'm not that familiar with that corner of Herbie's world. Also a funky version of Watermelon Man mixed with a tune called 17s written by the guitarist. Then they took a break and did an audience Q&A (which was also filmed), after which Herbie brought out his first surprise guest: Joni Mitchell herself! She sang three tunes with the band, and though I'm not a big Joni Mitchell fan it was pretty cool seeing her so up-close and personal (there were only about 200 of us in the room, with me, arriving a bit late, standing on a walkway directly in back of and above the stage, with the band only about 20 feet away). Following another Q&A break, Herbie performed a stunning solo piano version of Maiden Voyage, which was for me the highlight of the night. Absolutely beautiful, with a very classical (Satie/Debussy) feel to it. Another singer came out (I think she's also on the Joni album), then the band did another run through Watermelon Man, a more traditional version this time. Finally, the show came to end (nearly three hours later!) with the band doing Rockit, complete with a guy scratchin' a turntable. Not really my bag, but a lot of fun nonetheless, and Herbie (and the band) was in a great mood throughout; they really seemed to be digging it. I'm looking forward to seeing this again on-line, and curious how much they use of it and how they edit it all together.

[papsrus]

Thanks for the review. Sounds like a good time was had by all.

I would think the Joni stuff would have more appeal to folks interested in contemporary music than the Headhunters stuff, but. ... I'll check it out April 1.

Thanks again.

[jlhoots]

SF Jazz Collective

[marcello]

Thanks for the report. I did a little looking for you.

Edited March 22, 2008 by marcello

[jimi089]

Donny McCaslin at the Chicago Cultural Center for free this afternoon. Never seen him, interested to check it out.

Nicole Mitchell Quartet at the Velvet Lounge tonight - this is her new band with Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Abrams on bass, and I believe Mike Reed on drums although I'm not sure if the drum chair is set or rotating at this point. It's also Fred Anderson's birthday, so there will be a bit of celebration.

[RDK]

Thanks for the report. I did a little looking for you.

Sonya Kitchell is indeed correct; I think she also sang "River" on Herbie's recent appearance on Leno. I'll take your word on Lionel Loueke - but the way Herbie said it, it sounded like it had more syllables than that.

Edited March 22, 2008 by RDK

[Peter Johnson]

New York Philharmonic playing Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Should be amazing.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Here's my review of last night's Hadley Caliman CD release party. This will be posted on The Seattle Jazz Scene blog.

Hadley Caliman

Tula's

Seattle

Friday, March 21, 2008

Hadley Caliman - tenor saxophone

Thomas Marriott - trumpet & flügelhorn

Joe Locke - vibraphone

Phil Sparks - bass

Matt Jorgensen - drums

Some performances transcend the whole concept of music as art or entertainment and reach an entirely different level. Love, trust, respect, communication and joy in the act of creation can touch the heart in ways that can't be described in words. In over 30 years of attending concerts, there aren't too many that have moved this listener that deeply. Last night's CD release party for Hadley Caliman's Gratitude at Tula's in Seattle is one of them. One doesn't go to a concert, theatrical production or dance performance for something mundane. One should leave transformed, renewed, healed, seeing the world through new eyes, hearing harmony and consonance everywhere, feeling like a newborn baby who's experienced beauty for the first time. Every once in awhile this ideal is met.

At age 76, Caliman is a Pacific Northwest treasure, a master of his craft who exudes humility and humanity. Now retired from teaching at Cornish College of the Arts, he has by no means retired from sharing his muse. An inspiration to several generations of players, he ranks among the living giants of the tenor saxophone in the world of jazz. There aren't too many other cats out there with a track record comparable to his. He's in the rarefied company of Chicago legends Von Freeman and Fred Anderson in this regard.

One of the reasons that this was a do-not-miss event hinged on the appearance of vibraphonist Joe Locke, who has a sizeable following in the Seattle area. He's no stranger to the Pacific Northwest, having performed at the Ballard Jazz Festival with Geoffrey Keezer and in Port Townsend. His visits are rare enough that this was an occasion. Locke is a true virtuoso on his chosen instrument. Sometimes a prolix improviser, he can spin off dizzying flights packed with so many audacious ideas that a comparison to Art Tatum or Cecil Taylor might be in order. Everything has a clarity and pinpoint articulation that can boggle the mind. Dazzling technique doesn't amount to a hill of coffee beans in the bigger picture though. It's what he does with it. There is deep spirituality, rhythmic intensity and true story telling in his playing. He's fun to watch as well as to hear. It's obvious that he is in that famous "zone" whenever he's onstage. An animated, physical, constantly moving presence, his facial expressions continually mirroring the process of spontaneous creation, mouthing along with labyrinthine passages, once in awhile scatting along sotto voce, he doesn't just play the music, he inhabits it. The man's a perpetual motion machine. Those 12-hour days playing on the streets of New York City with George Braith definitely paid off when it comes to stamina and focus.

All of the musicians who played at Tula's are on Gratitude, with the exception of Seattle's ubiquitous Matt Jorgensen on drums, replacing Joe La Barbera. Jorgensen is an aggressive, polyrhythmic drummer, and his entrainment with Locke was a joy to behold. They were Locked in, if you'll pardon the expression. Thomas Marriott produced the session for Origin and his brother David provided the superb arrangements. Particularly during the second and third sets this evening, the former's trumpet and flügelhorn playing was packed with joie de vivre and a sense of adventure. There was no holding back. Marriott can be a very subtle player, on occasion appearing to backpedal and eschew grandstanding. This is one of his strengths. Better that than the effusive bravura of someone like James Carter, who tends to play everything he knows in the first ten minutes and then tries to figure out the next step. This evening's music found Marriott more willing to teeter on the edge of the abyss than he had been at other live performances I've heard. He never fell over. Bassist Phil Sparks is a long-time Caliman associate, and their simpatico communication is obvious. His time is rock-solid, an essential ingredient in a music that takes as many rhythmic twists and turns as the arrangements on Gratitude do. He also has a full, deep, rich sound and beautiful intonation; no slipping and sliding to reach the "right" note here.

Attempts at a play-by-play would be pointless. It was the experience in total that made such a strong impression on me. I have to single out Caliman's infectious composition "Joe Joe Dancer Bossa Nova" though, which included some of the most memorable solo work from all hands and his radiant interpretation of "Lush Life" in quartet format. Caliman obviously knows the lyrics to this heartbreakingly beautiful Billy Strayhorn classic, and his tenor saxophone exuded saudade in an emotional solo that juggled the world-weary sentiments of the song with a life-affirming optimism.

Looking back on the experience, I'm reminded of something that the late pianist Andrew Hill once said: "I'm trying to make music a sensual expression, not an academic experiment."

[papsrus]

Thanks for posting the review. ... Sounds like a wonderful experience.

(I need one of these experiences soon ....... )

[marcello]

Great review, Bill. It makes me feel like I was there, so thanks!

[robviti]

just got home from seeing the kenny barron trio. simply beautiful. his mature, heartfelt playing brings back memories of the late tommy flanagan and how much i enjoyed hearing his trio. next week, dave holland and robin eubanks at nec.

[aparxa]

Bojan Z tetraband

Josh Roseman-trb, Seb Rochford-dr, Ruth Goller-bass

A mix of energic, crazy and beautiful compostions, Bojan on piano/Fender/Xenophone and the drummer (also from acoustic ladyland) were particularly in great form.

MAGMA tomorrow ... let see.

[aparxa]

See - Saw -Seen.

----------------

Tonight was :

JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO AND HORNS

* Tom OLIN, saxophone tenor, flûte alto

* Frank VACIN, saxophone baryton et clarinette basse

* Phil GRENADIER, trompette et bugle

* John SCOFIELD, guitare

* Matt PENMAN, basse

* Bill STEWART, batterie

Keith TIPPETT conducting Viva la Black tomorrow.