Joe Wilder debuts at Village Vanguard

[Michael Weiss]

with Michael Weiss, John Webber, Lewis Nash.

Looking forward to this.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Michael Weiss

[brownie]

Wish I could be there

Joe Wilder is a musician I have longed to hear live for years. And failed!

Looks like he will have a strong trio with him!

[mikeweil]

Does "debut" mean it is Wilder's first gig at the Vanguard? If so, it's long overdue!

Yes, wish I could be there - is his trumpet tone still that gorgeous?

[catesta]

with Michael Weiss, John Webber, Lewis Nash.

Looking forward to this.

I think I'll be making this one.

[Michael Weiss]

with Michael Weiss, John Webber, Lewis Nash.

Looking forward to this.

I think I'll be making this one.

Be sure to say hello.

[Michael Weiss]

Does "debut" mean it is Wilder's first gig at the Vanguard? If so, it's long overdue!

Yes, wish I could be there - is his trumpet tone still that gorgeous?

Not only first gig at the Vanguard, possibly first gig leading a quartet in NYC, certainly for a multi-night engagement. And yes, his tone is still gorgeous. His creativitiy and adventurousness as an improviser has been completely overlooked. Plus, Joe has perfect pitch. I thought I'd stump him by starting "Just Friends" in the key of A, and he jumped right in without hesitation. I was shocked.

[catesta]

with Michael Weiss, John Webber, Lewis Nash.

Looking forward to this.

I think I'll be making this one.

Be sure to say hello.

Will do.

[catesta]

Is anyone going to this?

I am for sure, just don't know what night yet.

[brownie]

Ben Ratliff reviews Joe Wilder's appearance at the VV in The New York Times today.

STEPPING GENTLY OUT OF THE SIDEMAN SHADOWS

By Ben Ratliff

Joe Wilder doesn't seem used to making announcements. Taking the stage for his first set at the Village Vanguard on Tuesday, he looked ill at ease, like a guest waiting to be placed at the dinner table. But when he sat down, confident logic poured out of his trumpet.

Mr. Wilder is 83 and has been known for 60 years as a high-level sideman. Chatting before he got started — he was in the corridor, scrutinizing the pictures on the walls, rather than waiting in the back room for his dramatic entrance — he said he had never before led a band in a New York jazz club; he consented, he said, when asked by the Vanguard's owner, Lorraine Gordon, and encouraged by the pianist Michael Weiss.

He has played with big bands, among them Lionel Hampton's and Jimmie Lunceford's; he briefly joined a powerful version of the Count Basie band in 1953 and did some recording under his own name for Savoy soon after. But he spent a great deal of his career in the straight world. For 17 years he worked as a staff musician at ABC, and he still has a professional, responsible air. Like the pianist Hank Jones — who is a few years older and worked in the studios for a similar length of time — he is almost never seen without a coat and tie.

With a quartet including Mr. Weiss, the bassist John Webber and the drummer Lewis Nash, Mr. Wilder played a handful of his favorite standards, blues and ballads. The band cohered beautifully around him. The quartet had barely rehearsed; for sure, its interaction with Mr. Wilder — and Mr. Wilder's chops — will improve through the week. But things already sounded good by the first tune.

Mr. Wilder is an old-fashioned, disciplined melodic improviser. His clean, light, elegant sound and upbeat imagination don't lead him toward slurring or shouting or imprecision; instead, at climaxes, he filed down his upper-middle-register notes to make them dartlike.

In his first improvised chorus, on "Secret Love," he whizzed through a whole-tone scale; for the rest of the set, he unloaded one bright idea after another. In "Cherokee," he followed perfectly melodic improvised phrases abstracted from the melody, then changed to flügelhorn midsong. He used a mute on "All the Things You Are," played four-bar tradeoffs with Mr. Nash, the drummer, and used circular breathing to hold a continuous note for the song's eight final bars.

The only nonstandards in the set were Mr. Weiss's Latin tune "La Ventana" and Mr. Wilder's own "Joe's Blues." It was the most optimistic-sounding blues you could imagine.

Joe Wilder continues through Sunday at the Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, West Village, (212) 255-4037.

Compliments to Michael Weiss for making this happen

And to quote myself 'Wish I could be there '

Any idea if the group is going to make an album?

[Michael Weiss]

Any idea if the group is going to make an album?

That would be nice....

[catesta]

I'm in for the 9:00 PM set tonight.

Very much looking forward to seeing this group.

Edited February 4, 2006 by catesta

[catesta]

My words here will not do justice on how good this was.

Joe Wilder sounds magnificent. You would never know he was 83 by looking at him and most defintely not by his playing. What a full rich tone he has. To say he is as sharp as ever is not saying enough.

Not only was the music great but Joe entertained us with some stories about his career.

No doubt the crowd was very much into it.

Michael Weiss you were obviously a great help to Mr. Wilder.

Major props not only for that, but for your mastery of the piano.

As for the rest of the group, what can I say?

Damn, Lewis Nash and John Webber are good.

For lack of a better term, you guys were all swinging your asses off.

I only hope we see and hear more of this group together in the future.

For those that missed this time, do yourself a favor and don't miss them the next time.