McCoy Tyner & Bobby Hutcherson @ Jazz Bakery, LA

[The Mule]

Anybody else see their week-long stay at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles?

I was at the second set on Saturday night and they were awesome.

The set began with Tyner performing solo on Trane's "Lazy Bird." He worked up a sweat almost immediately stomping his left foot and humming/singing throughout.

Hutcherson then came out and they launched into an amazing performance of "Love for Sale" (I think, my memory is a little fuzzy).

Hutcherson was full of playful energy throughout the entire set. His body totally animated as the mallets flew across the vibes. He and Tyner were constantly glancing at each other and trading little flourishes making each other smile. Hutcherson's hands were flying so fast that at one point he cut one of his right knuckles on the vibes.

One of the tunes they played seemed to be an original (probably off their new cd on Telarc) and there a couple of others I recognized from the Blue Note days but can't recall the names at the moment.

The Jazz Bakery was as packed as I've ever seen it--as was the first set. Amazing. Last year I was there to see Andrew Hill and there were only a dozen people.

The set was relatively short. Just shy of 70 minutes. It seems Hutcherson could have played all night, but Tyner seemed spent. They came out for one encore and called it a night. I think the audience would have stayed for another two hours.

Tonight's their last night if anyone in the LA area wants to check it out. Tickets are $35.

[jazzbo]

Glad you got to see them! I've only heard great things about their appearnces together.

[BFrank]

Saw them early this year at Yoshi's along with Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette. They definitely seemed to enjoy performing together.

This sounds like it was a great show, too.

[RDK]

Was hoping to catch them, but this week has turned out to be way too crazy. Have friends in town tonight and no time...

Also hoping to catch Pharoah Sanders at the Bakery next week.

[RainyDay]

I saw them at Yoshi's this year also and thought Hutcherson overpowered Tyner. I enjoy both musicians a lot and see them often but that pairing didn't work well for me this time out. I saw them together a few years ago and don't recall having that reaction.

[Indestructible!]

Hi Mule,

Hey, I was at that same set last night! I was sitting in C12, where were you? Damn, I should've asked before on this board if anyone was going to this gig... it would be nice to meet some of us wacky Organissimo's in person!

I enjoyed the set, and pretty much concur with your review. I was a tad disappointed with the set length, though. I did happen to catch McCoy Tyner about 6 weeks ago in Birdland in NYC with Al Foster and George Mraz, and he played MUCH better than he did last night. Foster drove him pretty hard!!!

Still, a nice night of music... Hutch is just great! And it was gratifying to see the Bakery so packed for both sets!

Cheers,

Shane

[The Mule]

We were in the same row, man. My group was sitting in C 8-11. Sounds like you were sitting next to my best friend's wife!

Yeah, I agree the set was too short. Seemed to me McCoy was tired. Did you get that impression as well?

Hutcherson, however, was wild. Seemed much looser and more animated than the last time I saw him at Catalina's.

[Indestructible!]

Hi Mule,

Man, talk about a small world! I was sitting next to your best friend's wife, and I do remember your whole group to my right. I even remember that the Bakery sold another couple the same seats your friends were sitting in... and they had to go exchange them out!

I agree that McCoy seemed tired for some reason. I got to the second set pretty early, so I snuck in for one tune in the first set (something they'd NEVER let me do at the Vanguard!)... and McCoy seemed tired even then. Hutch definitely brought the energy last night, though!

And I also agree with you about Hutch... the last time I saw him at Catalina's, he played a 55 minute set and didn't seem too into it at all. Of course, the fact that there were only about 15 of us in the club that night probably didn't help with the energy levels.

But last night? I'll take Hutch like that EVERY time!!!

Cheers,

Shane

Edited October 20, 2003 by Indestructible!

[DrJ]

I'm envious - wish I had been able to see this show!

Off topic but just a bit - how do people who have heard it feel about the new Tyner/Hutch (with bass and drums in this instance) CD on Telarc, LAND OF GIANTS? I've been particularly eyeing the SACD version - I'm sure the sound quality will be spectacular, but what of the music? I know they're different birds given the presence of bass and drums on the new one, but how would it compare to their slightly earlier collaboration, MANHATTAN MOODS (which I think is superb)?

[Indestructible!]

Hi DrJ,

You know, a friend of mine picked that CD up just the other day (Land of Giants), and I had a chance to listen to it in his car. Something was not right on that CD... there was this background noise that drove us both nuts!

He said he had a chance to listen to it on his rig at home the other day (he's got a nice setup), and the noise was still prevalent throughout the entire disc. So, I'm wondering if they are all like that, or whether he just got a bad pressing.

Anyone else notice that annoying-as-hell background noise on Land of Giants???

Otherwise, I liked the music on first listen... it seemed to be up there with Manhattan Moods.

Cheers,

Shane

[The Mule]

Indestructible! -

Yeah, the situation with the seats was odd. I had made reservations on Thursday for the show and showed up at 7pm on Saturday to select our seats. At 10pm, once we sat down, there was another couple who had tickets C 10 & 11. Felt bad for them, but hell, I got there when the box office opened to make sure we got good seats and I wasn't about to move!

So your impression was that couple didn't get to see the show at all? I had assumed they were moved to a different section. Man, I hope they weren't forced to leave...

Yes, the Jazz Bakery has a pretty generous policy when it comes to seeing both sets for one ticket price if they place isn't full. I've seen both sets several times on one ticket. One reason I was so surprised (and pleased) it was a full house for both sets is that it's almost NEVER like that in LA...

Tony -

I haven't picked up the new Tyner/Hutcherson disc yet, but after seeing the show I think I will (if I can find it for less than $18.99!).

btw, THAT KID IS ADORABLE!!!

Edited October 20, 2003 by The Mule

[Soul Stream]

I've never been the the Jazz Bakery. However, isn't it fairly small? I'm surprised turnout is usually not capacity if it is. I'm often amazed at the state of jazz turnout in huge cities such as NYC or L.A from the stories I've heard. And also, the relatively short stays in NYC....

[The Mule]

It's relatively small. Think it seats about 200. It's more of a concert hall than a nightclub. You can buy coffee, beer & wine at a small bar in the lobby, but there are no tables or waiters inside--just rows of seats (plastic ones). Acoustics are only so-so.

Catalina Bar & Grill is a jazz supper club. There's an infamous two-drink minimum on top of the ticket price. They serve dinner as well. I prefer the atmosphere at Catalina, but you get the tourists and loudmouths who aren't necessarily there to see the band. That be can irritating.

The Jazz Bakery, on the other hand, is pretty much all about the music and everyone is quiet and attentive.

I go to both clubs several times a year and RARELY are they full. The only time I've ever seen Catalina's sold-out was for Jimmy Smith and last night at the Bakery was the most crowded I've ever seen it.

[Soul Stream]

It's relatively small. Think it seats about 200. It's more of a concert hall than a nightclub. You can buy coffee, beer & wine at a small bar in the lobby, but there are no tables or waiters inside--just rows of seats (plastic ones). Acoustics are only so-so.

Catalina Bar & Grill is a jazz supper club. There's an infamous two-drink minimum on top of the ticket price. They serve dinner as well. I prefer the atmosphere at Catalina, but you get the tourists and loudmouths who aren't necessarily there to see the band. That be can irritating.

The Jazz Bakery, on the other hand, is pretty much all about the music and everyone is quiet and attentive.

I go to both clubs several times a year and RARELY are they full. The only time I've ever seen Catalina's sold-out was for Jimmy Smith and last night at the Bakery was the most crowded I've ever seen it.

Wow. McCoy and Bobby. Two legendary GIANTS in jazz. They don't get much bigger than that. And to think they can't sell 200 seats out a night in a town the size of L.A.... That REALLY makes me question the cultural level of the United States.

Edited October 20, 2003 by Soul Stream

[The Mule]

Wow. McCoy and Bobby. Two legendary GIANTS in jazz. They don't get much bigger than that. And to think they can't sell 200 seats out a night in a town the size of L.A.... That REALLY makes me question the cultural level of the United States.

You misunderstood. Both sets on Saturday night for Tyner & Hutcherson were sold out (or close to it). I don't know how the rest of their week-long stay went, but Saturday was packed.

However, I've been to some concert were there was a pathetic lack of people there. Last year I saw Andrew Hill at the Bakery and there were only about 12 people there. I saw Martial Solal in what was his FIRST EVER appearance in LA and it wasn't even half-full for the first set.

A few years back I saw Hutcherson and Harold Land and it was only about half-full as well.

It's been my experience that only the really BIG names pack the house in LA.

[Soul Stream]

Wow.  McCoy and Bobby.  Two legendary GIANTS in jazz.  They don't get much bigger than that.  And to think they can't sell 200 seats out a night in a town the size of L.A....  That REALLY makes me question the cultural level of the United States.

You misunderstood. Both sets on Saturday night for Tyner & Hutcherson were sold out (or close to it). I don't know how the rest of their week-long stay went, but Saturday was packed.

However, I've been to some concert were there was a pathetic lack of people there. Last year I saw Andrew Hill at the Bakery and there were only about 12 people there. I saw Martial Solal in what was his FIRST EVER appearance in LA and it wasn't even half-full for the first set.

A few years back I saw Hutcherson and Harold Land and it was only about half-full as well.

It's been my experience that only the really BIG names pack the house in LA.

Well, I felt a little better when I started reading you post. That is until you said Andrew Hill had 12 people!

[Indestructible!]

Hi Mule & Soul Stream,

First, no need to worry about that other couple who was double booked in your seats... I saw them move to another section, so they definitely saw the show!

As for the "attendance" at jazz shows here in LA, well... when I moved here from New York a couple of years ago and started going to gigs, I was disappointed at the turnouts in LA. But, now I'm used to it, and I never usually worry about any show being sold out!

As Mule stated, I too have been to shows where there were only a handful of us in attendance. This includes gigs by "names" such as Andrew Hill, Lonnie Smith, Martial Solal, Sam Rivers, Bobby Hutcherson, Ray Hargrove, Curtis Fuller, Pharoah Sanders, etc.

I sometimes get upset at the poor turnout in this city, but then I'll see packed shows like the one last weekend (McCoy & Hutch)... or a packed venue like Rocco's for the Vandermark 5... or Kenny Burrell bringing them in in droves at Catalina's, and I think all is right with the world again! And some of the bigger concerts (Hancock at the Hollywood Bowl, Shorter at USC) do very well!

Cheers,

Shane

[Adam]

I missed it. Had intended to go and then just couldn't. I'll be kicking myself for a while.

I saw McCoy Tyner solo at the Bakery last year, and that was sold out.

But I've also seen Greg Osby there on a Wednesday night and there were 5 or 6 people in the crowd.

[DrJ]

Digging this up because I finally caught up with LAND OF GIANTS and it's a fabulous CD, the best souvenier I can think of for those of us not lucky enough to see the shows these two did together. Interesting that as people are mentioning above, Hutch sounds much more on top of his game here than Tyner, who sounds unusually subdued. Hope his health is OK. Hutcherson is flat out superb on the opener "Serra Do Mar," and on the ballad "December" which joins "For Heaven's Sake" from his prior duo album with Tyner MANHATTAN MOODS as an all-time classic.

Only real musical quibble is that I'm not big on the drummer Eric Harland, my first exposure to him. He's so-so mostly, but there are times where he just doesn't seem to have a clue about what to do on some of the tunes. There's a pretty embarrassingly wooly take on "If I Were a Bell" - where he tries lamely to do a Philly Joe homage with that stick on rim thing but it's totally wrong for the mood, and you can almost hear Hutcherson - who's on fire - looking around at the rhythm section going "Come on guys, look sharp, keep up!" And then there's a totally out of place back-beat segment he inserts into one of the tunes ("Steppin'" I think). Boo.

Someone mentioned a noise in the background...well, it's just Charnett Moffett's bass, the close mike picks up a lot of the noise of his fingers hitting the strings, or the strings vibrating and clicking on the tailpiece or something. But that's definitely the source. I don't find it too distracting, but it does seem a little odd given the otherwise phenomenal recording quality on this...I went for the SACD hybrid and the SACD layer is unreal. This unwanted noise is probably one of the "cons" of ultra-high resolution recordings, although I have to believe there would have been a way to minimize this with mic'ing techniques.

Edited April 29, 2004 by DrJ

[sal]

Off topic but just a bit - how do people who have heard it feel about the new Tyner/Hutch (with bass and drums in this instance) CD on Telarc, LAND OF GIANTS?

I really, really like this disc. Charnet Moffett and Eric Harland are perfect for McCoy and Bobby. The new songs are great. I highly recommend this one. I don't have the SACD version, but the regular version was recorded using DSD. It sounds sweet to me.

[sal]

Only real musical quibble is that I'm not big on the drummer Eric Harland, my first exposure to him.

Dr J. -

Give Terrance Blanchard's "Bounce" or Greg Osby's "Inner Circle" a spin and I'm pretty sure you're opinion will change. Just remembered....he plays on Jason Moran's "Soundtrack to Human Motion" as well. He's one of my favorite "new" drummers.

[DrJ]

Sal - no major slur meant on this recording, it is highly recommended I agree. Re: Harland, I'm sure he's phenomenally talented, but to me he sounds a little wrong, or perhaps under-prepared, for some of these tunes (especially what he does to "If I Were a Bell"). He does sound really great on the more modal, "modern" stuff of McCoy's, so I suspect you're right, in the younger company you list he's probably a perfect fit. Partly might be personal taste too - I'm not a big fan of heavy backbeats in jazz, and he does seem to favor them at times (as do many of the younger drummers to my ears - probably the rock era effect), where I'd like to hear a more subtle kind of dancing!

I also agree with you, the standard CD layer on this one is so good that it comes really close to the SACD layer even when using a moderate level CD player...I'm upgrading my CD system and as a result probably won't even be using SACD, at least for a while, and on the higher end CD player I suspect the CD layer will actually EXCEED what I've been hearing on the SACD. It is amazingly well done.