The Steve Swell Quartet with Barry Altschul in Grand Rapids

[Lazaro Vega]

Trombonist Steve Swell's Quartet with Gebhard Ullman tenor saxophone/bass clarinet; Hilliard Green, bass; Barry Altschul, drums, in Grand Rapids, MI, Saturday, April 7th at 8 pm, at Mexicains Sans Frontieres , 120 S Division Av # 226, Grand Rapids MI, 49503, tel 616-706-7963. All ages, $10.

http://home.earthlink.net/~sdswell/

[randissimo]

Trombonist Steve Swell's Quartet with Gebhard Ullman tenor saxophone/bass clarinet; Hilliard Green, bass; Barry Altschul, drums, in Grand Rapids, MI, Saturday, April 7th at 8 pm, at Mexicains Sans Frontieres , 120 S Division Av # 226, Grand Rapids MI, 49503, tel 616-706-7963. All ages, $10.

http://home.earthlink.net/~sdswell/

I have a gig in Kalamazoo that night .. Damn !!!

[relyles]

They are playing in New Haven on the 30th. I am going to make every effort to catch that performance.

[alocispepraluger102]

Trombonist Steve Swell's Quartet with Gebhard Ullman tenor saxophone/bass clarinet; Hilliard Green, bass; Barry Altschul, drums, in Grand Rapids, MI, Saturday, April 7th at 8 pm, at Mexicains Sans Frontieres , 120 S Division Av # 226, Grand Rapids MI, 49503, tel 616-706-7963. All ages, $10.

http://home.earthlink.net/~sdswell/

I have a gig in Kalamazoo that night .. Damn !!!

$10? for artists like that! unbelievable

[Lazaro Vega]

Up for this Saturday, and Blue Lake Public Radio will be featuring them tonight, 4-3-07, at midnight "Out On Blue Lake." www.bluelake.org

[Chuck Nessa]

Lazaro, Uncle Skid and I will be there. Anyone else?

[Werf]

I'm planning on being there, Chuck. Genuine loft jazz in GR!!

[Lazaro Vega]

Glad to hear this winter weather isn't in Grand Rapids. The band's leaving Ann Arbor about 1:30 -- should be smooth sailin' on 96. Out here on the lakeshore it snowed like mad this morning. "I'm dreaming of a white Easter...."

Have John Erskine from the Hope College Recording Arts Center ready to capture tonight's performance for future broadcast on Blue Lake.

Very much looking forward to seeing everyone. Hey Werf, where do you park for Hugo's place?

[Werf]

Very much looking forward to seeing everyone. Hey Werf, where do you park for Hugo's place?

I just park on Division, in front of Vertigo or the DAAC. There are parking spaces behind Hugo's building, but they are probably just for residents. Call Hugo on that one. I sometimes park on Cherry St. too.

[king ubu]

I posted about this group's Zurich gig over here: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...st&p=577007

Still have good memories of the music, but the lack of audience was a shame!

As far as I understand, it's more of a co-led Ullmann/Swell band, with most of the music being by Ullmann. I assume in the US they give Swell main-billing while over here Ullmann is a bit better known and thus goes first?

[Chuck Nessa]

I posted about this group's Zurich gig over here: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...st&p=577007

Still have good memories of the music, but the lack of audience was a shame!

As far as I understand, it's more of a co-led Ullmann/Swell band, with most of the music being by Ullmann. I assume in the US they give Swell main-billing while over here Ullmann is a bit better known and thus goes first?

Last time they came through here Ullmann had top billing. This time Swell. Possibly 'cause Swell has been getting some attention here recently.

[Lazaro Vega]

Filed the CIMP cd under Ullman's name. Gebhard's big band music on Soul Note, as well as Basement Research and the various trio records he came out with recently, and the duo on Leo with Chris Dalgren, chart a wide array of approaches.

[Lazaro Vega]

Great night. Barry Altschul mentioned he's recording a reunion with Dave Holland and Sam Rivers on May 25th, and that he just finished a duo session with Anthony Braxton. His ability to keep the form, no matter how far it stretches, makes this band. Just makes it. He (and Hillard Green on bass) lay down a groove of shifting textures and rhythmic patterns that will at times go completely free, yet mostly are highly creative within a structure, which allows the horns to blow their minds out in front of them. Barry's command of rudiments makes him accurate and precise within the freer flow of things. As an ensemble they embrace a lot of information. Hilliard's obviously classically trained. They'll delve into textural oriented improv, play sections oriented towards European classical music, hit patches of composed material, and do what Swell reports the people in Boston are now calling "lower case." (?) Whatever, it was fun. Good to see everyone, too, and hang in such an informal setting.

Set Lists:

1st Set --

Improvisation

Kleine Figuren #3 (Ullman)

Planet Hopping On A Thursday Afternoon (Swell)

2nd Set --

Improvisation

Seven 9/8 (Ullman)

For Grachen (Swell)

[GregK]

damn i wish i had seen them in Ann Arbor. They played at Kerrytown! I didn't even know about it until the day after

[Chuck Nessa]

Very fine show indeed! Barry and Swell were outstanding. Swell has developed into a masterful instrumentalist. Hilliard Greene has really grown into his role since I last heard the band. I've always been ambivalent about Ullmanns' playing, nothing negative, it just never struck me. Last night I felt very positive about his tenor playing but the bass clarinet didn't do anything special for me beyond the colors the instrument added to the ensemble.

I urge the Chicago members to go to the Velvet tonight.

[Uncle Skid]

I just sat there mesmerized for most of the show. Two thoughts came to mind: 1) I can’t believe that four human beings can make that much MUSIC, maintaining such a high-level of intense, yet controlled artistry through two forty-plus-minute sets, and 2) that it’s depressing that musicians of this stature aren’t playing to much larger audiences.

Randy, really wish you could have been there… Altschul was amazing.

Thanks again for posting this, Lazaro. A memorable experience, to say the least.

[Werf]

I walked out of Mexains san Frontiers high as the proverbial kite from the music. Mesmerizing. The conversation those four guys were having on their instruments was like a quartet of physicists joking, preaching, praying over the secrets of the universe. I was transfixed, and transformed, at least momentarily. And receiving the sounds in such an inviting, intimate atmosphere, with an appreciative audience made the experience more memorable. A very special musical event happened on S.Division last night.

Cool to see all the informed fan(atic)s there, too.

[Lazaro Vega]

Photos from the concert form page 2, from DSCO 1582:

http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/tlaquachito/

Edited April 30, 2007 by Lazaro Vega