James Weidman @ Jazz Standard 11/17/09

I chose this for Marty Ehrlich and Brad Jones, but now I know James is great and all of his sidemen were phenomenal. The vibes were awesome. Anything with vibes and trombone is bound to be great. It started with a piano trio. Then they invited Jay up. After that, I think they had Jay take a break and invited the 2 horns up. They did also play some tunes as a sextet. It doesn't say it, but Marty had the bass clarinet also. I don't remember seeing him with it. It was awesome! This was a great set and very worthwhile.

JAMES WEIDMAN'S THREE WORLDS ENSEMBLE

• Ray Anderson – trombone
  Marty Ehrlich – alto sax, clarinet
  Jay Hoggard – vibes
  James Weidman – piano
  Brad Jones – bass
  Francisco Mela – drums

Three Worlds is James Weidman’s fourth album as a leader, and its original compositions, striking arrangements, and spirited execution combine to demonstrate his mastery of the art of jazz. Tonight at Jazz Standard, an all-star septet will enable James to deploy the various lineups featured on Three Worlds, from the trio arrangement of the timeless African-American spiritual “Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho” to exuberant ensemble performances like “Razz 2.0.” James Weidman has been a valued sideman and accompanist in many settings over the past 20 years, from Abbey Lincoln and Steve Coleman to Kevin Mahogany and Joe Lovano. Three Worlds is an important marker of his growing significance as a bandleader and composer

MMW @ Nokia 11/14/09

I hearby declare Medeski, Martin, and Wood my current favorite band. They do it all, and they do it all excellently! They are 3 of the most talented musicians in existence today. Its actually a bit overdue, this choice.

This show was a great one to make the realization. I can't remember enough details to give a good detailed write-up. I'll just make an attempt to give the dribs and drabs I do remember. I recall being very pleased from start to finish.

It started with a great drum solo by Billy. Chris and John came out soon enough with Chris on an electric bass. At some point in the first set, they invited Eddie Bobé to sit in on the timbales and small congas. That was great. It also allowed me to again appreciate how well the 3 know each other and how they create together. Of course, I have very few of their CDs, so I don't know what's a song or even what's been played how many times before. That's one of the things that makes them so great, its all awesome without any familiarity.

I don't remember many specifics in the 2nd set, aside from loving it. Each of them had me super appreciating them at different times.

Yes, I love this band!

Fela! 11/14/09

I couldn't risk not seeing this again. I only tried to get there once at the 1st theatre. I really wanted to go, I just didn't want to commit to a time slot. Even after Brian's great review, telling me how worth it it was.

So, I got online sometime in the past couple of weeks and selected a matinee that looked like it would work. This solves a lot of the commitment issues because there's not as much sacrificing during the day. Plus, I love getting down in the afternoon.

It was awesome! Fantastic! I hope to get there at least once more, hopefully a couple more time. Forget it's a Broadway show, or a show period. It's an awesome concert where you get great insight into the great Fela Kuti. I've been wanting to explore and learn about him for a long time, but hadn't taken the time yet. I love getting it through a medium that delivers in a few hours. Its also better than a film because you get the live music experience to boot.

It is so well done. The band slowly started jamming before showtime, which was an enjoyable way to begin. They then did their best to make it like we were at the Nigerian club, Shrine, where Fela always came back to. It was in a bad neighborhood, and he attracted press and the Army.

The music and dancing was phenomenal. I also left knowing a lot more about Fela's life and who he was. They even gave us the words to the songs and some clips in a very tasteful manner in the top portion on the backdrop.

I loved the Break It Down portion where they showed us in simple terms how Fela created afro-beat. He came up with the drum style and the guitar style. They showed us what music influenced him.

I left feeling satisfied I got a great show. I was enriched with insight into Fela. I also left hungry to go a little deeper. I think it was perfect for a first foray. I have a good base now, in addition to the CDs I own, for more exploration. I should start with seeing this again.

Charles Gayle @ The Stone 11/13/09

There was so much going on, but this first set was the only thing I managed to make it to. I was so glad to see Lisle Ellis and Michael TA Thompson would be accompanying him. It was his first time playing with Michael, and they hit it off very well. I'm not sure if he played with Lisle before, but I certainly enjoyed it.

He played sax for most of it. The drum solos were awesome. When Charles went to the piano, Thomas mainly played percussion. He had this really cool thing I never saw before. It looked like a bunch of wooden squares strung together and I like the sound it makes. The bass solo was awesome. There was also some avant-call-and-response, playing somewhat simultaneously, between the piano and the drums. I think a new alliance was formed that night.

Charles finished up on the sax.

It was a good choice on my part, if I was only going to do 1 set of music.

Underground Horns @ Nublu 11/12/09

I was finally feeling better and I needed something. This was a great choice. It was a fun brass band with 2 drummers. How can you go wrong? I also needed to get to Nublu for some of this jazzfest. I keep trying to get back, but I've been unsuccessful so far. This was the first band, scheduled for 9. They came on at around 9:30. I had to get out of there or risk getting sucked in to the next band. It looked like a relatively quick changeover.

http://www.myspace.com/undergroundhorns

Ceramic Dog @ The Knit 11/10/09

Nice space! Nice band! I never made it to Luna Lounge, which was the last venue in this space. I wasn't as adventurous in Brooklyn then. It's a major improvement over the Main Space at The Knitting Factory Tribeca location. The stage is bigger and at a better level. There are no columns and it feels better. The sound is also better.

There were a number of people there, but it was only about 1/4 full.

I got there at 10:30ish and they were on. It was awesome. The music was somewhat melancholy, but there was also a variety. It was all new music. Eszter played melodica, violin, and sang some songs. That first one she and Ribot were both singing in French.

It was absolutely fantastic. I was going to leave early, and I couldn't. They did a 1 hour set and then an encore.

They did Break on Through, but it was a completely different arrangement since their last album. I really hope they record this.

Tues Nov 10, 8pm
Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Just back from their European tour with newly developed material..
Ceramic Dog w/guest Eszter Balint, 10pm
Chris Cochrane Trio, 9pm
Guest opening act TBA, 8pm
http://bk.knittingfactory.com

Billy Martin's Mystery Riddim @ The Stone 11/10/09

This was awesome! Billy is one of my favorite drummers ever. He's also one of my favorite percussionists ever. And, there's nothing better than a drummer/composer.

This was mainly Billy expanding what he can do with great accompaniment. He was definitely the centerpiece and star, but it was great to have this expansive view.

There were 3 other percussionists. That was so much fun! They were often playing the same types of instruments and it was just cool. They started off each with a conga and a cool stick. They had gongs at times and other stuff I'm not sure what it was. Billy started with the kit. Each time he got on the drum kit, I completely fell in love with his drumming anew. I can't believe it, but I think he went up even higher in my appreciation. I must be feeling even deeper about great music than ever before.

Billy also played some other stuff, including the aquasonic (no water), berimbau, thumb piano, etc.

Shazaad was awesome on guitar. Kato had many awesome ways of playing the electric bass. He played it with a bow at times. He also put a metal disk somehow over the hole, it was like a tiny cymbal, and it sounded great.

It was fabulous and a really great set to be at.

Mystery Riddim
Billy Martin, Shahzad Ismailey, Kato Hideki (electronics, guitars) Jed Koziner, Steve Honoshowsky and Ronald Stockwell (acoustic percussion)
The Mystery Riddim set will consist of new compositions by Billy Martin for this unique ensemble interspersed with solo drum interludes.