Tony Malaby's Tamarindo 5/10 NYC

[Steve Reynolds]

First time seeing the original trio with William Parker and Nasheet Waits

First set started late and slowly with Waits on brushes and eventually creating an attractive bass drum groove of some sort. Most of the set meandered with some intricate improvising and a few nice passages. As usual the band played straight through utilizing Malaby's written material as a base for the collective improvisations but surprisingly and dissapointingly most of the ideas fell short of my very high expectations for these master musicians.

My wife liked the first set more than I did as she thought the drummer was incredible - but I've heard all of them more inspired. This is a difficult music for the best improvisors to take to a truly inspiring level as they do not rely on stock riffs of patterns or audience exciting grooves.

First 15 minutes of the second set changed everything as Malaby played an extended improvisation on tenor over menacing and driven bass/drums that was all over the horn with some altissimo lines that came from a different universe. Middle of the set was a bit up and down and then towards the end of the night, I had my faith renewed in humanity as I mentioned elsewhere where it all came together and I was reminded that giants walk this earth. A few people besides me were screamin' a bit and I heard Nasheet Waits as I never heard him before - bombs and intensity beyond and Parker was magical with the bow and fingers and Tony was possessed on the tenor saxophone. Fucking possessed and playing like a mad scientist. Maybe the greatest performance I've ever heard from him. Stunning

Love always

Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

Edited May 12, 2014 by Steve Reynolds

[Leeway]

Thanks for the review Steve. Right on the money.

[relyles]

Darn. I had plans to drive into NY/NJ Saturday night and contemplated getting to this show. Unfortunately, I was so worn out after a full day of running around for kid related stuff, I did not have the energy to leave as early as I would have to get there.

[MomsMobley]

Thanks for this, Steve, sincerely... But isn't it as much an indictment of Malaby-- of 'the scene,' 'the process'-- as praise song?

So three 'master musicians,' who have played together before, provided you with what 12-15-20 minutes of decent music and the rest of time they were jerking off or feeling each other up/'out'?

They're goddamn professionals, they're supposed supposed to be goddamn entertainers-- play the fucking tune/not tune & go: it's NOT that difficult.

Or just play "Cherokee," if you think they can handle it.

For some of these ad hoc big bands, I understand-- but don't condone-- the slop but this is NOT complex music; you'd think with so many years of experience, they'd be ready & know how to hit the stage READY. It's also a New York gig so it's not like travel/fatigue was an issue.

You think Billy Eckstine or Dizzy or James Brown etc etc (Charlie Barnett!) (Sam Rivers!) (Barry Guy even) put up with these sort of extended longeurs?

Hey guess what? Maybe "telephathic interplay"-- biggest fraud/cliche in all jazz & "improvised music," thank you for not using it-- is NOT the best way to make music; some instructions, and charts-- even "aleotoric," yuk yuk (graphic scores can be fun but are often fraudulent)-- might help... Alot.

Or-- and this is not an insult-- did perhaps Malaby, Parker, Waits actually perform at a sustained high level, relative to the source material, but that the listening artists are the ones who are up & down?

Demand better.

Edited May 15, 2014 by MomsMobley

[king ubu]

demand better? yup!

hope the Sun Ra Arkestra and said Barry Guy will deliver next week!

www.taktlos.com

But I'd surely give Malaby another chance if he were in town again!

[MomsMobley]

I'd put my money on Barry Guy-- never heard him deliver a slack performance-- & those Intakt CDs are phenonemal, especially

Inscape - Tableux

http://www.intaktrec.ch/202-a.htm

Arkestra I'd hope for the best but I suspect it'll be good; they deserve optimism, at least, unlike some performers who have worn their indulgences plum out.

[Steve Reynolds]

I'd put my money on Barry Guy-- never heard him deliver a slack performance-- & those Intakt CDs are phenonemal, especially

Inscape - Tableux

http://www.intaktrec.ch/202-a.htm

Arkestra I'd hope for the best but I suspect it'll be good; they deserve optimism, at least, unlike some performers who have worn their indulgences plum out.

Agree about Inscape/Tableaux. As far as Barry Guy in general, I've only seen him once back in the day with Crispell and Hemingway and is imprinted in my brain how great the guy was live. I've listened to his improvisations and compositions through his large ensembles for many years and he is one if the truly great bassists/composers/organizers that I know of.

As far as my comments on the above show methinks parts of it is the listener - in this case - ME! For the musicians I really appreciate (and Malaby is near the top of that list), I do expect something beyond the ordinary and since I've been seeing/hearing him play live as much or more than any other musician over the past number of years, I sometimes set my expectations too high as I do realize what he is capable of. I also realize that a substandard or set or night filled with longuers is sometimes my perception as some listeners - like my wife this past Saturday night - was very happy with the first set of music.

What I do also realize is that I am not as interested as some in the softer balladic interludes that to my ears is overdone time and effort wise these days in this sort of music. I also understand that sometimes those quieter or introspective passages are building blocks to what comes later. Or that could be an excuse. Or as I said, it could be an issue with this listener.

[Leeway]

I'll take 20 minutes of Malaby in peak form over 60 or 70 minutes of someone else xeroxing "Cherokee"" or the Blue Note Catalog.

For me, and many others, this is music of the ecstatic moment. I don't care how it gets there, only that it arrives. I'm for all-in, not hedging my bets. I don't care about lose and draw.

A musician from a recent gig I attended said it was "present tense music." Present at the delivery and reception. That's where I want to be during the performance. If you don't like my listener painting, paint your own.