Herbie Hanckock 4tet, Columbia MO, Thu. April 8th

[Rooster_Ties]

Spontooneous and I are going to hear Herbie on Thursday, April 8th - in Columbia, MO. He's playing as a quartet with Gary Thomas, Scott Colley, and Terri Lyne Carrington. I've heard Herbie before (on his duo tour with Wayne, like 7 years ago). But this'll be my first time hearing Gary Thomas -- HELLYEAH!!!!

If we get the chance to tug at Herbie's ear, anybody got any good and interesting questions for him??

In particular, I want to ask him about that Tyrone Washington "Trainwreck" BN session he's on (that's never been released), and I'd be glad for any suggestions people might have about how to tee that topic up with Herbie. (I know, not calling it the "Trainwreck" session might be a good rule of thumb. )

Are there any other discographical questions of Herbie that people want asked??

Anybody else here on the board going to this show?? Free For All -- got a gig that night??? If not, you wanna go too?? Eric??

Anybody from St. Louis going??

Edited March 23, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[GregK]

how do you plan on talking with him? Do you have something scheduled with him somehow? I'm confused.

Ask him if he has any live CDs of these shows he's currently playing coming out soon

[Pete C]

Are there any other discographical questions of Herbie that people want asked??

I read somewhere, I think in the liner notes to a Miles album, that in 1965 Herbie took a quartet to the Left Bank in Baltimore that was the Miles rhythm section plus Sam Rivers. I wonder if the tapes exist, as so many from the Left Bank do.

[jacknife]

Just bought my tickets for Herbie, Jack Dejohnette and Dave Holland at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on April 15th. Usually after the show the artists will come into the lounge and mingle with the crowd. Can't wait!

[sal]

I hope you all enjoy your shows!

As for me, I'll be seeing Herbie two weeks in a row here in Chicago....one show will be a quartet with Wayne Shorter (!) and the second show is the trio with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette.

[Peter Johnson]

Tom--

Good luck meeting up with HH. I "stalked" him after a show here in Philly last year because I just wanted to thank him for providing years of musical enjoyment. After talking to a few security guards, I finally got someone "in the know," who told me when and where to wait. I was the only one, and had a two minute (max!) chat with HH. He was freezing his ass off (he lives in LA now) and clearly wanted to get going. But I shook his hand and he seemed to appreciate me taking the time...a VERY cool moment.

PJ

[Rooster_Ties]

I was thinking that there'd be some chance to catch a word with him, somehow. I had no trouble getting backstage 7 or 8 years ago, and I talked with Herbie for two or three minutes, and Wayne for a couple minutes as well.

I'm also hoping to talk to Gary Thomas too. Hell, he's close to half the reason I'm going!!! (Herbie's not the only reason to hear this group.)

Re: the Left Bank recordings with Sam Rivers, I know I've seen them listed as having been recorded. (The full list is on-line, somewhere - I know I've seen it.) No idea what kind of quality the tapes are (or how badly out of tune that piano was then, since it's pretty badly out of tune on several of the other Left Bank things I've heard).

My goal with asking Herbie about Tryone, is to try to get some fond remembrance of the Tyrone date out of Herbie, and get a good quote from him about it -- and then mention that quote to Michael Cuscuna, in an effort to listen to the tapes again, and maybe reconsider their quality for release purposes (even just a track or two). And who knows, I might learn a thing or two about Tyrone in the process.

[Free For All]

Hey Rooster- I'd be happy to go but I unfortunately have an "obligation" (the jazz band I'm directing at Washburn is scheduled for a concert that night). I'd love to go as much for the hang with you and Spon as for the music. Or to watch you work your backstage magic.

[rockefeller center]

Rooster, if you get the chance, please ask him if, in 1977, this band toured as "Herbie Hancock Group/Quartet" or "Headhunters":

Bennie Maupin ts, ss, lyricon; Herbie Hancock kbd; Jaco Pastorius b;

James Levi dr

Thanks!

[DTMX]

My sax teacher is a huge Gary Thomas fan so when HH brought his quartet to town in 2002 I picked up some fourth row seats to pay him back for putting up with my do-it-when-I-have-time approach to practicing. Great show; GT was low-key but amazing. GT only played tenor - he didn't bless us with any of his incredible flutework. Terry Lynne Carrington stole the show. They didn't play Canteloupe Island (disappointment), but did play Rockit. They (whoever they are) really need to document this band - live or in the studio.

[Rooster_Ties]

GT only played tenor - he didn't bless us with any of his incredible flutework.

I'm not a particular fan of jazz flute, but from what I've heard on record -- Gary Thomas is THE best jazz flute player I know of. Frankly, I'd love it if he recorded an all-flute disc with a piano trio. (And I normally am pretty "ho-hum" about jazz flute.)

Who knows if he'll bring it, but the concert flyer for this show says tenor and flute.

And he's one hell of a tenor player too. I'd probably drive 4 hours round-trip just to hear Gary Thomas with a local pick-up band. (But whether or not I'd to that a second time, would depend on him delivering the goods the first time -- you dig!!)

Anyway, I've never heard Thomas before (live), and I'm reallly looking forward to it, as much as hearing Herbie.

Edited March 23, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

Rooster, if you get the chance, please ask him if, in 1977, this band toured as "Herbie Hancock Group/Quartet" or "Headhunters":

Bennie Maupin ts, ss, lyricon; Herbie Hancock kbd; Jaco Pastorius b;

James Levi dr

Thanks!

I'm not totally up on my Herbie in the 70's. Is there anything particularly unique about this band?? Like, is this the only band Herbie lead with Jaco in it?? - for instance. Or anything else that uniquely identifies it besides just the "in 1977" tag?? (And the other musicians too in the group too, obviously – maybe that particular combination.)

Just thought this might help me phrase the question better, and maybe jog his memory a bit better too.

Perhaps a better question I might have, before asking this of the man, is why does it matter much what name the group toured under?? I mean, if you know who's in the band, what does it matter what name it toured under??

I could see Herbie asking me why I even cared, or at least giving me a puzzled look at a question like that.

[couw]

I could see Herbie asking me why I even cared, or at least giving me a puzzled look at a question like that.

It's all about conservation of energy and momentum.

[rockefeller center]

Rooster, if you get the chance, please ask him if, in 1977, this band toured as "Herbie Hancock Group/Quartet" or "Headhunters":

Bennie Maupin ts, ss, lyricon; Herbie Hancock kbd; Jaco Pastorius b;

James Levi dr

Thanks!

I'm not totally up on my Herbie in the 70's. Is there anything particularly unique about this band?? Like, is this the only band Herbie lead with Jaco in it?? - for instance. Or anything else that uniquely identifies it besides just the "in 1977" tag?? (And the other musicians too in the group too, obviously – maybe that particular combination.)

Just thought this might help me phrase the question better, and maybe jog his memory a bit better too.

Perhaps a better question I might have, before asking this of the man, is why does it matter much what name the group toured under?? I mean, if you know who's in the band, what does it matter what name it toured under??

I could see Herbie asking me why I even cared, or at least giving me a puzzled look at a question like that.

JP substituted for Paul Jackson in 1977 for a couple of times. Hancock surely remembers that (the info would be for some sessionographies). And now that you mention it... yes, it might be a somewhat strange question. Surely not the best one to start the conversation.

[rockefeller center]

I could see Herbie asking me why I even cared, or at least giving me a puzzled look at a question like that.

It's all about conservation of energy and momentum.

[relyles]

Rooster, if you get the chance, please ask him if, in 1977, this band toured as "Herbie Hancock Group/Quartet" or "Headhunters":

Bennie Maupin ts, ss, lyricon; Herbie Hancock kbd; Jaco Pastorius b;

James Levi dr

Thanks!

There are some unofficial recordings of live performances by this group that circulate among traders. Specifically, I am aware of at least one from Chicago in February of 1977. I believe it may have been a radio broadcast. Good stuff.

[Kari S]

Ask him if there's plans for any future releases of live performances (past and present) on CD or, especially DVD. You see glimpses of concerts from the 70's in documentaries, for example, and the fact that none of these are released puzzles me. (The same goes for Miles concerts). Obviously the issue of quality comes to mind as one reason, but nevertheless I'm sure that somewhere there is a guy like Claude Nobs who's just sitting on a huge pile of ultra-rare concert footage...

[ghost of miles]

Rooster, just found out I'm going to get to see Herbie's quartet here in Bloomington, the night before the Columbia concert. Ain't we a lucky pair?

[jazzmessenger]

Ghost, where is the group playing? I knew they are playing at Purdue, but I didn't know they will also be in Bloomington. I am not sure if I can make the concert, but I want more info.

[vibes]

I'll be at the Purdue show, a couple nights after the Columbia show. Very much looking forward to it!

[rachel]

Ghost, where is the group playing?  I knew they are playing at Purdue, but I didn't know they will also be in Bloomington.  I am not sure if I can make the concert, but I want more info.

They'll be at IU Auditorium.

4/7/04 at 8 PM; tix are 30 for general pub. and 25 for IU students.

Ticketmaster or IU Auditorium Box Office at 812/333-9955.

http://www.imu.indiana.edu/union_board/pre...bie_Hancock.pdf

Edited March 27, 2004 by rachel

[jazzmessenger]

Thanks for the info, Rachel.

[rachel]

You're welcome JM. Too bad it's a middle-of-the-week show. This might warrant a [*coughing loudly to get ready for the phone call to supervisor*] sick day.

[ghost of miles]

Anybody else catch the Bloomington show? I thought it was great... Here's the set-list:

1. I Love You (Cole Porter)

2. Watermelon Man

3. Dolphin Dance--extended suite

4. Canteloupe Island

Encore:

5. Maiden Voyage

All of the pieces very extended, by the way. For me, the star of the evening was Terri Lynne Carrington. What an amazing drummer! She and Scott Colley worked very well together. It was heartening to see a jazz audience that was so diverse in age, pretty much from teenagers to people in their 70s. Some of the younger fans got on my nerves after awhile, because they kept yelling "'Chameleon! Canteloupe Island!'" etc., etc. (In response to a shouted request for "Rockit," Hancock reached into the piano and plucked it for a few moments on the piano strings.)

Gary Thomas had some fine moments, but seemed a bit lone-wolfish at times. However, I think this might have been in response to the one disturbing moment of the evening. It came during Hancock's long, relaxed, chatty monologue with the audience before the quartet had started to play. He introduced Thomas as an "educator" (said with just a hint of smiling disdain), and then said, "I'm suprised Gary didn't bring a cup out with him. I know the place where he teaches needs more funding, so I thought he'd be roaming up and down the aisles here with a cup, asking for money." Frankly, it was kind of humiliating for Thomas. He gave a sheepish smile but looked pissed off the rest of the night. Either Herbie was making a very ill-advised joke, or he was engaging in some perversion of a Miles tactic, riling up a band-member (but didn't Miles do it privately? Whispering to Cannonball & Coltrane about the other, etc.?) It was the one unpleasant aspect of an otherwise very enjoyable evening.

Edited April 8, 2004 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

Rooster: how was the show you saw last night?