Upcoming: Nublu Jazz Fest

Wow!

http://www.nublu.net/jazzfestival.php

Go Home @ Jazz Standard 10/29/09

I didn't want to miss this, so I made sure to get to the very first set of the run. Yeah, it was so incredibly worth it. I am very happy. They played tunes from a cd they just released. Ben said it's so good he's offering a money back guarantee. I bought it and it's true. It's awesome. It's of course even more awesome to see them live. This is an awesome ensemble. I also love the instrumentation. This is one incredible band where everyone is so on top of their game.


Thursday - Sunday October 29 - November 1

Go Home

Ben Goldberg – clarinet

Curtis Fowlkes – trombone

Charlie Hunter – guitar

Scott Amendola – drums

Go Home brings together Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola’s rootsy, hard-driving grooves with the astute, lyrical interplay of Curtis Fowlkes and Ben Goldberg. This endlessly adventurous quartet builds its improvisations upon Goldberg’s spacious melodies, and the result charts the clarinetist/composer’s creative journey from the esoteric realms of the avant-garde to the simple pleasures of syncopation and melody.

Dee Pop @ Local 169 10/28/09

I was tired and didn't think I could stay for much of this. But then I heard them setting up and saw is was going to be avant-rock and I would probably have to stay longer than originally intended.

It was intense. Gary Lucas plays electric and acoustic guitars hooked up to a bunch of pedals. He also has a table full of effects boxes. Dee is a pretty intense drummer. There was the 2nd baritone of the night and an electric bass who did a little bit of vocals. When you put that all together you get some pretty intense avant rock.

They started at 9:30, which meant a quick 15 minute setchange. I tore myself away at 10:15. I had a good time. I would have liked to have stayed for the 3rd set, which included Mike Pride, but I just couldn't do it.

9pm Billion Dollar Quartet: Gary Lucas, Dave Sewelson, Felice Rosser, Dee Pop

10pm Jason Stein, Kirk Knufke, Mike Pride

Renku @ Local 169 10/28/09

This was an incredibly awesome set. Each member of this trio is extremely talented. I loved it all. I stood up front and danced and was really into it. I got there just before 8:30 and they were already on. They played until 9:15. I got the feeling it was a long set, but I don't know for sure.


8pm Renku w/Michael Attias, John Hebert, Satoshi Takeishi

Han Bennink @ Drom 10/26/09

It was stellar. Han played just one snare drum and whatever was immediately around him, the chair, the floor, the drumstick in his mouth, etc. Michael Moore played sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet. He was phenomenal. Will Holshouser on accordion was equally great. It wasn't that out there, but definitely creative. Sometimes there would be an Irish jig or some other structured, familiar music in the middle of a piece. There were some quieter moments, but also a lot of lively moments that had me dancing.

It was about two 40 minute sets. Good stuff!

Sun 10/25:
Han Bennink, Will Holshouser & Michael Moore at DROM
@ 7pm, $12
Ever since the demise of the legendary Trio Clusone (Han Bennink, Michael Moore and Ernst Reijseger) in 1998, the scene has been anxiously awaiting a vehicle for the composer/arranger Michael Moore and the raucous Han Bennink to carry on with the unique melodic, harmonic and at times rambunctious music that transported and delighted audiences for years. Finally, Han and Michael found the ideal "Third Man", accordionist Will Holshouser. They made their debut tour in March 2008 through Europe and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The Third Man Trio will be touring the USA in October 2009 and will be recording the first of what will assuredly be many blissful and exuberant albums.

Incus Festival @ Abrons Art Center 10/17/09

I got there at 8:15 and there were already interesting very high squeaky sounds coming from John Zorn's sax. I went in and got a seat in the 3rd row on the right. Only a little bit of Cyro and later Susie was blocked from my view due to the electronics/keyboard equipment in front of it.

The first piece was with John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, and Fred Frith. It was outstanding and I knew the whole show would be.

Next piece had George Lewis, Milford Graves on drums, dance, stomp, vocals, and Richard Teitelbaum on electronics. It was so awesome. I loved it all, especially the drumming. Graves is a lot of fun.

Then there was an awesome Fred Frith/Susie Ibarra duo. I haven't seen her in a long time. I remember seeing her in the listings, but I didn't make any of those. Still, I feel like she hasn't been around NYC like she used to, when I was first getting into creative music. This was a stellar duo piece.

I never knew about Min Xiao Fen, thank God I do now. She and Cyro did this amazing duo. It seemed like they were born to play together. I could say that about Frith and Ibarra as well. This piece was one of my favorites. Cryo and Min were in sync a lot. Cyro started on the barimbau and Min on the smaller lute. They went into vocals around the same time. Min has a mic hooked up to an electronic board. She's awesome and I have to look out for her more.

Next we had John Zorn, George Lewis, and Fred Frith. It was stellar.

I like how they did the grand finale. It started out as a Graves solo. Soon Susie Ibarra joined the stage. Then Cyro came out on the tambourine. They kept joining one by one. It was an awesome piece!

Yes, the whole thing was extra special and awesome. I'm sorry to say I didn't get back into the city in time for the Sun night show. Oh well.


INCUS FESTIVAL October 17 & 18 8 pm$25 $40 two-concert combination ticket
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/679785
Two diverse, breathtaking evenings of musical fireworks to celebrate Incus Records, one of the world's most important improvisation based record labels. Each night features the musical luminaries Cyro Baptista, Min Xiao Fen, Fred Frith, Milford Graves, Susie Ibarra, George Lewis, Richard Teitelbaum, and John Zorn. Doors will open at 7:30 pm.Jay WegmanDirector, Abrons Arts CenterHenry Street Settlement466 Grand StreetNew York, NY 10002212.598.0400 x. 220www.abronsartscenter.org

Som @ Nublu 10/16/09

I found about this when I was leaving The Stone. Tablas, mandalin, soprano sax/flute. What's not to love? They also had a keyboard player, a drummer, an amazing bongo player, and 2 special guests. One was a vocalist for the 1st portion of the 1st piece. The other played a classical Indian instrument that is similar to a canartic violin. I see it's called a sarangi. It was awesome and a lot of fun. I can't get over how great the mandolin was. They were all awesome. It was a very good move on my part.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147532908058&ref=mf

Maestro Snehasish Mozumder - Mandolin & SOM in ConcertPresented by Liftoff Records
Host: HARMONYOM - Indian Classical Music - New York
Type: Music/Arts - Concert
Friday, October 16, 2009
Time: 9:30pm - 11:30pm
Location: NuBLu
Street: 62 Avenue C (Between 4/5 Street)


Liftoff Records presents Snehasish Mozumder - doubleneck mandolin and SOM in concert.

Fantastic performance tonight from Som with special guest Ramesh Misra on Sarangi!

Featuring:
Snehasish Mozumder - doubleneck mandolin
Sameer Gupta - tabla
Vin Scialla - drums, frame drums
Nick Gianni - saxophone, flute
Bopa King Carre - bongos, percussion
Aaron Whitby - piano, keys

SOM recently performed at Lincoln Center Festival.
click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8-pHs8BhVc

Snehasish Mozumder, an exploratory string virtuoso, expands the boundaries of the mandolin instrument. Classical and jazz fusion’s Snehasish Mozumder’s double-neck mandolin is at the center of a band SOM, that swings it North Indian style. His talent comes from the sublime human voice he coaxes from his instrument - be it an Indian melody, a haunting Celtic rendering or something completely different. He, together with his guest accompanists, improvises on North Indian classical style ragas shaped around harmonious melodies. His bassy North Indian vocal phrasings elevate his music beyond global boundaries. A highlight of Snehasish’s career includes sharing the stage with musicians such as Eric Clapton while in Ravi Shankar’s Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall Concert For George in 2002. He hit Andy Donnelly’s Top Ten in Penguin Eggs Magazine and is among a new generation of recognized Indian classical musicians coming from the Indian subcontinent today. Snehasish enthusiastically shares his talent and innovations with diverse artists and audiences all over the world and is regularly on tour in Europe and the US.
http://www.somintrance.com/

For direction:
http://www.nublu.net/

Evan Parker, Tim Berne, Earl Howard @ The Stone 10/16/09

I was in the mood for more saxophones, and this would definitely deliver. I was able to get an awesome seat by arriving way early. It was in the other front row, but the way they arranged themselves made it the best place.

Earl mainly played the synthesizer. For most of the 1 hour set, Evan and Tim were on each side of Earl, placed in a way that most people could see. They did one awesome piece like that. Then, Evan walked around to face Earl and played into a mic. Earl then processed his sound. That was quite interesting. Then another piece with the 3. Toward the end of that piece, Tim walked to the spot in front of Earl and they did a little processing. Then a great piece where Earl also picked up his alto and that was really great. Then we had a duo with Tim and Earl with Earl processing. Then one last trio piece.

It was awesome. I saw Ikue Mori show up for the 2nd set with her equipment. I heard later that Evan did a 20 min solo without pausing, circular breathing, and then he played with Ikue. I wasn't there, though.

I love The Stone because it gives me a chance to find out about even more greats. I'm so glad I made it to 3 of the Evan Parker sets. There were a bunch of people in there who made it to every single one. That added to the specialness.

Darius Jones Trio @ Abrons Art Center 10/15/09

This is always great. It consists of 3 extremely talented musicians. I love that didley-bow that Cooper-Moore plays! I also love him on the piano. It was wonderful and I'm glad I stayed.

I'm sorry to say I was too tired to stay for the last set. I'm sure it was phenomenal.

Darius Jones: alto saxophone
Cooper-Moore: piano, diddley-bo
Jason Nazary: drums

Word of the Day: saxaphone, stritch

http://www.jayeaston.com/galleries/sax_family/unusual_saxes_page/sax_php_unusual.html

http://www.saxreviews.com/rampone_cazzani_saxello_soprano.html

http://www.saxreviews.com/rampone_cazzani_saxello_soprano.html

http://drrick.com/Vintage%20Sax%20Collection.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxophone


saxophone
A wind instrument classified as a woodwind because it is played with a reed, although it is usually made of metal. Saxophones appear mainly in jazz, dance, and military bands. They are made in several ranges, from soprano to bass.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third EditionCopyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

saxophone
1851, from Fr. saxophone, named for Antoine Joseph "Adolphe" Sax (1814-1894), Belgian instrument maker who devised it c.1840 + Gk. -phonos "voiced, sounding." Shortened form sax is from 1923. His father, Charles Joseph (1791-1865) invented the less popular saxhorn (1845).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

▸ noun: a single-reed woodwind with a conical bore

saxophone, musical instrument invented in the 1840s by Adolphe Sax. Although it uses the single reed of the clarinet family, it has a conical tube and is made of metal. By 1846 there was a double family of 14 saxophones, seven in F and C for orchestral use and seven in E flat and B flat for bands. The latter are by far most common today, the alto, tenor, and baritone being used most frequently. The saxophone has a powerful tone, between woodwind and brass in quality and blending well with both. Valuable to bands and occasionally used in the orchestra, it is now best known for its extensive use in dance and jazz music. It has a small serious solo literature. All saxophones except those in C are transposing instruments transposing instrument, a musical instrument whose part in a score is written at a different pitch than that actually sounded. Such an instrument is usually referred to by the keynote of its natural scale—the clarinet in A, for example—in which case A isThe Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia® Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/

saxophone
Single-reed wind instrument with a conical metal tube and finger keys. Though made of brass, it is classified as a woodwind instrument. Its mouthpiece resembles that of the clarinet. The saxophone family includes instruments with at least eight different ranges, the tenor and alto instruments being the most common. The smallest (highest-range) saxophones are straight; the rest have curved necks and their bells are bent up and out. Transposing instruments (producing a higher or lower pitch than indicated in music written for it) in B-flat and E-flat, all have the same written 3¹⁄₂-octave range. The saxophone was patented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, who created two separate instrument families, for military and orchestral use respectively. Though few composers included saxophones in their orchestral scores, they became centrally important in military, dance, and jazz bands.
For more information on saxophone, visit Britannica.com. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Copyright © 1994-2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stritch_(saxophone)
A stritch (also called a Buescher) is a woodwind instrument that is a variety of saxophone.[1][2] Specifically, the stritch is an straight (curveless) alto saxophone without the upturned bell.
The jazz musician, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, was well known for playing odd varieties of saxophone including the stritch and manzello.[1] He called the stritch by the name, "buescher," after the Buescher Band Instrument Company. The word "Buescher" is now a synonym for the word "stritch."

David S. Ware @ Abrons Art Center 10/15/09

Stunning! Stellar! Awesome! These aren't even quite the right words to capture how magnificent it was. This guy is leagues beyond anyone else. Given how much brilliance there is out there, that's saying a lot.

He started on the saxella. The sound is similar to a soprano, but maybe not as high. Its hard to say because I would have to hear David on the soprano to really know.

After an amazing piece he moved on to the stricht. I don't think I ever saw one before. The sound seemed like a hybrid between the saxella and the tenor. It was amazing.

The final piece was on the tenor. It was unbelievable.

I believe he did each piece with circular breathing.

There were lots of cameras. Hopefully this 40 minute set of incredible greatness will make it out somewhere at some point.

Improv Night @ The Stone 10/11/09

It was an extra special one. I only went to the first set. Wow! I'm not sure if I can remember it all. They were recording and there was a little less music than on other Improv Nights, but it was phenomenal.

It started with Sylvie Courvoissier, Ned Rothenberg on clarinet and Ikue Mori. I was in a great front row seat, I think 2 in from the left. I could see everything, including what Ikue was doing with the keyboard. Ohh, now I get it. I don't know what I thought before. I think I just thought she only used the mouse and maybe the arrow keys. She does that at times, but she also has sounds programmed into the keys. It was very interesting to watch and listen, even though I couldn't see the screen. She also has a little electronics board that she was using at times. Sometimes she was turning a knob while hitting a key. I'm going to have to start paying more attention.

Next we had Jeremiah Cymerman on clarinet, Evan Parker on tenor and Peter Evans on trumpet. It was somewhat out there for the first portion and got a little closer to Earth as time went on. It was great.

Then it was Lucus Ligeti on percussion, mainly glockenspiel, Okyuung Lee on cello, Marty Erlich on alto sax and Clarinet, and Eyal Maoz on guitar. Eyal played quietly and greatly. I'm often accustomed to him playing avant-noise. It was so cool to watch Lucus. He had many interesting ways of playing the glockenspiel. He had a whole set of mallots and sticks. He also had an interesting metal cylinder he would play from time to time. It had a cool lingering sound when he rubbed it a certain way after hitting it.

The grand finale with everyone was awesome! I loved it all, but couldn't stick around for the 2nd set.

Dafnis Prieto @ Jazz Standard 10/9/09

I still had another show in me, I just needed the right one. This was the perfect choice. Also, I loved the idea of seeing another MTO member, Peter Apfelbaum. It was so worth it! It was as great as Dafnis's projects always are. They were celebrating a cd release that they recorded at Jazz Standard. They also played some new stuff. 2 new pieces, entitled "Blah blah blah" and "Blah blah", are meant to illustrate the bridge of Cuba and NOLA, that was always there. I thought they were great and a success. Its nice to be home.

Friday - Sunday October 9 - 11

Dafnis Prieto “Si o Si” Quartet
Peter Apfelbaum – tenor saxophone

Manuel Valera – piano

Charles Flores – bass

Dafnis Prieto – drum

Live at Jazz Standard, due out in September 2009, by Dafnis Prieto and his “Si o Si” Quartet is simply one of the best albums ever recorded in our room. Apfelbaum, Valera, and Flores play as one voice on Dafnis’ soulful compositions, riding Dafnis’ tricky, fast-flowing rhythmic currents with grace and assurance. On this album, Dafnis Prieto achieves his stated goal: “To have the opportunity of bringing your own ideas, to enrich the way, to awake the beauty of music itself.”

JFJO @ LPR 10/9/09

It was time to give them another try. I never really got into them for some reason. Apparently its a whole other band now. Brian Haas is still there of course, but everyone else is different. It was good, it just couldn't do it for me after that great 1st set. I thought it would have been better if they opened. I like the concept of having a lap steel guitar. I just couldn't stick around. It was ruining my high from the previous greatness.

http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/artist/733

Moodswing Orchestra @ LPR 10/9/09

That's what I'm talking about! This is my kind of music! I was especially blown away by Ben Perowsky and Doug Weiselman. That's not saying much because everyone was stellar. I don't remember much else except I loved it from start to finish.

The Show:
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/artist/734
The Moodswing Orchestra is:
Ben Perowsky
DJ Olive
Steven Bernstein
Doug Weiselman
Glenn Patsch
Danny Blume
Jonathan Marin
TK Wonder
Jennifer Charles

The CD:
http://www.perowsky.com/projects.html

Perowsky's latest creation is a collaboration with a large selection of artists he has been working with recently. This combination of songsters and improvisors gives a unique blend of n.y.c.'s finest cream of the crop players, under the direction and manipulation of their - normally kicking out the beats - friend at the drums.

Ben Perowsky . drums.bells.sincussion.voice
Glenn Patscha . electric/acoustic piano.comb.voice 04
Markus Miller . turntables.electronics.dial tones
Oren Bloedow . bass.voice 04
Marcus Rojas . tuba.voice.air
Doug Weiselman . clarinet.bass clarinet.wooden flute 07
Steven Bernstein . trumpet
Pamelia Kurstin . theremin
Jennifer Charles . voice 03,08
Miho Hatori . voice 06
Elyas Khan . voice 05
Joan Wasser . voice 01
Bebel Gilberto . voice 04

Evan Parker & Sylvie Courvoisier @ The Stone 10/6/09

I dragged my jetlagged ass out to The Stone for a great treat. Evan Parker is curating a half a month at The Stone and playing his own mini festival. All the greats want to play with him. Now that I've seen him, I understand. This was an awesome show for the first one back. I am very impressed. He has his own style and was awesome with Sylvie. The 2nd set had him playing with Ikue Mori. Sylvie and Ikue thought it would be good to do a trio for the last piece of each set. I was happy because I wouldn't be able to stay up for the 2nd set, so at least I got one piece with Ikue. The whole thing was awesome.


10/6 Tuesday (CB)
8 pm
Evan Parker & Sylvie Courvoisier
Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Evan Parker (soprano and tenor saxophone)

Catherine Fritsche @ Glarus, Switzerland 10/3/09

Catherine is friends with my friends, so I was invited to her CD release show. It was free and in a place that used to be a wealthy person's home and is now a museum. It was a nice place for a concert. Catherine is a music therapist and makes instruments. The CD is scary fairy tales spoken by a man with a nice low voice with music to make sounds for the story. I didn't understand a word. I still loved the music and looking at the instruments.

She made a bass out of an organ pipe. It was very nice There were a couple of interesting string instruments also. There was also a percussionist. I enjoyed the sounds and being there a lot. It was fun and something different.

Eardisch @ The Bird's Eye, Basel, Switzerland, 9/29/09

I liked the club. It has a nice feel and plenty of room. The music was OK. It would be good if I wasn't so spoiled in NYC. The vocals got somewhat weird at times. I could have done without that. I liked the saxophone. It's nice that Basel has a jazz club.

Bruegel Cologne, Germany 9/26/09

This is a very popular hotspot. It's a brasserie with live music. The filet was great, the music atrocious. I'm being a little harsh. I couldn't stick around. I would call it "smooth blues". It really wasn't my thing at all.

Old Time Jazz @ Papa Joe's, Cologne, Germany 9/26/09

This is a fun place with very good music. It's cute and fun. I saw some great old time jazz there. I didn't get the name of the band. There was a trombone, trumpet, clarinet, banjo, drums, and upright bass. It was a lot of fun and reminded me of NOLA.

http://www.papajoes.de/

Jazz Jam @ Bei Ernst, Berlin 9/24

One more stop, one more berg. Berlin really is an awesome place for music. This was a nice little spot in the Wedding section of town. I took a cab there and had them call me a cab to take back. It came pretty quickly. The place has a nice vibe, it's nice and tiny, and the owner is extremely nice. The drink prices are also pretty low. I had a great time and enjoyed my last show in Berlin. The music was good, but not at the level of what I saw at B-Flat. I was very happy when I saw that same guy from the night before, the one who plays bass and drums and clarinet show up. He played bass and drums this time.

Before the jam a trio played. That was fun also. For the jam there was a piano and an alto as well.

Here's a picture of the space from the website
http://www.bei-ernst.de/tuerauf.html

Night Time Blues Orchestra @ Vivo Art Space, Berlin, 9/24

This was fun and good music. All blues covers and very enjoyable. I get a kick out of having "orchestra" in their name ... there were 4 of them. They were blues with a jazz influence. It was fun. I danced. They did "Hit the Road, Jack" and "Summertime" as well as other good choices. They were very talented. This was in the Prenzlauer Berg.


Katy Kay (voc)
Michael Gechter (g)
Rudy Redl (p)
Horst Summer (dr)

http://www.night-time-blues-orchestra.de/band.html

Ornette Coleman Anthology @ Jazzwerkstatt, Berlin, 9/24/09

This was still part of that same festival as that show at Babylon. Jazzwerkstatt is a great record label which is part of ECM. This free show was at their store that has a great cafe. It felt very nice in there. I also bought some great CDs. It was early, listed at 7pm, but started at 7:30. The first set was about 45 minutes and I decided to leave after that, even though it was awesome. I enjoyed hte piano/sax duo. It was really great and very engaging.

It was great and it brought me to the Charlottenberg part of the city.

Mittwoch, 23. September, 19:00 Uhr
Ornette Coleman Anthology
Aki Takase + Sike Eberhard

Jazz Jam @ B-Flat, Berlin 9/23/09

I made it to the jam session in Mitte a little before 11:30pm. I was walking toward the door when I heard someone ask a guy when he was going to play and he said midnight. At that moment, I see the great Jim Black standing by the door and the guy who was speaking said "this is my friend Jim". Oh yeah! I found out a little later the speaker was Kurt Rosenwinkel.

The jazz was awesome, even before Jim and Kurt came up. It was very hot in there, but it was worth sticking around. At one point, I saw a seat open up way up front, so I went for it. Right after I got up there, Jim and Kurt and bassist took the stage. The pianist who played the last piece, stayed up. I was so glad because he was awesome. A female singer came up as well. The guy who was playing bass in the last piece got out a clarinet. We also had 2 soprano saxes and a trombone. I think a tenor and alto. The first piece they did was an awesome jazz tune. The 2nd was a blown away amazing blues tune. It was so awesome to see Kurt play it. The clarinet was quite impressive, also. Of course, I enjoyed everyone up there when I could tear my attention away from Jim.

That was all I needed so I left after that. I did see the guy who played upright bass and then clarinet get on the drums. I thought he was quite talented and interesting.

Funk Jam @ Dot Club, Berlin 9/22/09

There was a break to set up for the funk jam. I was excited to see what that would be like. I was really in the mood to get down.

It started off rather slow, not funky enough for me. I stuck it out because I thought there was potential for it to get funkier as the night went on. There were an awful lot of singers, which was disappointing for me.

It did get better after a while, closer to what I was looking for. There was only one piece that REALLY had what I wanted. It was the one that was led by drums and percussion. The singer that came up for that one was awesome.

Earlier there was a great guitar, but the piano was killing the groove by playing jazz. He kept starting each piece and was getting on my nerves.

There was also a fun beatbox vocalist who came up from time to time.

There were some other good moments. If I wasn't into something, they were always changing people so it didn't last long. I was definitely having fun and stayed out til 3am. I think they were winding it down when I left.

J and the Fries @ Dot Club, Berlin 9/22/09

I went to this place in the Kreuzenberg area because there was a funk jam listed and I wanted to get down. This band was opening before the jam. It was OK. Its hard to follow the greatness I had just experienced. I liked that they had horns. I would categorize it as "90s Happy Music". I did dance, so it wasn't bad. It was a good way to pass the time before the jam.

Don Cherry Tribute @ Babylon, Berlin 9/22/09

This was stellar! I had no idea what to expect, I just knew by the title that I wanted to be there.

There was a trumpet and tenor out front. There were more back in the orchestra. There was one drummer and one percussionist. The rest of the orchestra was 3 violins, a cello, a lead viola/violin, 4 reeds, 3 trumpets, a trombone, and a bass trombone.

The whole thing was phenomenal. There was one piece where there were lots of long drum solos that was especially outstanding.

And the night was still young ...

Jürgen Scheele & Independent Jazz Orchestra: "The Earth is A Drum"-Suite

Dedicated to the memory and honour of Don Cherry:

Jürgen Scheele, arrangements, conductor

Matthias Harig, Greg Bowen, Christian Grabandt, trumpets
Simon Harrer, Sören Fischer, Otwin Zipp, trombones
Gregoire Peters, Norbert Nagel, Walter Gauchel, Rolf Römer, saxes
Johannes Gunkel, bass
Thomas Alkier, drums

Special guests:
Jens Winther, trumpet
Dudu Tucci, drums, percussion
Alan Skidmore, saxes

Strings: Anti von Klewitz, Daniel Friedrichs, Valentin Gregor, Rainer Korff

Aki Takase Plays Fats Waller @ Babylon, Berlin 9/22/09

I saw in the NY AAJ that there was this festival I would like in Berlin when I was going to be there. For the time I would be there, the Don Cherry tribute was a must see show. I bought on-line in advance, just to be sure. There was no will call option, but there was a "pick up at their company" option that I thought was probably will call, it just got lost in the translation. I had my order #, and the door guy let me in, but I was the only one to do that.

I made it in time to catch the last few from the first band. It was awesome. It was "avant-gard cartoon music". There was also some great Nola . The piano player was the leader and excellent. Eugene Chadborn was awesome on guitar and vocals.

They had a bass clarinet and trombone as the horns. I love that combination! They were all very talented musicians.

The venue is in the Mitte part of the city. It's a small theater with comfy seats. There is a balcony, but no one was up there. I found the sound to be great up front, and I stood to the side and danced. I liked it.

Kino Babylon:Mitte Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30, 10178 Berlin

Aki Takase plays Fats Waller:

Aki Takase, piano
Eugene Chadbourne, guitar
Nils Wogram, trombone
Rudi Mahall, bass clarinet
Paul Lovens, drums

---------------

Aki Takase, born in Japan, already had piano lessons when she was three years old. Her first celebrated performance was in 1981 at the Jazz festival with the Berlin Philarmony. Played a key role in numerous duos and trios, she has released several solo albums focused on key figures of jazz history like Ellington, Monk, Dolphy, W.C. Handy, Fats Waller and O. Coleman. Her work “Plays Fats Waller” in 2004, has been voted as the best jazz album in Germany.

http://www.myspace.com/akitakase

Mobile Blues Club, Hamburg

A friend of mine in Hamburg puts together a New to Hamburg guide book once a year. He offered to take a few of us out to see where the locals go. It was awesome. He knows I'm big on live music, so after dinner he took us to the truly awesome live music venue. Its a trailer. It has a stage area, a bar, a few seats on the side, and a standing area. There's an outdoor area with some nice Christmas lights and tables. In the back of the yard/garden area is the bathroom trailer. I am incredibly impressed with how well they were able to make an oversized port-a-poddy look. It has a candle and mood-lighting and ambiance.

Due to jetlag and the workshop the next day, we couldn't stay out long enough to hear the live music. It was awesome to sit outside and have a drink and listen to the phenomenal old Delta blues they were playing on the system. I think this place belongs in Williamsburg. Awesome!

http://www.mobile-blues-club.de/

http://homepage.mac.com/ngrossien/White%20Trash%20Contemporary/page4/page4.html

Jazz Jam @ Birdland, Hamburg 9/17/09

The workshop was in Hamburg, Germany. I spent the 1st week there. I again found myself at Birdland on Thurs night for the jazz jam. I had jetlag, so I didn't make it out until the last set. I was there from around 11pm-12:30.

They were on break when I got there. I don't quite understand setbreaks for jam sessions. There's usually plenty of people who want to play, so why is there a gap? I figure maybe there is some overlap in players or something.

It was pretty good. It started with a good guitar, bass, drums, and piano. They were soon joined by an alto sax. Later, a trumpet joined in and the guitar left soon after. It was all very enjoyable and I'm glad I went.

Europe Fall 2009

I went to Germany and Switzerland. Yes, the catalyst was to attend another great Instantaneous Transformation workshop. I can't get enough of them. Each one is better than any other, which is pretty cool. I also now have a lot of friends in Europe as a result, especially the German-speaking parts.

So far, looking at all of the places I've been, the only 2 that look like they can contend with NYC as having an abundance of great music are Berlin and New Orleans. I didn't get a chance to check out music in Zurich, so I don't know about that yet. While Switzerland does have music, I was disappointed in the quantity. Still, it was an incredibly great trip. I just experienced a lot less live music than I am accustomed to, save Berlin.

Upcoming: Abrons Art Center

These both look amazing

AUM FIDELITY PRESENTS
October 15 | 8 pm
$20 | $25 at the door
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/679665
AUM Fidelity presents two world-renowned jazz masters and the label’s extraordinarily gifted latest signing. Eminent saxophonist David S. Ware makes his triumphant return to the stage and celebrates 50 years of playing. Bassist William Parker and his acclaimed Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, who will make their first appearance in more than four years, present the world premiere of a new composition entitled Subsequent Illumination Inscriptions/Light Cottage (for George Russell). Darius Jones Trio will be celebrating the release of the alto saxophonist’s debut album as a leader, Manish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing). Doors will open at 7:30 pm.

INCUS FESTIVAL
October 17 & 18 | 8 pm
$25 | $40 two-concert combination ticket
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/679785
Two diverse, breathtaking evenings of musical fireworks to celebrate Incus Records, one of the world's most important improvisation based record labels. Each night features the musical luminaries Cyro Baptista, Min Xiao Fen, Fred Frith, Milford Graves, Susie Ibarra, George Lewis, Richard Teitelbaum, and John Zorn. Doors will open at 7:30 pm.

Another more expanded 10/15 listing:

AUM Fidelity presents: Thursday, October 15, 2009 at Abrons Arts Center, NYC

• DAVID S. WARE
• DARIUS JONES TRIO
• WILLIAM PARKER & THE LITTLE HUEY CREATIVE MUSIC ORCHESTRA

AUM Fidelity presents two world-renowned jazz masters and our extraordinarily gifted latest signing in a one-night-only showcase at the Abrons Arts Center main performance space – a beautiful, intimate and mighty comfortable 300+ seat theater in the heart of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We are very excited about this rare AUM live production and aim to sell the house out; we hope that you will be able to join us for this night of sure-to-be profoundly beautiful and transformative music.

8:00pm.. ....
DAVID S. WARE
Eminent saxophonist David S. Ware makes his triumphant return to the stage following his very successful kidney transplant in May. His latest studio recording, Shakti, was released to great acclaim in January. This year of 2009 also marks Ware's 50th year of playing saxophone, having begun his remarkable journey into music very early on. He will be marking this doubly auspicious occasion by presenting a very special solo performance on tenor and two less well known members of the saxophone family: the saxello and the stritch. He will have a lot .to say though his horns on this night, people!

9:00pm......
DARIUS JONES TRIO
Darius Jones is an extraordinarily gifted young alto saxophonist & composer who has made great beauty of his time since arriving in NYC in 2005 from his native Virginia, playing with musicians from a wide variety of disciplines, and adding gravitas to all groups concerned. On this night, he will be celebrating the October 13 release of his debut album as a leader, Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing). The performance will feature Darius Jones: alto sax, Cooper-Moore: piano & diddley-bo & Jason Nazary: drums.

10:00pm...
WILLIAM PARKER & THE LITTLE HUEY CREATIVE MUSIC ORCHESTRA
Bassist William Parker and his acclaimed Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, who make their first appearance in more than four years, will present the world premiere of a new Parker composition entitled, "Subsequent Illumination Inscriptions / Light Cottage" (for George Russell). The last Little Huey recording released on AUM Fidelity was Mayor of Punkville in 2000; a new release is scheduled for 2010. The full personnel of The L.H.C.M.O. 2009 for this performance is:
.... .......( ( ( o ) ) )
Dave Sewelson: baritone sax
Dave Hofstra: tuba
Roy Campbell: trumpet
Lewis Barnes: trumpet
Willie Applewhite: trombone
Masahiko Kono: trombone
Jason Kao Hwang: violin
Sabir Mateen: tenor sax, alto sax, flute, clarinet, piccolo
Rob Brown: alto sax
Greg Ward: alto sax
Tony Malaby: tenor sax, soprano sax
Gerald Cleaver: drums
William Parker: bass
with special guest from South Africa, Zim Ngqawana: saxophones

Thursday, October 15, 2009
doors open 7:30pm / performances begin 8:00pm

Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street, NYC 10002 directions

$20 in advance / $25 at the door
Advance Tickets Now Available:
exclusively from Theatermania / OvationTix
online here and by phone..212.352.3101. or. 866.811.4111

Nicholas Payton @ Iridium 9/13/09

I took my same German friend out one more time for some much livelier straight ahead jazz. This was really awesome and much more my style.

Simon Lott was listed, but instead it was the equally incredible Nate Smith on drums. The upright bass was awesome. The really young piano player was quite worthy to be on that stage. Nicholas was as great as expected.

It was a good last show before my European extravaganza.

Frank Kimbrough @ The Kitano 9/12/09

I've been curious about this place for a while now. I took the opportunity when a friend from out of town wanted to go out for some straight ahead jazz. She knows that's what I like and NYC is the place for it, so she put herself in my hands. I took the opportunity to check out the Kitano.

The piano trio was good, but overall too mellow for me. I especially liked the bass player. It had some lively moments, and some great moments regardless. There was a lively song at the end.

It also helped me see the difference and get a better idea of what I like. I think it would go into the traditional jazz category. It was heavy on the ballads, light on the lively. I prefer a max of 1 or 2 ballads.

Rothenberg, Waterman, Morie @ The Stone 9/11/09

I'm catching up after a great 3 week trip to Europe. I wrote up my NYC shows before I left, but I'm just getting to posting them now.

This was improvisation at it's best!

The music was phenomenal. Waterman has the typical bow and a very interesting and different bow. The thing you hold is curved and the hairs are much more slack than a regular straight bow. There's also more hairs, so it's a little wider. I was fascinated watching him play it. The sound was more loose, like the strings. Alex is amazing no matter what he is doing.

Ikue is also incredible. She's basically providing a whole different type of sound and makes it mesh in with whoever she is playing with. I have definitely gained a lot more respect for using the laptop as an instrument from attending her shows.

Ned is the one who got me interested in the bass clarinet. I've been watching him for years now and I'm still deeply impressed. He also played the clarinet and that tribal reed. He's amazing. He did something so cool where he was playing with this awesome repetitive groove that caught me. I was so caught up I was able to see how after playing it for a bit he gradually morphed it into something totally different. It was really great.

That's the type of show The Stone is made for! It was awesome!