Youre most memorable gig/concert?

[Pim]

As a 32 year old I really sometimes have the feeling I missed all of the fun in the world of jazz. My absolute lifelong idol John Coltrane feels like some kind of saint who lived a long time ago. He died in 1967 and I was born 23 years later. I even missed my dearest Mal Waldron who played in 2002 at the Bimhuis only 28 kilometres from my home. I must have been playing soccer or catching bugs outside not even knowing about Mals existence let alone realize this was the last opportunity to catch him alive.

From the age of 16 I started listening to jazz more seriously (my dad lay the foundations) and also started visiting concerts. I did manage to see quite some people: Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Peter Brötzmann, Charles Gayle, Cecil Taylor, Chico Freeman, David Murray and Kenny Garrett.

One of the things I enjoy most here on the board are the personal stories from the people who did see all of these legends live. The personal anecdotes like recently @Mark Stryker smoking a joint at the Village Vanguard at a Arthur Blythe concert or @bresna and @sidewinder almost getting a serious punch from JJ Johnsons trombone slide. So maybe in this thread people could exchange some of those great memories. I would love to hear those stories. They don't have to be good memories necissarily as I know some of those jazz artists weren't the nicest of people. But just interesting stuff people will always remember. And are there any people around here who have seen Coltrane perform live? 

I think my most memorable performance was Pharaoh Sanders at the Bimhuis. I was entering the restaurant when I saw him sitting and eating there with his band. Every cell in my body wanted to go up to him and ask for his autograph. I had a cd copy of Village of the Pharoah's in my pocket for that opportunity. Then he looked up from his table with that very serious look in his eyes (he had a very expressive face with those big grey eyebrows and beard) and I suddenly didnt had the guts anymore to approach him. I still regret it everyday. From what i know of stories he was a very friendly and warm personality.

I also loved the interview I did with David Friesen about Mal Waldron. He shared some wonderful personal stories about his time with Mal.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Pim

[sidewinder]

Funny to hear about Pharoah eating at a gig - I remember one occasion catching him at a club and pre gig he and William Henderson were heartily tucking into a meal.

Same thing happened with Lee Konitz too !

One of my most memorable experiences is catching Andrew Hill shortly after a performance. Pre-performance I noticed him having a meal. After the gig he was backstage chilling out and supping one of the nice local beers and I got about 15 mins chatting to him. Real nice guy. He signed some CDs and my Mosaic booklet too.

Another memorable gig chat was with Sam Rivers. Again, Sam was delightful and he did the honours with the Mosaic booklet. The music with his Florida trio was great too - I saw him twice that tour, including Southampton with JohnS. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by sidewinder

[Dan Gould]

I've told the story before but the former Gene Harris Fanatic only got one chance to see him in person, which was at the Blue Note in NYC with the rest of the Ray Brown Trio.

At the time his feature was "Summertime" and it was captured on CD on the release Bam Bam Bam, which also was captured on video here:

Now, that's a helluva performance if you love Gene but imagine the same approach to the tune extended for about twice as long, with Gene again alternating between those delicate passages and the romping/rocking style, like Spinal Tap going to 12 on their amps instead of 11.

I have never in my life heard a louder or more sustained crowd response at the end of a tune than in that cramped club. My ears were ringing - loudly. But to top it off, Ray Brown brought the house down again, just as loudly, when he looked over at Gene and said

"you keep playing that piano like that, it's gonna follow you home!"

Edit to add: I started posting without realizing Pim was looking more for personal encounters so here's one:  Jim Alfredson is still a personable chap even after eating a plate of very bad fish at Boston's in Delray Beach, FL.  The lights were not helping his complexion much, either.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Dan Gould

[sidewinder]

I’ve likely mentioned it before but in terms of memorable performances I would have to say that seeing Bill Evans Trio at Ronnie Scott’s In 1980 would be hard to beat. 2 nights, last UK performances. Those nights certainly gave some memories.

Edited May 5, 2023 by sidewinder

[mjzee]

I remember seeing Dexter Gordon at the Village Vanguard around 1980 or 1981.  I became acquainted with a guy who worked at the Vanguard, and he got me a seat by the right of the stage, with no one obstructing my sight view.  Dexter was on that night, and he had this mesmerizing presence so that you couldn't take your eyes off him.  I clearly remember the sweat beading on his forehead and face.  At the end of the set, he bowed towards the audience, holding his sax horizontally, bell facing the crowd.  What a night.

There was also a night at the Vanguard in the late '90's, Jackie McLean with the Cedar Walton trio.  While waiting for the set to begin, I needed to go pee.  A waiter told me the bathroom was through the (unused) kitchen.  I walked in there to find Jackie warming up.  I interrupted him and said "Mr. McLean, there's something I always wanted to ask you."  He looked at me and said "What?"  I said, "Where's the bathroom?"  He laughed and pointed the way.

[sidewinder]

13 minutes ago, mjzee said:

There was also a night at the Vanguard in the late '90's, Jackie McLean with the Cedar Walton trio.  While waiting for the set to begin, I needed to go pee.  A waiter told me the bathroom was through the (unused) kitchen.  I walked in there to find Jackie warming up.  I interrupted him and said "Mr. McLean, there's something I always wanted to ask you."  He looked at me and said "What?"  I said, "Where's the bathroom?"  He laughed and pointed the way.

That’s funny !  Saw that very band too in 1999 at the Jazz Bakery and the whole band signed a flyer, which I still have. Rest of the band was Billy Higgins and David Williams.

[Larry Kart]

Coltrane at Mckie's Disc Jockey Show Lounge, circa 1963, Seated at the bar, my face was about three feet from Elvin's bass drum, sound waves bounced off my chest.  At one point on "Mr. P.C" I hear a thudding sound.  The guy to my right was beating his head on the bar. Seemed to make sense.

[gvopedz]

Paco de Lucia, at least 40 years ago.  First half he was alone on stage; the second half he performed with his band (but no singer).

Edited May 5, 2023 by gvopedz

[Jason Bivins]

So envious of everyone who got to see Trane live. For me, a really formative gig was Sonny Sharrock with Pharaoh Sanders in 1993. Also Die Like a Dog at the Empty Bottle in 1999, truly roof-raising. Lacy solo, Parker/Guy/Lytton, Taylor/Oxley. Been lucky to see a ton of good shows.

[jlhoots]

Thelonious Monk at Lennie's On The Turnpike.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

3 hours ago, mjzee said:

There was also a night at the Vanguard in the late '90's, Jackie McLean with the Cedar Walton trio.  While waiting for the set to begin, I needed to go pee.  A waiter told me the bathroom was through the (unused) kitchen.  I walked in there to find Jackie warming up.  I interrupted him and said "Mr. McLean, there's something I always wanted to ask you."  He looked at me and said "What?"  I said, "Where's the bathroom?"  He laughed and pointed the way.

I saw one of those sets at the Vanguard in 1999. I got there early and sat right in front of Jackie. I was so close, I could read his name etched onto the bell of his sax. The guy I went with lived in New York and he couldn't believe I wanted to wait in line to get in or that I would want to sit that close. After the show, he was nearly speechless and thanked me for making him sit there. He really wanted to move. I think he would say that was one of his favorite shows too.

Billy Higgins was the draw for me that night. It was the first time I got to see him play. He had been off the New England Jazz scene for a long time due to his health issues. It was a magical night. Best Jazz show I ever saw.

FWIW, I tried to find that bathroom the night I saw Lou Donaldson and when I ventured back there, Lou was warming up so I lingered a bit to listen. Lorraine came back and said, "What are you doing?" When I told her I was going to the bathroom, she said something like, "It's right there. This room is only for musicians". WTF? You have to walk through it to get to the bathroom. I guess that was her idea of a "green room".

[Dan Gould]

46 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

Thelonious Monk at Lennie's On The Turnpike.

When was this?

[Teasing the Korean]

Playing the Mai-Kai, not once, but twice.  That was as close to being Martin Denny as I am likely to get in this lifetime.

[mjazzg]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Coltrane at Mckie's Disc Jockey Show Lounge, circa 1963, Seated at the bar, my face was about three feet from Elvin's bass drum, sound waves bounced off my chest.  At one point on "Mr. P.C" I hear a thudding sound.  The guy to my right was beating his head on the bar. Seemed to make sense.

That is a great story. Did he stop at any point?

[Dub Modal]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

The guy to my right was beating his head on the bar. Seemed to make sense

I'm literally lol'ing at this. 😂

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

When was this?

Probably mid to late 60's. I lived in Boston from 1965 to 1968.

Edited May 5, 2023 by jlhoots

[Larry Kart]

43 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great story. Did he stop at any point?

 

43 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great story. Did he stop at any point?

He was Daiv Rosenthal a classmate at the University of Chicago, son of literary critic M.L. Rosenthal, and later on author of a book on Hard Bop. 

Don't recall when he stopped beating his head on the bar, but he must have.

Years later a friend of mine mentioned that Daiv was immensely popular among the girls in our co-ed dorm. I found this hard to believe because Daiv was literally obnoxious -- he seldom bathed and smelled pretty bad. My friend explained that Daiv, having been trained in adolescence by the family maid in giving advanced cuninlingus, went about dispensing orgasms to all the freshman girls in the dorm who had not yet had one -- word of mouth, so to speak.  Daiv later died of a drug overdose, doing research for his book perhaps. IIRC it was not a very good book.

 

16 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

I'm literally lol'ing at this. 😂

 

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great story. Did he stop at any point?

 

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great story. Did he stop at any point?

He was Daiv Rosenthal a classmate at the University of Chicago, son of literary critic M.L. Rosenthal, and later on author of a book on Hard Bop. 

Don't recall when he stopped beating his head on the bar, but he must have.

Years later a friend of mine mentioned that Daiv was immensely popular among the girls in our co-ed dorm. I found this hard to believe because Daiv was literally obnoxious -- not a nice guy, he seldom bathed and smelled pretty bad. My friend explained that Daiv, having been trained in adolescence by the family maid in giving advanced cuninlingus, went about dispensing orgasms to all the freshman girls in the dorm who had not yet had one -- word of mouth, so to speak. Daiv later died of a drug overdose, doing research for his book perhaps. IIRC it was not a very good book.

 

39 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

I'm literally lol'ing at this. 😂

BTW, "Mr. PC.' was Trane's weapon of choice at that point. The typical version went on for  35 or 40 minutes -- McCoy would drop out after a while and it would be  just Trane  and Elvin until the end.

[Teasing the Korean]

Here is one of my most memorable gigs, at the Mai Kai:

Edited May 6, 2023 by Teasing the Korean

[Dan Gould]

Maybe Rosenthal's book wasn't that great due to his head-banging. 

Actually I didn't think the book was that bad maybe I will leaf thru it again.

The 60s must have been a remarkable time for the socially inept and/or repulsive to get laid on the regular. 

[Eric]

Nice to listen to Gene Harris while I read this thread!

I live in Kansas City and have not seen much national talent here over the years.  So my sample size is generally limited to business trips to New York or Chicago.

Likely my favorite show was George Coleman with Harold Mabern circa 1991 or so.  We sat close to the piano and I remember being awed by the size of Mabern's hands.  Great show.

[jlhoots]

48 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Maybe Rosenthal's book wasn't that great due to his head-banging. 

Actually I didn't think the book was that bad maybe I will leaf thru it again.

The 60s must have been a remarkable time for the socially inept and/or repulsive to get laid on the regular. 

I have that book of Rosenthal's as well. I might take another look at it too. 💀 

[kh1958]

November 19, 1974: Charles Mingus Quintet with George Adams, Don Pullen, Dannie Richmond and Jack Walrath, McFarlin Auditorium, Southern Methodist University Poets of the Cities Festival.

Edited May 5, 2023 by kh1958

[medjuck]

Duke Ellington, Le Jazz Hot, Montreal 1964 and Gil Evans at a repurposed church Paris 1978. 

[Larry Kart]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Maybe Rosenthal's book wasn't that great due to his head-banging. 

Actually I didn't think the book was that bad maybe I will leaf thru it again.

The 60s must have been a remarkable time for the socially inept and/or repulsive to get laid on the regular. 

What I recall about Rosenthal's book is that he didn't pay much attention to at least one key figure IMO -- maybe Hank Mobley or Jackie McLean.

[Larry Kart]

33 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

November 19, 1974: Charles Mingus Quintet with George Adams, Don Pullen, Dannie Richmond and Jack Walrath, McFarlin Auditorium, Southern Methodist University Poets of the Cities Festival.

Another great gig was in a loft above the Village Vanguard in 1964 by, in effect, the New York Eye and Ear Control band -- Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd,  John Tchcai, Albert Ayler, Louis Worrell, and Milford Graves. This was the only time I heard Ayler in person, and I was astonished.  His sound seemed come up through the floor and exit through the hairs on my head.