Jason Moran

[JohnS]

Anyone else get to see Moran on his current UK tour, In My Mind, Monk At Town Hall?

It's a nice idea to pay tribute to a major influence and a historic concert at the same time. I found a lot of the multi media projection distracting especialy trying to read text as well as listen and watch the musicians. Sound wasn't that great either at the Turner Sims Hall, unbalanced and muddled. Moran, Mateen and Waits were predictably excellent, the UK contingent not bad but not very Monkish imo. Nice touch at the end when the band walked up to the foyer still playing and continued there for several minutes, the rhythm section on bells and cowbell.

[sidewinder]

Is it worth seeing, John? I'm tempted to check it out at the Bath Fest tonight but may well hang fire and go along to McCoy Tyner/Joe Lovano on Monday night instead. Any thoughts?

[ejp626]

Is it worth seeing, John? I'm tempted to check it out at the Bath Fest tonight but may well hang fire and go along to McCoy Tyner/Joe Lovano on Monday night instead. Any thoughts?

I was a little underwhelmed when I saw them in Chicago. The multimedia stuff is a little distracting. While he does play some original material, most of it is Monk's material but not as well done as Monk would have done it (this kind of gets back to the whole standards/originality debate we had a while back). Unless you've never seen Jason Moran, I would probably go to the Tyner show and catch Moran on his next tour.

[JohnS]

Is it worth seeing, John? I'm tempted to check it out at the Bath Fest tonight but may well hang fire and go along to McCoy Tyner/Joe Lovano on Monday night instead. Any thoughts?

Bob, I'm glad I went as I'd not seen Moran before or heard much of his music. Overall it was more than a tad disappointing. If it's not too far to go I might be be tempted but otherwise stay in for Eurovision!!!!! Or better still dust off some vinyl.

[sidewinder]

Is it worth seeing, John? I'm tempted to check it out at the Bath Fest tonight but may well hang fire and go along to McCoy Tyner/Joe Lovano on Monday night instead. Any thoughts?

Bob, I'm glad I went as I'd not seen Moran before or heard much of his music. Overall it was more than a tad disappointing. If it's not too far to go I might be be tempted but otherwise stay in for Eurovision!!!!! Or better still dust off some vinyl.

Thanks John and thanks, ejp626

It's a bit of a trek so vinyl and Mosaics it is, with the Eurovision Comedy Contest for some light entertainment.

I'll plan on the Tyner on Monday I think - always worth checking out and Eric Gravatt is on drums.

Bath is a bit of a disappointment this year. They've cut down quite a bit on the number of shows, which makes the weekend pass option much less attractive. Maybe the subsidies from the Arts Council have been cut back?

Edited May 24, 2008 by sidewinder

[JohnS]

What festival isn't a disappointment these days. Enjoy Tyner and Gravatt.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Shame about the band with Moran - all great players, sorry to hear it didn't gel! Caught Nasheet Waits a few weeks back with Tony Malaby and William Parker, and he was very special.

[Patrick]

I saw the Moran piece in Washington DC (second performance after it debuted in North Carolina). Hoppy T Frog and I discussed it here:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...02&hl=Moran

I've also seen Tyner a few times recently. He is getting really old. Don't be surprised if he lasts only 40 minutes. Go for Lovano, Gravatt etc.

[JohnS]

Thanks Patrick. Press reviews here also picked up on the technical problems I mentioned. Otherwise seems the show was more or less the same as the on you attended.

[A Lark Ascending]

I really enjoyed Moran in Bath on Saturday night.

It was a chancer for me - I've heard little Moran and had him down as a bit of a hyped wunderkind. I was also a bit worried of a hip-hop beat overdose, in the even totally unfounded.

Marvellous, fiery playing of the Monk pieces with some great solos - I expected it of Jason Yarde but Denys Baptiste pulled of a storming opener. The visuals didn't bother me - kept my attention, didn't distract.

Moran did an interview prior, I assume for some later BBC broadcast. Came across a very nice chap.

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

I'd initially intended to skip Bath this year but was glad I went. Sylvie Courvosier did a great set with a quintet on Saturday afternoon (again, someone I'd not previously warmed to). Gilad Atzmon was in fine form on Sunday. The only slight disappointment was the the Richard Galliano quartet. Brilliant playing but all a bit slick with those party piece moments where the instrumentalists gets to show how fast they can play. Amazing what response you can get from an audience by coming out rom behind your rum kit and rattling some shakers!

[sidewinder]

I've also seen Tyner a few times recently. He is getting really old. Don't be surprised if he lasts only 40 minutes. Go for Lovano, Gravatt etc.

Fine Tyner performance last night, a real pleasure. McCoy isn't pounding the keys as hard as he used to but if anything he's more thoughtful and lyrical these days. His stamina seemed fine too and the band (Eric Gravatt in particular - astonishing) gelled nicely. Shame about the boominess of the acoustics in The Forum though (old art-deco theatre). Acoustics worthy of Dean Benedetti !

Edited May 27, 2008 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Gilad Atzmon was in fine form on Sunday.

Yep, saw him earlier in the year at a local club venue. One of the best players/small group playing the UK at current time !

[sidewinder]

I'd initially intended to skip Bath this year but was glad I went.

I have to say Bev that it was (bar the Tyner) probably the weakest lineup I've seen at Bath for years - not helped by the big cutback in terms of numbers of concerts. Sadly, I guess the Olympics ( ) are starting to eat into subsidies for these things. Or maybe Bath and North Seast Somerset Council have cut back their subsidies?

[A Lark Ascending]

I'd initially intended to skip Bath this year but was glad I went.

I have to say Bev that it was (bar the Tyner) probably the weakest lineup I've seen at Bath for years - not helped by the big cutback in terms of numbers of concerts. Sadly, I guess the Olympics ( ) are starting to eat into subsidies for these things. Or maybe Bath and North Seast Somerset Council have cut back their subsidies?

I overheard some of the locals in one of the record shops (they still have record shops in Bath! This one - Milsom/n - looks like they did in the 70s when they also sold musical instruments!) complaining about the opening festivities. I got the impression they'd been dotted round the locality instead of being just in the city.

I think part of it might be Joanna McGregor being 'innovative'. Can lead to 'unfocussed'. I've alway been a big supporter of Bath's European centre of gravity and willingness to reach out beyond the comfort zones of the jazz listener. But in the last couple of years it seems to have gone so far into the 'World Music' direction that it's neglected the music nearer the centre. I could just do with a bit more blowing!

'World Music' seems to have a much bigger draw than jazz - it seems to pull in a colour supplement crowd. Well dressed, very loud, over-excited, applauding in an exaggerated way that seems to be as much about being noticed as responding. I noticed something similar at a Cuban concert at Cheltenham a few weeks back. These were people who knew their wine!

(Apologies for the lower middle class inverted snobbery!)

[Patrick]

I've also seen Tyner a few times recently. He is getting really old. Don't be surprised if he lasts only 40 minutes. Go for Lovano, Gravatt etc.

Fine Tyner performance last night, a real pleasure. McCoy isn't pounding the keys as hard as he used to but if anything he's more thoughtful and lyrical these days. His stamina seemed fine too and the band (Eric Gravatt in particular - astonishing) gelled nicely. Shame about the boominess of the acoustics in The Forum though (old art-deco theatre). Acoustics worthy of Dean Benedetti !

Glad to hear that McCoy delivered. Maybe that UK air agrees with him!

[Tom Storer]

I found a lot of the multi media projection distracting especialy trying to read text as well as listen and watch the musicians.

Call me a reactionary, but I can't get with multimedia stuff. With rare exceptions, I prefer my arts one at a time.

I've also seen Tyner a few times recently. He is getting really old.

He's "only" seventy. What happened? I think he must have had some sort of health problems. A few years ago, it seems, he suddenly lost a lot of weight.

Here's a photo from ten years ago (not flattering, but you can see that he was a beefy kind of guy):

And here's the photo from his latest album:

That album, by the way, is very nice indeed, with Lovano, McBride, and Watts. Lovano plays beautifully on it.

[sidewinder]

These were people who knew their wine!

Yeah, those were the people who bought stacks of Windham Hill new age vinyl BS back in the mid-80s to listen to whilst supping their designer wines and gazing at crystals

That must be the 'Duck, Son & Pinker' CD shop (really a musical instrument shop that does CDs) you were referring to. Always worth a look in there. Bath of course also has that really excellent specialist little jazz CD store a bit further up the road, near 'The Hole In The Wall'. Greatest concentration of jazz CD outlets per head of population in the UK !

First time I saw McCoy back in about 1981 he was as Tom mentioned a pretty beefy build. Certainly stayed that way through the 90s and into this decade but I noticed quite a bit of weight loss about 3 years ago. He's not too agile going across the stage now either but looked to be enjoying himself at Bath and, I'm glad to say, got an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Most interestingly, the band seemed to cover quite a bit of old Blue Note material including a few tracks from 'The Real McCoy'. Don't think I'd heard him do 'Passion Dance' before.

Edited May 27, 2008 by sidewinder