I'm glad I made it to the last set of this. It turns out this trio only gets together once a year and it's always in NYC. I didn't know Edward Simon before, I went for the other 2 outstanding talented great musicians. Then, I was often drawn to Edward's piano playing and often forgot the other 2 were there. That says a lot. This is one powerful trio!
Edward Simon – piano
John Patitucci – bass
Brian Blade – drums
Pianist, composer, and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Edward Simon confirmed his standing as “an important presence on the jazz and world music scene” (Los Angeles Times) with his beautiful 2009 CAM Jazz release, Poesia. It’s a superb trio date recorded with the same group that will take to our stage for three special nights in December, including the Grammy Award-winning bassist John Patitucci and the scintillating drummer, and long-time leader of his own highly acclaimed The Fellowship Band, Brian Blade. “The friendship between the members of this trio,” says Simon, “has blossomed into something beyond our individual selves, even beyond the music itself, it has blossomed into poetry. For this I'm grateful.” This auspicious trio engagement will be recorded live for a forthcoming Live at Jazz Standard release on CAM Jazz, so come get your claps, hoots and hollers on immortalized!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Blind Boys of AL @ BB King's 12/12/10
It was a good show. I loved all of the more upbeat tunes. I also enjoyed the more mellow tunes, just not as much. My favorite was when Ruthie Foster sat in and they did one of her songs. That was awesome. I also liked the NOLA influenced tune.
Ruthie Foster @ BB King's 12/12/10
I wouldn't have gone for Blind Boys of Alabama. However, it would be good to check them out just to see Ruthie again and justify the $40 + $2 box office fee. BB's is so annoying in that respect. Still, I was happy with my choice. I stayed at the bar where I could be almost the only person dancing. How can people not dance? Ruthie is phenomenal. I don't go for many singer-songwriter types, but I love her music and her voice. It was a very engaging 40 minute set.
David Fiuczynski @ Iridium 12/10/10
It was an awesome funkdown. I love how Iridium doesn't tend to do much straight-ahead, mellow stuff. This band didn't just get funky, they were just always up and fun and T A L E N T E D! They did a lot of David's tunes and a lot of Medeski's tunes he composed to play with David. I love seeing Medeski again in the span of one week. Anything he touches is fantastic. The bass and drums were awesome. Of course Rudresh is another always great cat. I am incredibly impressed with David. How does he do that? You have to see it.
The listing:
David Fiuczynski Group w/special guest John Medeski; Rudresh Mahanthappa, Skoota Warner; David Ginyard
Iconoclastic and prolific guitarist David ‘Fuze’ Fiuczynski (of Screaming Headless Torsos), a jazz player who “doesn’t want to play just jazz”, has been hailed by the world press as an incredibly inventive guitar hero, who continues to deliver music that is unclassifiable, challenging and invigorating.
In 1994 David, in collaboration with keyboardist John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood, woke up the sleeping jazz fusion world with a landmark CD, “Lunar Crush”, which was chosen by Guitar Player’s 30th Anniversary Edition as a “Disc of Destiny”. A funky, freaky party, 'Lunar Crush' was a wild 90’s tribute to Tony William’s groundbreaking early-fusion band “Lifetime”.
On Dec 9-12 David and John will perform music from 'KiF Express' and 'Lunar Crush.' KiF Express delves into a fresh palette of other-worldly sounds using traditional melodic elements of Arabia, Asia, India and Eastern-Europe with Fuze’s signature brand of highly funky jams.
Ranging from rocked-out madness to drum 'n bass, gogo to plaintive meditations, Fuze’s wild guitar palette moves from high energy extravaganzas to moving, emotional ballads.
David leads the underground cult band Screaming Headless Torsos and has worked with Jack DeJohnette, Meshell Ndegeocello, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Dennis Chambers, Hasidic New Wave, Vinnie Colaiuta, Christian McBride, Hiromi, Cindy Blackman, Bernie Worrell, John Zorn, Vernon Reid and many more.
Special guest Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto sax is one of the most innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. Rudresh has incorporated the culture of his Indian ancestry and has fused myriad influences to create a truly groundbreaking artistic vision. His recent release for Pi Recordings Kinsmen featuring Carnatic saxophone legend Kadri Gopalnath (September 25, 2008) was named one of the Top Jazz CDs of 2008 by over 20 news sources including the New York Times, NPR, BBC, Boston Globe, slate.com, JazzTimes, and the Village Voice to name just a few. He has worked with such luminaries like David Murray, Steve Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, Samir Chatterjee, Vijay Iyer, Howard Levy, David Liebman, Greg Osby, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Rounding out the band is an exceptionally funky and greasy rhythm section Skoota Warner on drums (Santana, Mary J Blige) and David Ginyard on bass (currently playing RnB super star Estelle).
The listing:
David Fiuczynski Group w/special guest John Medeski; Rudresh Mahanthappa, Skoota Warner; David Ginyard
Iconoclastic and prolific guitarist David ‘Fuze’ Fiuczynski (of Screaming Headless Torsos), a jazz player who “doesn’t want to play just jazz”, has been hailed by the world press as an incredibly inventive guitar hero, who continues to deliver music that is unclassifiable, challenging and invigorating.
In 1994 David, in collaboration with keyboardist John Medeski of Medeski Martin & Wood, woke up the sleeping jazz fusion world with a landmark CD, “Lunar Crush”, which was chosen by Guitar Player’s 30th Anniversary Edition as a “Disc of Destiny”. A funky, freaky party, 'Lunar Crush' was a wild 90’s tribute to Tony William’s groundbreaking early-fusion band “Lifetime”.
On Dec 9-12 David and John will perform music from 'KiF Express' and 'Lunar Crush.' KiF Express delves into a fresh palette of other-worldly sounds using traditional melodic elements of Arabia, Asia, India and Eastern-Europe with Fuze’s signature brand of highly funky jams.
Ranging from rocked-out madness to drum 'n bass, gogo to plaintive meditations, Fuze’s wild guitar palette moves from high energy extravaganzas to moving, emotional ballads.
David leads the underground cult band Screaming Headless Torsos and has worked with Jack DeJohnette, Meshell Ndegeocello, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Dennis Chambers, Hasidic New Wave, Vinnie Colaiuta, Christian McBride, Hiromi, Cindy Blackman, Bernie Worrell, John Zorn, Vernon Reid and many more.
Special guest Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto sax is one of the most innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. Rudresh has incorporated the culture of his Indian ancestry and has fused myriad influences to create a truly groundbreaking artistic vision. His recent release for Pi Recordings Kinsmen featuring Carnatic saxophone legend Kadri Gopalnath (September 25, 2008) was named one of the Top Jazz CDs of 2008 by over 20 news sources including the New York Times, NPR, BBC, Boston Globe, slate.com, JazzTimes, and the Village Voice to name just a few. He has worked with such luminaries like David Murray, Steve Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, Samir Chatterjee, Vijay Iyer, Howard Levy, David Liebman, Greg Osby, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Rounding out the band is an exceptionally funky and greasy rhythm section Skoota Warner on drums (Santana, Mary J Blige) and David Ginyard on bass (currently playing RnB super star Estelle).
Maurice Brown Effect @ Jazz Standard 12/8/10
He's got a haircut, some new band members, a new album and he's even better than ever before. The quintet was riveting. It was a great time with lots of great musical moments. The piano was especially good. The tenor and bass were awesome as well. The drums were great, although I found my attention on the piano and bass even more, especially during the many trio parts. It was great all the way around.
The listing:
MAURICE BROWN EFFECT
Maurice Brown – trumpet
Chelsea Baratz – saxophone
Chris Rob – piano
Solomon Dorsey – bass
Joe Blaxx – drums
If your hips start swaying, your fingers starts snapping, and your heart beats a little faster, don’t call the doctor: You might have caught the “Maurice Brown Effect.” Maurice’s group wowed the Jazz Standard crowds back in March and they are ready to do it again in December. This soulful trumpeter and his band have caused outbreaks of musical ecstasy with their exciting live shows (for example, back in March at Jazz Standard) and their latest CD, The Cycle of Love. Maurice’s sideman credits range from chart-topping R&B (Aretha Franklin, Cee-Lo Green) to deep ex-ploratory jazz (Fred Anderson, George Freeman). “I know for a fact that Maurice Brown has the most promise of all the trumpeters out there,” declares veteran trombonist Curtis Fuller. “I say this because I played with Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard when they were his age, and I see that promise in Maurice Brown.”
The listing:
MAURICE BROWN EFFECT
Maurice Brown – trumpet
Chelsea Baratz – saxophone
Chris Rob – piano
Solomon Dorsey – bass
Joe Blaxx – drums
If your hips start swaying, your fingers starts snapping, and your heart beats a little faster, don’t call the doctor: You might have caught the “Maurice Brown Effect.” Maurice’s group wowed the Jazz Standard crowds back in March and they are ready to do it again in December. This soulful trumpeter and his band have caused outbreaks of musical ecstasy with their exciting live shows (for example, back in March at Jazz Standard) and their latest CD, The Cycle of Love. Maurice’s sideman credits range from chart-topping R&B (Aretha Franklin, Cee-Lo Green) to deep ex-ploratory jazz (Fred Anderson, George Freeman). “I know for a fact that Maurice Brown has the most promise of all the trumpeters out there,” declares veteran trombonist Curtis Fuller. “I say this because I played with Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard when they were his age, and I see that promise in Maurice Brown.”
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Music of Dylan/The Band @ LPR 12/5/10
Steven Bernstein - lead, house band with Sexmob, Medeski, Larry Campbell and Rob Burger as the house band and many special guests doing vocals at Le Poisson Rouge. That recipe means you can't go wrong. OK!
Now, I think you already know I don't need vocals. That was also so true for the first several songs. I could love the music when Larry Campbell and then John Wesley Harding were singing. I think the Fiery Furnaces were up after that. Once Tony Scherr did his his vocals while still playing the bass with the house band things took a turn and got even greater. That was followed by Nicole Atkins, then Chocolate Genius, and then Jolie Holland. They were all great and seemed to get progressively better. David Johansen finished it up with a great rockstar presence - he even had me singing. Most of the vocalists were up for 2 songs. The Mighty Quinn encore was awesome with everybody on stage.
The band was incredible. I was blown away at many moments. There was one point where Steven played the most amazing slide trumpet solo I have yet to see. He also played the bass trumpet at one point - I'm not sure I've ever seen him play that before. He did admonish us a lot for not cheering enough. He said it's why he doesn't play NYC much any more. People were into it but not very expressive about it.
The show was spectacular. I'm also thrilled to see proceeds support the renovation of the theatre at the 14th Street Y. Yeah!
An all-star Tribute featuring:
Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces.
Special Guest Vocalists
Chocolate Genius, David Johansen (New York Dolls).
Proceeds from Bob Dylan and The Band: What Kind of Love Is This? support the renovation of the LABA Theatre at the 14th Street Y - an anchor for music, dance, performance art, theater, and fine arts in the heart of the East Village for decades.
Set List
This Wheel's On Fire - Larry Campbell
Baby Let Me Follow You Down ('66) - John Wesley Harding
Something There is About You - John Wesley Harding
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (reprise Last Waltz version) - John Wesley Harding
You Ain't Going Nowhere - Laura Cantrell
Going Going Gone - Laura Cantrell
Odds & Ends - Fiery Furnaces
I'm Not There - Fiery Furances
Hazel - Tony Scherr
Long Distance Operator - Nicole Atkins
Going to Acapulco - Nicole Atkins
I Shall Be Released - Chocolate Genius
Please Mrs. Henry - Chocolate Genius
Nothing was Delivered - Jolie Holland
Ballad of a Thin Man - Jolie Holland
Million Dollar Bash - David Johansen
On a Night Like This - David Johansen
Encore:
Mighty Quinn - Group
Now, I think you already know I don't need vocals. That was also so true for the first several songs. I could love the music when Larry Campbell and then John Wesley Harding were singing. I think the Fiery Furnaces were up after that. Once Tony Scherr did his his vocals while still playing the bass with the house band things took a turn and got even greater. That was followed by Nicole Atkins, then Chocolate Genius, and then Jolie Holland. They were all great and seemed to get progressively better. David Johansen finished it up with a great rockstar presence - he even had me singing. Most of the vocalists were up for 2 songs. The Mighty Quinn encore was awesome with everybody on stage.
The band was incredible. I was blown away at many moments. There was one point where Steven played the most amazing slide trumpet solo I have yet to see. He also played the bass trumpet at one point - I'm not sure I've ever seen him play that before. He did admonish us a lot for not cheering enough. He said it's why he doesn't play NYC much any more. People were into it but not very expressive about it.
The show was spectacular. I'm also thrilled to see proceeds support the renovation of the theatre at the 14th Street Y. Yeah!
An all-star Tribute featuring:
Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces.
Special Guest Vocalists
Chocolate Genius, David Johansen (New York Dolls).
Proceeds from Bob Dylan and The Band: What Kind of Love Is This? support the renovation of the LABA Theatre at the 14th Street Y - an anchor for music, dance, performance art, theater, and fine arts in the heart of the East Village for decades.
Set List
This Wheel's On Fire - Larry Campbell
Baby Let Me Follow You Down ('66) - John Wesley Harding
Something There is About You - John Wesley Harding
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (reprise Last Waltz version) - John Wesley Harding
You Ain't Going Nowhere - Laura Cantrell
Going Going Gone - Laura Cantrell
Odds & Ends - Fiery Furnaces
I'm Not There - Fiery Furances
Hazel - Tony Scherr
Long Distance Operator - Nicole Atkins
Going to Acapulco - Nicole Atkins
I Shall Be Released - Chocolate Genius
Please Mrs. Henry - Chocolate Genius
Nothing was Delivered - Jolie Holland
Ballad of a Thin Man - Jolie Holland
Million Dollar Bash - David Johansen
On a Night Like This - David Johansen
Encore:
Mighty Quinn - Group
Pablo Ziegler Quartet @ Jazz Standard 12/2/10
I never get tired of this band. The music was as great as ever. I didn't realize that the listed special guest Prometheus Jenkins is the "sideman name" for Branford Marsalis. That was a very nice surprise! It was also nice to have a sax for the 2nd half of the set. It was great!
TANGO MEETS JAZZ FESTIVAL with THE PABLO ZIEGLER QUARTET Plus Special Guests PROMETHEUS JENKINS (Dec 2-3) and REGINA CARTER (Dec 4-5) performer name
* Pablo Ziegler – piano
Claudio Ragazzi – guitar
Hector Del Curto – bandeon
Pedro Giraudo – bass
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Prometheus Jenkins – tenor saxophone (12/2–12/3)
Regina Carter - violin (12/4–12/5)
Jazz Standard celebrates the first decade of a grand tradition in New York music when we proudly present our 10th annual “Tango Meets Jazz” Festival, featuring and directed by the Latin Grammy Award–winning pianist and composer Pablo Ziegler, “the outstanding representative of the nuevo tango in his generation” (Stereo Review). Two very special guests will join the Ziegler quartet for the festivities: the brilliant beyond–category violinist Regina Carter, appearing December 4–5; and an underground legend of the tenor saxophone, Prometheus Jenkins, appearing December 2–3.
Produced by Pat Philips and Ettore Stratta.
TANGO MEETS JAZZ FESTIVAL with THE PABLO ZIEGLER QUARTET Plus Special Guests PROMETHEUS JENKINS (Dec 2-3) and REGINA CARTER (Dec 4-5) performer name
* Pablo Ziegler – piano
Claudio Ragazzi – guitar
Hector Del Curto – bandeon
Pedro Giraudo – bass
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Prometheus Jenkins – tenor saxophone (12/2–12/3)
Regina Carter - violin (12/4–12/5)
Jazz Standard celebrates the first decade of a grand tradition in New York music when we proudly present our 10th annual “Tango Meets Jazz” Festival, featuring and directed by the Latin Grammy Award–winning pianist and composer Pablo Ziegler, “the outstanding representative of the nuevo tango in his generation” (Stereo Review). Two very special guests will join the Ziegler quartet for the festivities: the brilliant beyond–category violinist Regina Carter, appearing December 4–5; and an underground legend of the tenor saxophone, Prometheus Jenkins, appearing December 2–3.
Produced by Pat Philips and Ettore Stratta.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Akiko Yano w/ Marc Ribot @ LPR 12/2/10
Decisions decisions. There were so many options and I knew I wanted something early. When in doubt, I sometimes ask stichomancy. It's a divination method where you ask a question and then pick up a book at random and then randomly open it to a passage. I do the free on-line version. My answer was something about a sonorous voice, so I knew this was my show even though I wasn't crazy about her voice in the youtube vids I watched on the LPR site. It turned out to be a good move on my part!
She mainly sang in English and her voice wasn't quite as high as on the videos. It was still high, but I didn't mind it. She is a phenomenal piano player. She really had me at many moments with that! I also love the music. She is in love with the music of Southern USA and it was all music I love.
Marc Ribot was simply amazing. He had me caught with pretty much everything. He of course drew me to this show. The other draw was a banjo I heard on youtube. I listened to them at work, so I wasn't watching and I'm not sure who was playing banjo on that. For the show it was Ribot! I don't think I knew he had a banjo.
I also enjoyed the drums a lot. I think it might have been my first time seeing Jay Bellerose. He had me many times. I loved some of the parts where he played the drums somewhat intensely with the mallets. He's awesome.
Rounding out the quartet was a good bass player who sometimes sang backup.
It was a really awesome show.
The videos are still up on the site in the listing:
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1736
Akiko Yano
w/ Marc Ribot , Jennifer Condos and Jay Bellerose
Prolific Japanese-born, current NYC resident, pianist-singer-songwriter Akiko Yano has released 28 original albums. While procuding Yano’s alumb in 2007, T. Bone Burnett brought Marc Ribot and Jay Bellerose on board. (Recently Ribot and Bellerose contributed to Elton John and Leon Russell’s album “The Union” their concerts and T Bone’s “The Speaking Clock Revue”.) Adding Jennifer Condos(b), the band has toured Japan since 2008. Condos is a member of Ray LaMontagne amd the Pariah Dogs, who toured with Warren Zevon, recorded and tour with Joe Henry… to name a few. Yano will be leaving for another Japan tour with this band soon after the show. This is their first live show together in NYC.
She mainly sang in English and her voice wasn't quite as high as on the videos. It was still high, but I didn't mind it. She is a phenomenal piano player. She really had me at many moments with that! I also love the music. She is in love with the music of Southern USA and it was all music I love.
Marc Ribot was simply amazing. He had me caught with pretty much everything. He of course drew me to this show. The other draw was a banjo I heard on youtube. I listened to them at work, so I wasn't watching and I'm not sure who was playing banjo on that. For the show it was Ribot! I don't think I knew he had a banjo.
I also enjoyed the drums a lot. I think it might have been my first time seeing Jay Bellerose. He had me many times. I loved some of the parts where he played the drums somewhat intensely with the mallets. He's awesome.
Rounding out the quartet was a good bass player who sometimes sang backup.
It was a really awesome show.
The videos are still up on the site in the listing:
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1736
Akiko Yano
w/ Marc Ribot , Jennifer Condos and Jay Bellerose
Prolific Japanese-born, current NYC resident, pianist-singer-songwriter Akiko Yano has released 28 original albums. While procuding Yano’s alumb in 2007, T. Bone Burnett brought Marc Ribot and Jay Bellerose on board. (Recently Ribot and Bellerose contributed to Elton John and Leon Russell’s album “The Union” their concerts and T Bone’s “The Speaking Clock Revue”.) Adding Jennifer Condos(b), the band has toured Japan since 2008. Condos is a member of Ray LaMontagne amd the Pariah Dogs, who toured with Warren Zevon, recorded and tour with Joe Henry… to name a few. Yano will be leaving for another Japan tour with this band soon after the show. This is their first live show together in NYC.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Miguel Zenón @ Jazz Gallery 12/1/10
Jazz Gallery has some residency programs to allow talented emerging artists, to play new compositions in front of live audiences. Some of these artists, like Zenón, started playing Jazz Gallery as emerging and are now established.
The music was excellent. I loved the bass especially, but each of the 4 were phenomenal. I loved the compositions and the energy as well.
It was a fun and awesome set of music.
The listing:
Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone, Alex Brown - piano, Hans Glawischnig - bass, Eric Doob - drums
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel was recently named a MacArthur Fellow, one of the most prestigious honors an American artist in any discipline can earn. We are proud to have given Miguel a platform over the years for many of his projects, including his Rhythm Collective, his Jíbaro premiere, his recent trio endeavor with Jeff Ballard and Lionel Loueke and most recently his extraordinary Esta Plena project. Miguel pursued formal jazz training at Berklee and gained pivotal experience playing with the likes of Bob Moses and the Either/Orchestra. He received his Masters from the Manhattan School of Music in 2001 and has since racked up credits with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, the SFJazz Collective, Ray Barretto, Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez, Antonio Sanchez and many more. Melding the indigenous folkloric idioms of his native country with some of the most advanced compositional thinking in modern jazz, Miguel represents the best of a new wave of Latin jazz innovation.
The music was excellent. I loved the bass especially, but each of the 4 were phenomenal. I loved the compositions and the energy as well.
It was a fun and awesome set of music.
The listing:
Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone, Alex Brown - piano, Hans Glawischnig - bass, Eric Doob - drums
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel was recently named a MacArthur Fellow, one of the most prestigious honors an American artist in any discipline can earn. We are proud to have given Miguel a platform over the years for many of his projects, including his Rhythm Collective, his Jíbaro premiere, his recent trio endeavor with Jeff Ballard and Lionel Loueke and most recently his extraordinary Esta Plena project. Miguel pursued formal jazz training at Berklee and gained pivotal experience playing with the likes of Bob Moses and the Either/Orchestra. He received his Masters from the Manhattan School of Music in 2001 and has since racked up credits with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, the SFJazz Collective, Ray Barretto, Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez, Antonio Sanchez and many more. Melding the indigenous folkloric idioms of his native country with some of the most advanced compositional thinking in modern jazz, Miguel represents the best of a new wave of Latin jazz innovation.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Mark Dresser @ Cornelia St Cafe 11/28/10
I loved how they started, the piano strings sounded so great. The bass strings had a similar, pretty, tinny sound. I loved those sounds and was glad the set was sprinkled with some of those as well as many other great sounds. Tom Rainey started off playing the kit with his hands.
It was a fabulous set of experimental jazz with a great sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums. The horns certainly didn't hold back in the small room. They wailed at times. They also played quietly at times.
I thoroughly enjoyed the set. It was a Sun night after a holiday, so I opted out of the next set. I'm sure it was great.
Well, well, well, lookie here, "hyperpiano" is the instrument listed. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I found this link. I've been fascinated by this ever since I saw Sylvie Courvoissier for the first time.
MARK DRESSER QUINTET
Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto saxophone;
Michael Dessen, trombone;
Denman Maroney, hyperpiano;
Tom Rainey, drums;
Mark Dresser, bass
It was a fabulous set of experimental jazz with a great sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums. The horns certainly didn't hold back in the small room. They wailed at times. They also played quietly at times.
I thoroughly enjoyed the set. It was a Sun night after a holiday, so I opted out of the next set. I'm sure it was great.
Well, well, well, lookie here, "hyperpiano" is the instrument listed. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I found this link. I've been fascinated by this ever since I saw Sylvie Courvoissier for the first time.
MARK DRESSER QUINTET
Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto saxophone;
Michael Dessen, trombone;
Denman Maroney, hyperpiano;
Tom Rainey, drums;
Mark Dresser, bass
Tom Beckham Group @ Cornelia St Cafe 11/23/10
It was a good jazz set. It kept me interested and was a good show to get some music in before taking off for Thanksgiving.
Here's a little interview of Tom on Cornelia Street's blog posted the day of the show.
TOM BECKHAM GROUP
Tom Beckham, vibraphone, compositions;
Chris Cheek, saxophones;
Henry Hey, piano;
Matt Clohesy, bass;
Greg Ritchie, drums
Here's a little interview of Tom on Cornelia Street's blog posted the day of the show.
TOM BECKHAM GROUP
Tom Beckham, vibraphone, compositions;
Chris Cheek, saxophones;
Henry Hey, piano;
Matt Clohesy, bass;
Greg Ritchie, drums
Another One For Woody @ Roseland 11/22/10
My expectations were far surpassed with this show! I got there just before 8 and was surprised the opening band was already well into their set. It was Warren, McCain and Kevin Kinney. I got the last few songs. It was rather mellow yet good.
Then there was a setbreak and then North Mississippi Allstars, but no Chris Chew. Apparantly he isn't with them anymore. Huh. Too bad. The Luther/Cody duo was good, but not the same. There were some guests sprinkled through. The last song, which was a completely different special band for the night, was awesome. That cinched for me that I was definitely in the right place.
Another set break and then the phenomenal Government Mule. I so love this band. The bass player is unbelievable. They did about half the set on their own and then started bringing out the guests. I already don't remember much except that I loved it and I was blown away throughout, especially without the guests.
Another, longer setbreak, and then a huge reminder of how come this version of the Allman Brothers Band was one of my very favorites for so long. If you think about it, the $100 face value/$117 TB ticket price is lower than many of the good ABB seats at The Beacon. And, even better, everyone on the floor has to stand. The band was so on! I didn't realize how much I miss Derek. He was incredible.
They eventually morphed into special guests and other amalgamations. It was all so great. There was an awesome Whipping Post encore. Then, just as I was leaving, another Wish You Were Here encore! It all ended at around 1:45ish - way longer than I originally anticipated.
Yes, that was indeed a very special night.
Here's some video and the setlist from Hidden Track.
Here's a great rundown from someone with a better memory on Jambands.
Then there was a setbreak and then North Mississippi Allstars, but no Chris Chew. Apparantly he isn't with them anymore. Huh. Too bad. The Luther/Cody duo was good, but not the same. There were some guests sprinkled through. The last song, which was a completely different special band for the night, was awesome. That cinched for me that I was definitely in the right place.
Another set break and then the phenomenal Government Mule. I so love this band. The bass player is unbelievable. They did about half the set on their own and then started bringing out the guests. I already don't remember much except that I loved it and I was blown away throughout, especially without the guests.
Another, longer setbreak, and then a huge reminder of how come this version of the Allman Brothers Band was one of my very favorites for so long. If you think about it, the $100 face value/$117 TB ticket price is lower than many of the good ABB seats at The Beacon. And, even better, everyone on the floor has to stand. The band was so on! I didn't realize how much I miss Derek. He was incredible.
They eventually morphed into special guests and other amalgamations. It was all so great. There was an awesome Whipping Post encore. Then, just as I was leaving, another Wish You Were Here encore! It all ended at around 1:45ish - way longer than I originally anticipated.
Yes, that was indeed a very special night.
Here's some video and the setlist from Hidden Track.
Here's a great rundown from someone with a better memory on Jambands.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Ches Smith & These Arches @ University of the Streets 11/21/10
I walked in at 8:15 and was told they just started that minute. My jaw dropped when I moved the entry curtain and walked in to see Marc Ribot playing the hell out of his guitar! I braved a quick walk in front of the band and a pretty much full house to score an awesome seat just left of center in the 2nd row, which is up a big step from the floor. Once I sat, I was again elated to see Tim Bern on baritone sax! Tony Malaby was absent, but the 3 regular band members: Ches Smith, Andrea Parkins, and Mary Halvorson were all present. And boy was everybody present!!! This show was non-stop amazingness from beginning to end! This is a dream band playing the best way possible! It was hard to pay attention to any one they were all too enthralling.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Ellery Eskelin @ Cornelia St 11/20/10
The 2nd set was awesome. I think it was 1 hour and it flew. Nasheet was so great on the drums and Ellery is always great. Gary is great, I'm just particular about the organ and I only like some organs. Ellery seemed to love everything he played, so it's a block I have. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful evening.
ELLERY ESKELIN TRIO
Ellery Eskelin, tenor saxophone; Gary Versace, organ; Nasheet Waits, drums
Inspired by his mother "Bobbie Lee" who played Hammond B3 organ professionally in Baltimore in the early sixties, veteran saxophonist Ellery Eskelin explores the organ trio format with stellar bandmates Gary Versace and Nasheet Waits.
ELLERY ESKELIN TRIO
Ellery Eskelin, tenor saxophone; Gary Versace, organ; Nasheet Waits, drums
Inspired by his mother "Bobbie Lee" who played Hammond B3 organ professionally in Baltimore in the early sixties, veteran saxophonist Ellery Eskelin explores the organ trio format with stellar bandmates Gary Versace and Nasheet Waits.
Bill Frisell Disfarmer @ Music Hall 11/20/10
Yet another phenomenal, way special show in Nov. in NYC! I didn't read the listing or know what this was. This project is a slide show of some photos from depression-era Arkansas and Frisell compositions inspired by them.
The photographs were incredible. They were all portraits of people and all were exquisite. Everyone looked really good. They were various ages. It started out showing various pictures of men. After several excellent music pieces, the slide show moved to the women. Then it would be a woman holding a baby for a bit and the occasional man with a child. Then children together and families and then ensembles. It was very cool to see this right before Thanksgiving.
There were 2 screens set up on each side of the amazing band. They were the same size and rectangular shape and each had frames. The frames were a little different on each. One had 3 frames: a large rectangle the entire width of the screen, taking up about 40% of the area and the other 2 rectangles splitting the remaining area with a vertical line down the center, about 40/60 for that remaining area. The other screen had 4 rectangles, all a different size. Often the same pictures were displayed in very different ways on the screens. Sometimes it would be a portion of the picture, sometimes it would be in one frame, sometimes more than one, sometimes the whole screen. There were various views of different portraits or pieces of portraits on a screen in different frames. It was very well done. It was fascinating how the different views made the portraits different. It also evoked thoughts of family for me. I loved when you could see how family members looked alike. It was awesome when a child and parents with the same eyes were all looking to the right. Everyone in the portraits looked great - beautiful. I loved it!
The music was fantastic. Each musician has that new edge to an old instrument. The bass was a little different than the typical upright. The steel guitar was so innovative and excellent. I already knew how outstanding Bill and Jenny are. They were amazing as always. I must get the CD, I was disappointed there were none for sale after the show. The music has a wide range, but all of it had an Americana feel.
The show was about 1.5 hours. They got a standing ovation and we got a 1 song encore with no pictures. It was wonderful.
http://www.billfrisell.com/artists/Frisell/news_link.html
Bill Frisell
Disfarmer
Bill Frisell - electric and acoustic guitars, loops, music boxes
Greg Leisz - steel guitars, mandolin
Jenny Scheinman - violin
Viktor Krauss - bass
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recording and Mixing Engineer: Tucker Martine
Mastering Engineer: Greg Calbi
Recorded at Avast Studio, Seattle (February, '08) and Sound Emporium, Nashville (May, '08)
Mixed at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City
Production assistance: Adam Blomberg
Assistant engineers: Taylor Pollert, Jesse Nichols and Adam Munoz
Design by Evan Gaffney
Photographs on booklet back, inlay and opposite page by Michael Wilson
All other photographs by Mike Disfarmer
All compositions by Bill Frisell (Friz-Tone Music/BMI) except:
"That's Alright, Mama" by Arthur Crudup (Unichappell Music Inc./BMI)
"Lovesick Blues" by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills (EMI Mills Music/ASCAP)
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" by Hank Williams Sr. (Sony/Acuff Rose Music/BMI)
"Shutter, Dream" by Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, Jenny Scheinman and Viktor Krauss (Friz-Tone Music/Capsong/Bug Music/Split Window Music/BMI and Taylor Peak Music/ASCAP)
"Arkansas" is based on the song "Arkansas Traveler" by Colonel Sanford C. 'Sandy' Faulkner
Nonesuch Records
Song List:
"The music of omnivorous guitarist Bill Frisell reflects an eclectic range of influences .... On "Disfarmer," he draws inspiration from the Depression-era portraits of little-known Arkansas photographer Michael Disfarmer. The result is a provocative soundscape that features a mixture of acoustic and
electric guitars.... Creatively restless, Frisell is best suited for exploring vast territory and responding with imaginative integrity, which is evidenced on "Disfarmer." - Dan Ouellette, Billboard
"Exquisite." - Independent on Sunday
"Frisell's filmic themes summon up the ghosts of a lost America. The results are gently beautiful." The Times
"The tunes prove so hauntingly evocative that they conjure the spirits of long-vanished people and places without the need for visual accompaniment." - Metro
"The hymns and hoedowns of 'Disfarmer' are both affectionate and atmospheric." - Daily Telegraph
"You practically feel the Arkansas soil slipping through your fingers."- The Sun
NPR.org, July 13, 2009 -
This album is called Disfarmer, and it's by Bill Frisell. Frisell, you may
know: He's a guitar tactician with warmth and a composer of unclassifiable songs. As a solo artist, Frisell is known largely for drawing upon the affects of Americana ‹ folk, country and western, what-have-you ‹ in ways you wouldn't immediately call jazz, but which draw from jazz in a way that implies no better descriptor.
But who, or what for that matter, is Disfarmer?
Mike Disfarmer was born Michael Meyers in 1884, the sixth of seven children in a family of German immigrant farmers in Arkansas. As he grew older, he came to reject both his family and its agrarian lifestyle. (A tornado, he once claimed, uprooted him from his birth parents and blew him into the Meyers household.) So he chose a new surname. Upon learning, somewhat incorrectly, that the German word "meyer" translated to "farmer" in English, he reasoned that he could only be called an anti-farmer, or Disfarmer.
In other words, Disfarmer was something of an eccentric, and a recluse to boot. But he was also an artist: Disfarmer ran a portrait photography studio in rural Heber Springs, Ark. ‹ the only such enterprise for miles around.
Thousands of black-and-white images captured his fellow townspeople from the years preceding the Great Depression to the period following WWII. And something about the solemn, stark plainness to his style lent his subjects an unexpected intimacy, ensuring his legacy as one of America's great outsider artists.
Disfarmer died in 1959, but his photographs were eventually rediscovered, exhibited and anthologized. The candor of those images would be a natural counterpart to the post-Americana music of Bill Frisell ‹ so thought Chuck Helm, Director of the Performing Arts at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio. Sure enough, when Helm introduced Frisell to Disfarmer's oeuvre, the guitarist went on to create a touring multimedia work, scoring a slideshow of Disfarmer images.
The recording of that music, on Frisell's latest album Disfarmer, is what you can hear here in its entirety. It's filled with the sounds of a 21st-century string band: Greg Leisz's mandolin and pedal-steel atmospherics, Jenny Scheinman's sundry fiddle textures, Viktor Krauss' rich acoustic bass plucking. And then there's Frisell, the quiet tactician of the electric guitar, who engineers loops and subtle distortions with phrasing you never knew you were expecting.
There are evocative original themes and motifs here, surrounded by backgrounds sounding distant echoes of country, bluegrass and old-time mountain music. There's also a handful of carefully selected covers, among them Hank Williams' lament "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)"
and Arthur Crudup's blues song "That's Alright, Mama," a hit rockabilly vehicle for Elvis Presley. It's a record alternately spare and full, languid and rollicking, pastoral and urbanely produced.
And it's all in service to the work of the enigmatic Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer.
"What was he thinking?" Frisell asks. "What did he see? We'll never know, but as I write the music, I'd like to imagine it coming from his point of view. The sound of him looking through the lens."
The Houston Chronicle, August 2, 2009 Sunday
By Andrew Dansby
4 STARS
Like Bill Frisell, I'd not heard of Mike Disfarmer even though I'd seen his work. Disfarmer, who died in 1959, was a weird genius of photography who took haunting, beautiful and mysterious portraits of the folks in his hometown of Heber Springs, Ark. Disfarmer's photos tipped the paper boat into the water for the always innovative guitarist Frisell, but Disfarmer is more than a soundtrack to a collection of photos. Frisell took a road trip from North Carolina to Arkansas to initiate the project. In both song selection and instrumentation the album reflects that movement. Among the 26 compositions are three interpretations of well-known songs - That's Alright, Mama, Lovesick Blues and I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You) - that suggest he stopped at some music landmarks along the way.
But the majority of these songs, with titles like Farmer, Little Girl and Little Boy, were inspired by Disfarmer and/or his subjects. Not only is there a continuity in Disfarmer's work (the crisp black-and-white detail, the stillness of the subjects) but there's also great range. Similarly Frisell's pieces flow together despite great variance in their tones. Some, like the opening Disfarmer's Theme, reflect the stoic darkness portrayed in the photos while others are more colorful. The lightness Jenny Scheinman's pizzicato violin plucking on Lost, Night are immersed in some more ominous tones produced by Frisell and steel guitarist Greg Leisz. Together, they give the song a gorgeous complexity.
I'm Not a Farmer has a sweeping country feel, tinged with resignation. It's quickly followed by the intimate, acoustically picked Small Town, a short composition that suggests a yearning to get outside its titular subject.
American roots music is not new terrain for Frisell. He's also no stranger to making music tied to a visual medium (he's done recordings to accompany Buster Keaton films). Disfarmer, though, is a particularly beautiful suite of music. Frisell's pacing is magnificent, and the album sweeps along with purpose like a gorgeous, spacious epic. It is full of sounds that suggest settings and characters, including the mysterious eccentric who inspired the recording.
NPR.org, August 16, 2009
click here to hear the interview
Mike Disfarmer snapped portraits of anyone and everyone in the small town of Heber Springs, Ark. The photos spanned a period from the Great Depression through World War II. The black and white pictures ranged from the intent stares of a set of twins in tight curls and rumpled housecoats to a cocksure G.I. with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lip.
Guitarist Bill Frisell composed a series of musical vignettes based on Disfarmer's work for a new album appropriately called Disfarmer.
"At first I was attracted to the photos themselves, but then there's this whole story that starts to emerge of the man himself," Frisell says. "He was pretty much unknown while he was alive. And 20 years later, the photos are uncovered and [Disfarmer is] suddenly thought of as a genius."
Frisell drove to Heber Springs, Ark., where Disfarmer took the photographs. He wanted to meet people who lived there and happened to get lucky when he met Tom Olmstead, the town's funeral director. Olmstead not only had his picture taken by Disfarmer as a boy, but he and his father discovered Disfarmer's body after the photographer died. Olmstead provided Frisell with a wealth of stories.
Mike Disfarmer was born Mike Meyers. Frisell tells host Guy Raz that Disfarmer mistakenly thought that "Meyers" meant "farmer."
"He was trying to disassociate himself with his family and the community around there. So he decided to be Disfarmer," Frisell says. "You can tell he was a pretty contrary person."
Disfarmer was rude to the people he photographed and made them feel uncomfortable, but Frisell says that wasn't his aim. He was more interested in the photo itself.
"People weren't really posing. They never really knew when the photo was going to be taken," Frisell says. "In that way you get this really honest picture of those folks."
Sonic Boomers, September 11, 2009
By Phil Gallo
The peppiest original on Bill Frisell’s work devoted to a mysterious Arkansas photographer is titled “Natural Light.” It’s a moment of controlled joy -- an artist finding the right split second to capture life -- and as an audio interpreter of a visual art, Frisell has everything in proper focus on Disfarmer.
Arkansas portrait photographer Mike Meyers chose the name Disfarmer at the age of 55 to break free of his family’s dairy operation, believing he was superior to the townsfolk of Heber Springs, Ark., that he photographed in his downtown studio during the years of World War II. Guitarist Bill Frisell, whose last 15 albums belie his music’s rural roots, was invited to create a musical project, which he interpreted as an opportunity to compose from the photographer’s point of view.
The result is a song cycle with a careful, film-score construction. There’s an overriding pensiveness, moments of cheerfulness and the occasional blast of a carefree spirit. The music, performed with Greg Leisz on steel guitar and mandolin, violinist Jenny Scheinman and bassist Viktor Krauss, is highly impressionistic, a striking balance of sepia-toned light and dark. Textured interplay is rich and striking throughout, hitting its apex on “Peter Miller’s Discovery.” Miller, an attorney in Arkansas and a former newspaper editor, has spearheaded the effort over the last 15 years to recognize Disfarmer’s work as fine art.
Mystery surrounded Disfarmer. He never socialized, his lone interaction coming during photo sessions that often required subjects to sit for an hour as he adjusted the amount of natural light in the room. The portraits are intimate and detailed, a trait Frisell has translated in the music.
Mystery and distance color the snail-paced “Little Boy;” a music box, harmonics and upright bass unfold on “Shutter, Dream” as an image would on photo paper in the darkroom. “I am Not a Farmer,” upright in its defiant tone, is a lyrical ballad modeled on mountain story songs that reveals the erosion behind the human facade. As the song progresses, Scheinman’s violin adds streaks of darkness with the slightest bit of dissonance to contrast Frisell’s carefully picked lines. Of the 26 songs, it’s the true musical portrait.
Frisell includes nods to Elvis Presley (Arthur Crudup’s “That’s Alright, Mama”) and Hank Williams (“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)” and “Lovesick Blues”) that provide an air of familiarity, a technique he used on “History, Mystery” with Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” the traditional numbers on “The Willies” and songs by Williams and George Gershwin on “Ghost Town.”
Disfarmer’s booklet includes six of his photographs. While they share similarities in subject matter and the era with the renowned Walker Evans, Disfarmer operated in a far more controlled environment in which the subjects were alone against bare backdrops. Some of his subjects revel in the opportunity to be shot and others display blank stares and disgruntled looks.
Frisell clearly felt a kinship with Disfarmer’s work, which he echoes with numbers that alternate between atmospherics and actual verse-chorus-verse songs. His last record, 2008’s History, Mystery, was equally suite-like but its sources of inspiration were far wider. Focused on creating a musical portrait from books, photos and his own drive from North Carolina to Heber Springs, Frisell has created a moving work of tremendous intimacy and control.
CHRISTIAN SICENCE MONITOR
By Norman Weinstein
"Disfarmer" (Nonesuch) is a tour de force of jazz creativity by Bill Frisell. Inspired by the stark photography of Mike Disfarmer that captured the spirit of "American Gothic" in the Ozarks of the late 1930s and early '40s, Frisell uses a variety of electric and acoustic guitars and electronic effects to create a profoundly eerie merger of old-timey mountain music and jazz. Among his cocreators are Greg Leisz on steel guitar and mandolin, bassist Viktor Krauss, and the versatile violinist Jenny Scheinman. Listen carefully to Scheinman's interplay with Frisell and you'll hear haunting echoes of East European folk laments. Retro-folk futurism with a global reach?
fROOTS, October 2009
There are only so many superlatives that one can hep on (loosely speaking) jazz guitarist Bill Frisell's forays into the ghosts of Americana, and this one - a set inspired by the images of wartime rural photographer Mike Disfarmer - deservers the lot. The usual exemplary accompanying crew of Greg Leisz, Jenny Scheinmann & Viktor Krauss are all in attendance. 'Sublime' will do for starters.
The photographs were incredible. They were all portraits of people and all were exquisite. Everyone looked really good. They were various ages. It started out showing various pictures of men. After several excellent music pieces, the slide show moved to the women. Then it would be a woman holding a baby for a bit and the occasional man with a child. Then children together and families and then ensembles. It was very cool to see this right before Thanksgiving.
There were 2 screens set up on each side of the amazing band. They were the same size and rectangular shape and each had frames. The frames were a little different on each. One had 3 frames: a large rectangle the entire width of the screen, taking up about 40% of the area and the other 2 rectangles splitting the remaining area with a vertical line down the center, about 40/60 for that remaining area. The other screen had 4 rectangles, all a different size. Often the same pictures were displayed in very different ways on the screens. Sometimes it would be a portion of the picture, sometimes it would be in one frame, sometimes more than one, sometimes the whole screen. There were various views of different portraits or pieces of portraits on a screen in different frames. It was very well done. It was fascinating how the different views made the portraits different. It also evoked thoughts of family for me. I loved when you could see how family members looked alike. It was awesome when a child and parents with the same eyes were all looking to the right. Everyone in the portraits looked great - beautiful. I loved it!
The music was fantastic. Each musician has that new edge to an old instrument. The bass was a little different than the typical upright. The steel guitar was so innovative and excellent. I already knew how outstanding Bill and Jenny are. They were amazing as always. I must get the CD, I was disappointed there were none for sale after the show. The music has a wide range, but all of it had an Americana feel.
The show was about 1.5 hours. They got a standing ovation and we got a 1 song encore with no pictures. It was wonderful.
http://www.billfrisell.com/artists/Frisell/news_link.html
Bill Frisell
Disfarmer
Bill Frisell - electric and acoustic guitars, loops, music boxes
Greg Leisz - steel guitars, mandolin
Jenny Scheinman - violin
Viktor Krauss - bass
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recording and Mixing Engineer: Tucker Martine
Mastering Engineer: Greg Calbi
Recorded at Avast Studio, Seattle (February, '08) and Sound Emporium, Nashville (May, '08)
Mixed at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City
Production assistance: Adam Blomberg
Assistant engineers: Taylor Pollert, Jesse Nichols and Adam Munoz
Design by Evan Gaffney
Photographs on booklet back, inlay and opposite page by Michael Wilson
All other photographs by Mike Disfarmer
All compositions by Bill Frisell (Friz-Tone Music/BMI) except:
"That's Alright, Mama" by Arthur Crudup (Unichappell Music Inc./BMI)
"Lovesick Blues" by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills (EMI Mills Music/ASCAP)
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" by Hank Williams Sr. (Sony/Acuff Rose Music/BMI)
"Shutter, Dream" by Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, Jenny Scheinman and Viktor Krauss (Friz-Tone Music/Capsong/Bug Music/Split Window Music/BMI and Taylor Peak Music/ASCAP)
"Arkansas" is based on the song "Arkansas Traveler" by Colonel Sanford C. 'Sandy' Faulkner
Nonesuch Records
Song List:
1. Disfarmer Theme
2. Lonely Man
3. Lost, Night
4. Farmer
5. Focus
6. Peter Miller's Discovery
7. That's Alright, Mama
8. Little Girl
9. Little Boy
10. No One Gets In
11. Lovesick Blues
12. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
13. Shutter, Dream
14. Exposed
15. The Wizard
16. Think
17. Drink
18. Play
19. I Am Not a Farmer
20. Small Town
21. Arkansas (Part 1)
22. Arkansas (Part 2)
23. Arkansas (Part 3)
24. Lost Again, Dark
25. Natural Light
26. Did You See Him?
TRT 1:11:28
REVIEWS
"Like David Lynch, postjazz guitarist Bill Frisell has a knack for insinuating an odd haze around the most wholesome aspects of Americana. Disfarmer, named after the cranky Arkansas photographer who created gripping images of his neighbors, finds Frisell teamed with steel guitarist Greg Leisz, violinist Jenny Scheinman and bassist Viktor Krauss for a set of 26 evocative miniatures. Each one flits by like a half-remembered dream, yet paradoxically their sum amounts to one of Frisell's loveliest, most consistently affecting recent creations." - Steve Smith, Time Out, New York"The music of omnivorous guitarist Bill Frisell reflects an eclectic range of influences .... On "Disfarmer," he draws inspiration from the Depression-era portraits of little-known Arkansas photographer Michael Disfarmer. The result is a provocative soundscape that features a mixture of acoustic and
electric guitars.... Creatively restless, Frisell is best suited for exploring vast territory and responding with imaginative integrity, which is evidenced on "Disfarmer." - Dan Ouellette, Billboard
"Exquisite." - Independent on Sunday
"Frisell's filmic themes summon up the ghosts of a lost America. The results are gently beautiful." The Times
"The tunes prove so hauntingly evocative that they conjure the spirits of long-vanished people and places without the need for visual accompaniment." - Metro
"The hymns and hoedowns of 'Disfarmer' are both affectionate and atmospheric." - Daily Telegraph
"You practically feel the Arkansas soil slipping through your fingers."- The Sun
NPR.org, July 13, 2009 -
This album is called Disfarmer, and it's by Bill Frisell. Frisell, you may
know: He's a guitar tactician with warmth and a composer of unclassifiable songs. As a solo artist, Frisell is known largely for drawing upon the affects of Americana ‹ folk, country and western, what-have-you ‹ in ways you wouldn't immediately call jazz, but which draw from jazz in a way that implies no better descriptor.
But who, or what for that matter, is Disfarmer?
Mike Disfarmer was born Michael Meyers in 1884, the sixth of seven children in a family of German immigrant farmers in Arkansas. As he grew older, he came to reject both his family and its agrarian lifestyle. (A tornado, he once claimed, uprooted him from his birth parents and blew him into the Meyers household.) So he chose a new surname. Upon learning, somewhat incorrectly, that the German word "meyer" translated to "farmer" in English, he reasoned that he could only be called an anti-farmer, or Disfarmer.
In other words, Disfarmer was something of an eccentric, and a recluse to boot. But he was also an artist: Disfarmer ran a portrait photography studio in rural Heber Springs, Ark. ‹ the only such enterprise for miles around.
Thousands of black-and-white images captured his fellow townspeople from the years preceding the Great Depression to the period following WWII. And something about the solemn, stark plainness to his style lent his subjects an unexpected intimacy, ensuring his legacy as one of America's great outsider artists.
Disfarmer died in 1959, but his photographs were eventually rediscovered, exhibited and anthologized. The candor of those images would be a natural counterpart to the post-Americana music of Bill Frisell ‹ so thought Chuck Helm, Director of the Performing Arts at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio. Sure enough, when Helm introduced Frisell to Disfarmer's oeuvre, the guitarist went on to create a touring multimedia work, scoring a slideshow of Disfarmer images.
The recording of that music, on Frisell's latest album Disfarmer, is what you can hear here in its entirety. It's filled with the sounds of a 21st-century string band: Greg Leisz's mandolin and pedal-steel atmospherics, Jenny Scheinman's sundry fiddle textures, Viktor Krauss' rich acoustic bass plucking. And then there's Frisell, the quiet tactician of the electric guitar, who engineers loops and subtle distortions with phrasing you never knew you were expecting.
There are evocative original themes and motifs here, surrounded by backgrounds sounding distant echoes of country, bluegrass and old-time mountain music. There's also a handful of carefully selected covers, among them Hank Williams' lament "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)"
and Arthur Crudup's blues song "That's Alright, Mama," a hit rockabilly vehicle for Elvis Presley. It's a record alternately spare and full, languid and rollicking, pastoral and urbanely produced.
And it's all in service to the work of the enigmatic Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer.
"What was he thinking?" Frisell asks. "What did he see? We'll never know, but as I write the music, I'd like to imagine it coming from his point of view. The sound of him looking through the lens."
The Houston Chronicle, August 2, 2009 Sunday
By Andrew Dansby
4 STARS
Like Bill Frisell, I'd not heard of Mike Disfarmer even though I'd seen his work. Disfarmer, who died in 1959, was a weird genius of photography who took haunting, beautiful and mysterious portraits of the folks in his hometown of Heber Springs, Ark. Disfarmer's photos tipped the paper boat into the water for the always innovative guitarist Frisell, but Disfarmer is more than a soundtrack to a collection of photos. Frisell took a road trip from North Carolina to Arkansas to initiate the project. In both song selection and instrumentation the album reflects that movement. Among the 26 compositions are three interpretations of well-known songs - That's Alright, Mama, Lovesick Blues and I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You) - that suggest he stopped at some music landmarks along the way.
But the majority of these songs, with titles like Farmer, Little Girl and Little Boy, were inspired by Disfarmer and/or his subjects. Not only is there a continuity in Disfarmer's work (the crisp black-and-white detail, the stillness of the subjects) but there's also great range. Similarly Frisell's pieces flow together despite great variance in their tones. Some, like the opening Disfarmer's Theme, reflect the stoic darkness portrayed in the photos while others are more colorful. The lightness Jenny Scheinman's pizzicato violin plucking on Lost, Night are immersed in some more ominous tones produced by Frisell and steel guitarist Greg Leisz. Together, they give the song a gorgeous complexity.
I'm Not a Farmer has a sweeping country feel, tinged with resignation. It's quickly followed by the intimate, acoustically picked Small Town, a short composition that suggests a yearning to get outside its titular subject.
American roots music is not new terrain for Frisell. He's also no stranger to making music tied to a visual medium (he's done recordings to accompany Buster Keaton films). Disfarmer, though, is a particularly beautiful suite of music. Frisell's pacing is magnificent, and the album sweeps along with purpose like a gorgeous, spacious epic. It is full of sounds that suggest settings and characters, including the mysterious eccentric who inspired the recording.
NPR.org, August 16, 2009
click here to hear the interview
Mike Disfarmer snapped portraits of anyone and everyone in the small town of Heber Springs, Ark. The photos spanned a period from the Great Depression through World War II. The black and white pictures ranged from the intent stares of a set of twins in tight curls and rumpled housecoats to a cocksure G.I. with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lip.
Guitarist Bill Frisell composed a series of musical vignettes based on Disfarmer's work for a new album appropriately called Disfarmer.
"At first I was attracted to the photos themselves, but then there's this whole story that starts to emerge of the man himself," Frisell says. "He was pretty much unknown while he was alive. And 20 years later, the photos are uncovered and [Disfarmer is] suddenly thought of as a genius."
Frisell drove to Heber Springs, Ark., where Disfarmer took the photographs. He wanted to meet people who lived there and happened to get lucky when he met Tom Olmstead, the town's funeral director. Olmstead not only had his picture taken by Disfarmer as a boy, but he and his father discovered Disfarmer's body after the photographer died. Olmstead provided Frisell with a wealth of stories.
Mike Disfarmer was born Mike Meyers. Frisell tells host Guy Raz that Disfarmer mistakenly thought that "Meyers" meant "farmer."
"He was trying to disassociate himself with his family and the community around there. So he decided to be Disfarmer," Frisell says. "You can tell he was a pretty contrary person."
Disfarmer was rude to the people he photographed and made them feel uncomfortable, but Frisell says that wasn't his aim. He was more interested in the photo itself.
"People weren't really posing. They never really knew when the photo was going to be taken," Frisell says. "In that way you get this really honest picture of those folks."
Sonic Boomers, September 11, 2009
By Phil Gallo
The peppiest original on Bill Frisell’s work devoted to a mysterious Arkansas photographer is titled “Natural Light.” It’s a moment of controlled joy -- an artist finding the right split second to capture life -- and as an audio interpreter of a visual art, Frisell has everything in proper focus on Disfarmer.
Arkansas portrait photographer Mike Meyers chose the name Disfarmer at the age of 55 to break free of his family’s dairy operation, believing he was superior to the townsfolk of Heber Springs, Ark., that he photographed in his downtown studio during the years of World War II. Guitarist Bill Frisell, whose last 15 albums belie his music’s rural roots, was invited to create a musical project, which he interpreted as an opportunity to compose from the photographer’s point of view.
The result is a song cycle with a careful, film-score construction. There’s an overriding pensiveness, moments of cheerfulness and the occasional blast of a carefree spirit. The music, performed with Greg Leisz on steel guitar and mandolin, violinist Jenny Scheinman and bassist Viktor Krauss, is highly impressionistic, a striking balance of sepia-toned light and dark. Textured interplay is rich and striking throughout, hitting its apex on “Peter Miller’s Discovery.” Miller, an attorney in Arkansas and a former newspaper editor, has spearheaded the effort over the last 15 years to recognize Disfarmer’s work as fine art.
Mystery surrounded Disfarmer. He never socialized, his lone interaction coming during photo sessions that often required subjects to sit for an hour as he adjusted the amount of natural light in the room. The portraits are intimate and detailed, a trait Frisell has translated in the music.
Mystery and distance color the snail-paced “Little Boy;” a music box, harmonics and upright bass unfold on “Shutter, Dream” as an image would on photo paper in the darkroom. “I am Not a Farmer,” upright in its defiant tone, is a lyrical ballad modeled on mountain story songs that reveals the erosion behind the human facade. As the song progresses, Scheinman’s violin adds streaks of darkness with the slightest bit of dissonance to contrast Frisell’s carefully picked lines. Of the 26 songs, it’s the true musical portrait.
Frisell includes nods to Elvis Presley (Arthur Crudup’s “That’s Alright, Mama”) and Hank Williams (“I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)” and “Lovesick Blues”) that provide an air of familiarity, a technique he used on “History, Mystery” with Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” the traditional numbers on “The Willies” and songs by Williams and George Gershwin on “Ghost Town.”
Disfarmer’s booklet includes six of his photographs. While they share similarities in subject matter and the era with the renowned Walker Evans, Disfarmer operated in a far more controlled environment in which the subjects were alone against bare backdrops. Some of his subjects revel in the opportunity to be shot and others display blank stares and disgruntled looks.
Frisell clearly felt a kinship with Disfarmer’s work, which he echoes with numbers that alternate between atmospherics and actual verse-chorus-verse songs. His last record, 2008’s History, Mystery, was equally suite-like but its sources of inspiration were far wider. Focused on creating a musical portrait from books, photos and his own drive from North Carolina to Heber Springs, Frisell has created a moving work of tremendous intimacy and control.
CHRISTIAN SICENCE MONITOR
By Norman Weinstein
"Disfarmer" (Nonesuch) is a tour de force of jazz creativity by Bill Frisell. Inspired by the stark photography of Mike Disfarmer that captured the spirit of "American Gothic" in the Ozarks of the late 1930s and early '40s, Frisell uses a variety of electric and acoustic guitars and electronic effects to create a profoundly eerie merger of old-timey mountain music and jazz. Among his cocreators are Greg Leisz on steel guitar and mandolin, bassist Viktor Krauss, and the versatile violinist Jenny Scheinman. Listen carefully to Scheinman's interplay with Frisell and you'll hear haunting echoes of East European folk laments. Retro-folk futurism with a global reach?
fROOTS, October 2009
There are only so many superlatives that one can hep on (loosely speaking) jazz guitarist Bill Frisell's forays into the ghosts of Americana, and this one - a set inspired by the images of wartime rural photographer Mike Disfarmer - deservers the lot. The usual exemplary accompanying crew of Greg Leisz, Jenny Scheinmann & Viktor Krauss are all in attendance. 'Sublime' will do for starters.
Danilo Perez @ Jazz Standard 11/18/20
This is a great jazz trio. They had a special guest female vocalist that sat in for a couple. She has a good voice and didn't sing words and was very much another instrument - just how I like it. Most of the music was rather mellow yet still interesting and rich enough to keep me engaged. There was also some more lively pieces and moments where it was hard to stay seated.
A great show!
The listing:
A great show!
The listing:
- Danilo Pérez – piano
- Ben Street – bass
- Adam Cruz – drums
Pedrito Martinez @ Joe's Pub 11/16/10
It was especially fun to go with someone very familiar with different styles of Latin music. This band is influenced by many styles and does their own thing. It was a lot of fun with good musicians. The piano definitely stood out. The sax was OK, I have to say I didn't really need it. They also had the addition of a female vocalist/piano/keyboard player. I liked her on vocals. She was good.
It was a very good, fun show. If I hadn't seen them last month, I would probably be even more excited about it. However, there was something different that last time - the music possessed me to a greater degree. I had a little more to drink that night, so that could have had something to do with it. It was also their space, and there is something to the energy that a venue absorbs when enough good music infiltrates it. Just think about the NOLA venues.
I'm also not clear Pedro was the conga player I saw that night. If it was 2 different people, both were great.
Overall it was a lot of fun and nice to see them downtown.
The Pedrito Martinez Group
Price: $17
9:30 PM - November 16
Featuring:
Pedrito Martinez on percussion and vocals
Axel Tosca Laugart on keyboard
Ariacne Trujillo on piano and vocals
Alvaro Benavides on electric bass
Jhair Sala on percussion
Guest:
Luisito Sanchez-Faife on alto sax
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973, Pedrito Martinez began his musical career at the age of 11, performing as vocalist and percussionist on the Afro Cuban music scene playing with such legends as Tata Guines, Lazaro Roos, Merceditas Valdes, Pancho Quinto, Gregorio (El Goyo) Hernandez, Yoruba Andabo and the great Cuban group, Munequitos de Matanzas.
Pedrito was brought to Canada in 1998 by Jane Bunnett, a Canadian saxophone player, to tour with her group, Spirits of Havana. At this point, Pedrito decided to remain in North America to pursue his career. This was a major turning point for Pedro both personally and musically.
Since settling in New York City in 1998, Pedrito has performed, recorded, and/or toured with Paquito d’Rivera; Brian Lynch; Orlando Ríos “Puntilla”; Steve Turre; Kip Hanrahan and his Deep Rumba project; Sting for his rainforest benefit, with Elton John and Bruce Springsteen; Me’shell Ndege’Ocello; Eddie Palmieri; Bill Summers and Los Hombres Calientes; Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill; Stefon Harris; Bebo Valdés; Dave Samuels; Steve Coleman; Cassandra Wilson; The Conga Kings (Candido Camero, Patato Valdés and Giovanni Hidalgo); Taj Mahal; John Scofield; Randy Brecker; and Dave Murray. He was also featured in the great documentary film on Cuban music, made in 2000, Calle 54.
A project that prominently featured Mr. Martínez in his element, singing, drumming, dancing, and collaborating on original material, was the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat fusion band,Yerba Buena with which he recorded two albums and toured the world opening for bands including the Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.
Pedrito has lent his enormous talents to perhaps one hundred records, including albums by Paquito d’Rivera, Issac Delgado, Eliane Elias, Stephan Harris, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig and many others. These include six records that were Grammy® nominated and one, a collaboration between Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch, called “Simpatico”, that was awarded a Grammy®.
In 2005 Pedrito became part of an ensemble that would eventually become his own band. With a home base at a Midtown Manhattan Restaurant, called Guantanamera, they have grown into an extraordinarily tight musical, and creative unit, and have built a fan base that includes musicians like, Steve Gadd, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, John Scofield, Roger Waters, Lew Soloff, Derrick Trucks, Earth Wind & Fire, Herlin Riley, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Weckl and Will Lee.
It was a very good, fun show. If I hadn't seen them last month, I would probably be even more excited about it. However, there was something different that last time - the music possessed me to a greater degree. I had a little more to drink that night, so that could have had something to do with it. It was also their space, and there is something to the energy that a venue absorbs when enough good music infiltrates it. Just think about the NOLA venues.
I'm also not clear Pedro was the conga player I saw that night. If it was 2 different people, both were great.
Overall it was a lot of fun and nice to see them downtown.
The Pedrito Martinez Group
Price: $17
9:30 PM - November 16
Featuring:
Pedrito Martinez on percussion and vocals
Axel Tosca Laugart on keyboard
Ariacne Trujillo on piano and vocals
Alvaro Benavides on electric bass
Jhair Sala on percussion
Guest:
Luisito Sanchez-Faife on alto sax
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973, Pedrito Martinez began his musical career at the age of 11, performing as vocalist and percussionist on the Afro Cuban music scene playing with such legends as Tata Guines, Lazaro Roos, Merceditas Valdes, Pancho Quinto, Gregorio (El Goyo) Hernandez, Yoruba Andabo and the great Cuban group, Munequitos de Matanzas.
Pedrito was brought to Canada in 1998 by Jane Bunnett, a Canadian saxophone player, to tour with her group, Spirits of Havana. At this point, Pedrito decided to remain in North America to pursue his career. This was a major turning point for Pedro both personally and musically.
Since settling in New York City in 1998, Pedrito has performed, recorded, and/or toured with Paquito d’Rivera; Brian Lynch; Orlando Ríos “Puntilla”; Steve Turre; Kip Hanrahan and his Deep Rumba project; Sting for his rainforest benefit, with Elton John and Bruce Springsteen; Me’shell Ndege’Ocello; Eddie Palmieri; Bill Summers and Los Hombres Calientes; Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill; Stefon Harris; Bebo Valdés; Dave Samuels; Steve Coleman; Cassandra Wilson; The Conga Kings (Candido Camero, Patato Valdés and Giovanni Hidalgo); Taj Mahal; John Scofield; Randy Brecker; and Dave Murray. He was also featured in the great documentary film on Cuban music, made in 2000, Calle 54.
A project that prominently featured Mr. Martínez in his element, singing, drumming, dancing, and collaborating on original material, was the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat fusion band,Yerba Buena with which he recorded two albums and toured the world opening for bands including the Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.
Pedrito has lent his enormous talents to perhaps one hundred records, including albums by Paquito d’Rivera, Issac Delgado, Eliane Elias, Stephan Harris, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig and many others. These include six records that were Grammy® nominated and one, a collaboration between Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch, called “Simpatico”, that was awarded a Grammy®.
In 2005 Pedrito became part of an ensemble that would eventually become his own band. With a home base at a Midtown Manhattan Restaurant, called Guantanamera, they have grown into an extraordinarily tight musical, and creative unit, and have built a fan base that includes musicians like, Steve Gadd, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, John Scofield, Roger Waters, Lew Soloff, Derrick Trucks, Earth Wind & Fire, Herlin Riley, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Weckl and Will Lee.
Allison/Scheinman/Cardenas @ Kush 11/15/10
It's a new thing that Ben Allison is doing on Sun nights. It's a live rehearsal by talented musicians with different people each week. They play for tips and it's very good. It's a nice space, very comfortable. It's Happy Hour until 9pm and drinks and food are about 1/2 off.
The music was awesome. I really miss Jenny and haven't prioritized getting to Barbes for those early Tues night gigs. She was phenomenal.
This was actually an amazing string trio. It was listed in AAJ as having Rudy Royston instead of Steve. It was just as good for me. They did compositions from each of them and they were all phenomenal. They played from around 7:45 for about 45-60 min. They were going to do another set, but I needed to get home. I'll save the next Kush set for another night and another band formation.
The music was awesome. I really miss Jenny and haven't prioritized getting to Barbes for those early Tues night gigs. She was phenomenal.
This was actually an amazing string trio. It was listed in AAJ as having Rudy Royston instead of Steve. It was just as good for me. They did compositions from each of them and they were all phenomenal. They played from around 7:45 for about 45-60 min. They were going to do another set, but I needed to get home. I'll save the next Kush set for another night and another band formation.
Wollesen/Knuffke @ DMG 11/14/10
I finally made it to my favorite CD store in the city since it moved. It's not that hard to get to. I broke out my trusty Manhattan atlas and made it without a problem. They do free shows every Sun at 6pm, sometimes having a 2nd band at 7. I subscribe to their mailing list, which is packed with merch info for their on-line customers and lists their gigs as well as many others going on around town.
It was an awesome 45 min set. It's been too long since I've seen Kenny. He is too good! Kirk is also outstanding. It was a very nice way to see how easy it is to get to the place!
http://www.downtownmusicgallery.com/Main/index.htm
NEW Store Address: 13 Monroe Street [between Catherine & Market Streets in Chinatown], New York, NY 10002-7351
Click for Map!
NEW Visiting Hours (9/1/09) - 5 Days A Week: Thurs through Sun, Noon to 8pm.. AND Monday Noon to 6pm
Other Days/Times: Contact us in advance for an Appointment
Phone: (212) 473-0043 - Toll Free: (800) 622-1387 - NEW Fax #: (646) 781-9846
General Correspondence: dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com
It was an awesome 45 min set. It's been too long since I've seen Kenny. He is too good! Kirk is also outstanding. It was a very nice way to see how easy it is to get to the place!
http://www.downtownmusicgallery.com/Main/index.htm
NEW Store Address: 13 Monroe Street [between Catherine & Market Streets in Chinatown], New York, NY 10002-7351
Click for Map!
NEW Visiting Hours (9/1/09) - 5 Days A Week: Thurs through Sun, Noon to 8pm.. AND Monday Noon to 6pm
Other Days/Times: Contact us in advance for an Appointment
Phone: (212) 473-0043 - Toll Free: (800) 622-1387 - NEW Fax #: (646) 781-9846
General Correspondence: dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com
Venus Uprising Fantasy Bellydance @ RS Lounge 11/13/10
I messed up the time, so I was only able to see the 2nd act. My friend was in the 1st act, but I also loved the last time I saw this troupe's Tarot production, so I was looking forward to all of it. What I saw was excellent and well worth it. My favorite was a solo performance of the Voodoo Queen. I'm sure you never would have guessed that!
Each piece was excellent. There were 3 solo performances. A very cool ensemble all in black was intriguing. Sara Skinner and her husband did an awesome piece where her husband played mandolin and she was a bitchy waitress. There was also a fun piece with 3 women doing that funkier style.
I have to figure out how to find out about the annual show even if Val isn't in it ...
Each piece was excellent. There were 3 solo performances. A very cool ensemble all in black was intriguing. Sara Skinner and her husband did an awesome piece where her husband played mandolin and she was a bitchy waitress. There was also a fun piece with 3 women doing that funkier style.
I have to figure out how to find out about the annual show even if Val isn't in it ...
"Bad Girls & Dangerous Games" Performers & themes:
Tanna Valentine & Baron Misuraca [vocals] “Bettie Page - Sway”
Ayshe & Ensemble “Carmen”
Darshan & Ensemble “Vintage Gangster Vixens”
Darshan & Ensemble “Sirens”
Jeniviva “The Waiting Game”
LaUra “Lady Gaga's Dream”
Irina “Voodoo Queen” (Saturday)
Fayzah “Android Goddess” (Friday)
Neon with Angelys and Jenna Rey “Anime Assassins”
Neon “Kept Woman”
Sarah Skinner and the Sisters of Salome “Poker: The dead man’s hand”
Sarah Skinner & Kevin Fox [live music] “Gossip”
Tanna Valentine & Baron Misuraca [vocals] “Bettie Page - Sway”
Ayshe & Ensemble “Carmen”
Darshan & Ensemble “Vintage Gangster Vixens”
Darshan & Ensemble “Sirens”
Jeniviva “The Waiting Game”
LaUra “Lady Gaga's Dream”
Irina “Voodoo Queen” (Saturday)
Fayzah “Android Goddess” (Friday)
Neon with Angelys and Jenna Rey “Anime Assassins”
Neon “Kept Woman”
Sarah Skinner and the Sisters of Salome “Poker: The dead man’s hand”
Sarah Skinner & Kevin Fox [live music] “Gossip”
Special Musical Guests: Baron Misuraca, Kevin Fox
MC: Andy Troy
MC: Andy Troy
Friday, November 19, 2010
Steve Swell @ University of the Streets 11/10/10
This started at 9, so I was a little late, but I still got about 1/2 hour of music. A 1/2 hour of phenomenal music, that is. I don't know what to say beyond that. I love the space, and I am so glad it will continue and the artists are happy about it. Steve's curating next month and Hill's got Jan. This is very very good for us Manhattanites that enjoy creative music!
STEVE SWELL QUINTET
Rob Brown, Chris Forbes, Hill Greene, Michael T.A. Thompson
STEVE SWELL QUINTET
Rob Brown, Chris Forbes, Hill Greene, Michael T.A. Thompson
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Cindy Blackman @ LPR 11/10/10
What do you get when you combine an electric bass, rock guitar, a monster drummer and a versatile electric keyboard that swings both ways (organ and piano)? You can an incredible funky jazz-rock set of enthralling music!
This was a different group than the one I saw Cindy with at Jazz Standard - this was more rockish. It was an exciting, lively set with talented musicians. They were finishing up a tour and Cindy said they will be taking a break to do other things. That makes me extra happy I went to this show. It was 75 min at least, maybe a little longer. It was great.
From All About Jazz:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=69488
The line up for Blackman's band Another Lifetime is: Aurelien Budynek, guitar; Marc Cary; keyboards; and Felix Pastorius, bass
This was a different group than the one I saw Cindy with at Jazz Standard - this was more rockish. It was an exciting, lively set with talented musicians. They were finishing up a tour and Cindy said they will be taking a break to do other things. That makes me extra happy I went to this show. It was 75 min at least, maybe a little longer. It was great.
From All About Jazz:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=69488
The line up for Blackman's band Another Lifetime is: Aurelien Budynek, guitar; Marc Cary; keyboards; and Felix Pastorius, bass
Matana Roberts/Ches Smith @ The Stone 11/7/10
Two great improvisers playing together at The Stone. Of course it was stellar and phenomenal and any other great adjective you can come up with.
Most of the time I was watching Ches because he is so interesting. He had a couple of really cool tribal looking "Liberty Bells". They didn't look anything like Liberty bells they were just similar, bell-shaped and about the size of the bells all of us kids from the Philly burbs had. Ches' bells sounded much better, also. He had this little box that I forgot to see if I could investigate later. It was a little wider than a deck of cards and I wasn't sure if it was some kind of thumb piano or what.
Matana lately asks after each piece "Questions? Comments? Criticisms?". We were silent, but I admit that I wanted to ask about some of Ches' instruments. She said she's been prompting lately instead of talking about whatever might come up. She reverted back to her old way after the 3rd piece and told she is going to Paris soon to get a new horn that won't make that percussive sound when she hits the keys. Interesting. I never thought about that before. I'm interested to hear the difference.
Overall I enjoyed the entire set. I love The Stone.
Matana Roberts
Matana Roberts (alto saxophone) Ches Smith (drums)
Matana Roberts and Ches Smith are two of New York's finest improvisers. Tonight they will be experimenting on spontaneous city soundscapes. http://www.matanaroberts.com/. http://www.chessmith.com/
Most of the time I was watching Ches because he is so interesting. He had a couple of really cool tribal looking "Liberty Bells". They didn't look anything like Liberty bells they were just similar, bell-shaped and about the size of the bells all of us kids from the Philly burbs had. Ches' bells sounded much better, also. He had this little box that I forgot to see if I could investigate later. It was a little wider than a deck of cards and I wasn't sure if it was some kind of thumb piano or what.
Matana lately asks after each piece "Questions? Comments? Criticisms?". We were silent, but I admit that I wanted to ask about some of Ches' instruments. She said she's been prompting lately instead of talking about whatever might come up. She reverted back to her old way after the 3rd piece and told she is going to Paris soon to get a new horn that won't make that percussive sound when she hits the keys. Interesting. I never thought about that before. I'm interested to hear the difference.
Overall I enjoyed the entire set. I love The Stone.
Matana Roberts
Matana Roberts (alto saxophone) Ches Smith (drums)
Matana Roberts and Ches Smith are two of New York's finest improvisers. Tonight they will be experimenting on spontaneous city soundscapes. http://www.matanaroberts.com/. http://www.chessmith.com/
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Christian McBride & Inside Straight @ Jazz Standard 11/7/10
This is such a phenomenal band. They each have so much to offer. I definitely prefer to see them at Jazz Standard over Village Vanguard. It's so much more comfortable and easy.
I sat on the side of the stage and could see pretty well. Each artist caught me at various times. It was the first week this new young piano player is with them. He is quite impressive.
I loved it and it was well worth the effort to get there.
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE & INSIDE STRAIGHT
Steve Wilson – alto & soprano saxophones
Warren Wolf – vibraphone
Christian Sands – piano
Christian McBride – bass
Carl Allen – drums
Christian McBride’s prowess as a player, his deep feeling for jazz history, and his appreciation for world culture have combined to make him among the most respected and in–demand musicians of his genera¬tion, not only as a collaborator on stage and on disc but also as a speaker, educator, and radio host. The Grammy Award–winning Philadelphian has been the “first call” bassist for artists ranging from McCoy Tyner and Sting to Kathleen Battle and Diana Krall, but it is his own recordings that reveal the totality of McBride’s musicianship. The latest is Kind of Brown, a collection of hard swing–to–bluesy groove tunes that is the artist’s first release for Mack Avenue Records. The CD includes seven new Christian McBride compositions plus songs by Freddie Hubbard (“Theme for Kareem”) and Eric Reed (“Pursuit of Peace”) and the classic ballad “Where Are You?”
I sat on the side of the stage and could see pretty well. Each artist caught me at various times. It was the first week this new young piano player is with them. He is quite impressive.
I loved it and it was well worth the effort to get there.
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE & INSIDE STRAIGHT
Steve Wilson – alto & soprano saxophones
Warren Wolf – vibraphone
Christian Sands – piano
Christian McBride – bass
Carl Allen – drums
Christian McBride’s prowess as a player, his deep feeling for jazz history, and his appreciation for world culture have combined to make him among the most respected and in–demand musicians of his genera¬tion, not only as a collaborator on stage and on disc but also as a speaker, educator, and radio host. The Grammy Award–winning Philadelphian has been the “first call” bassist for artists ranging from McCoy Tyner and Sting to Kathleen Battle and Diana Krall, but it is his own recordings that reveal the totality of McBride’s musicianship. The latest is Kind of Brown, a collection of hard swing–to–bluesy groove tunes that is the artist’s first release for Mack Avenue Records. The CD includes seven new Christian McBride compositions plus songs by Freddie Hubbard (“Theme for Kareem”) and Eric Reed (“Pursuit of Peace”) and the classic ballad “Where Are You?”
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense @ Jazz Gallery 11/6/10
A nice way to close a triple header evening. This is a great new jazz band. All the musicians are great and stood out at various points. It was very nice.
Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense
Saturday, November 6th, 2010 | 9:00; 10:30 p.m.
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet, Shane Endsley - trumpet, Miles Okazaki - guitar, Keith Witty - bass, Damion Reid - drums
Saturday, November 6th, 2010 | 9:00; 10:30 p.m.
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet, Shane Endsley - trumpet, Miles Okazaki - guitar, Keith Witty - bass, Damion Reid - drums
Lucien Ban @ Cornelia St 11/6/10
I see him listed with interesting projects at Cornelia Street Cafe often. I'm not sure I'd seen him before. I saw Matt Maneri was in it and that was good enough for me.
The music was excellent! It's a new project and quite wonderful. I love a tuba in the bass role. Bob Stewart was awesome. As I said, you can't go wrong with Matt Maneri on viola. Lucien is wonderful on piano.
It was a great show with a great band and exactly what I was in the mood for.
9:00PM 10:30PM
LUCIAN BAN'S DECO HEART FEATURING BOB STEWART;
MAT MANERI
Lucian Ban, piano
Mat Maneri, viola
Bruce Williams, alto sax, flute;
Gerald Cleaver, drums
Bob Stewart, tuba
The music was excellent! It's a new project and quite wonderful. I love a tuba in the bass role. Bob Stewart was awesome. As I said, you can't go wrong with Matt Maneri on viola. Lucien is wonderful on piano.
It was a great show with a great band and exactly what I was in the mood for.
9:00PM 10:30PM
LUCIAN BAN'S DECO HEART FEATURING BOB STEWART;
MAT MANERI
Lucian Ban, piano
Mat Maneri, viola
Bruce Williams, alto sax, flute;
Gerald Cleaver, drums
Bob Stewart, tuba
UFO @ Groove 11/6/10
I had to come out early and support my friend Thulani's p-funk style funk band. Yeah, it's OK to say funk twice in the same sentence when describing this band.
It was a lot of fun. Groove actually has a Happy Hour where all food and drink items are $4 and it goes til 8pm. I had a good, stiff Makers & Ginger for $4. Crazy.
The band was fun. I like this lineup a lot more than the prior one. They gel very nicely.
http://www.unitedfunkorder.com/
It was a lot of fun. Groove actually has a Happy Hour where all food and drink items are $4 and it goes til 8pm. I had a good, stiff Makers & Ginger for $4. Crazy.
The band was fun. I like this lineup a lot more than the prior one. They gel very nicely.
http://www.unitedfunkorder.com/
Friday, November 12, 2010
Upcoming: Pedrito Martinez Group @ Joe’s Pub Tues Night
Yay! This is that great band I saw last month at Guantanamera. I’m so glad they are coming downtown! And, a special guest saxophone! Awesome!
Check out these great Youtube videos and then buy a ticket.
NOVEMBER 16th, at 9:30 the Pedrito Martinez Group will be at JOE'S's PUB!
This performance with feature, Pedrito, Axel, Ariacne, Alvaro, Jhair and special guest, Luis Sanchez-Faife on saxophone.
Check out these great Youtube videos and then buy a ticket.
NOVEMBER 16th, at 9:30 the Pedrito Martinez Group will be at JOE'S's PUB!
This performance with feature, Pedrito, Axel, Ariacne, Alvaro, Jhair and special guest, Luis Sanchez-Faife on saxophone.
Billy Bang Quartet @ Rubin Museum 11/4/10
It was a wonderful set of music in a wonderful space. I already love Billy and Hill and now I know the other 2 were definitely worthy of being on the same stage.
Everyone took a long solo in the 2nd piece. Each one was stellar. The drummer ended his by playing his own thighs and chest with his hands. That's something that wouldn't be heard in any other venue of that size!
Billy Bang is definitely one of the greats on violin. While a lot of people do know of him, usually the Vision Fest crowd, a lot don't. They should!
There were about 4 compositions and 3 pieces of art. It was about 70ish minutes long. It was fabulous.
http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/834
Billy Bang - violin
Andrew Bemkey - piano
Hilliard Greene - bass
Newman Taylor Baker - drums
Billy Bang is an American free jazz violinist and composer. Bang has most recently explored his experience in Vietnam in two albums: Vietnam: The Aftermath (2001) and Vietnam: Reflections (2005), recorded with a band which included several other veterans of that conflict. The latter album also features two Vietnamese musicians based in the United States.
Everyone took a long solo in the 2nd piece. Each one was stellar. The drummer ended his by playing his own thighs and chest with his hands. That's something that wouldn't be heard in any other venue of that size!
Billy Bang is definitely one of the greats on violin. While a lot of people do know of him, usually the Vision Fest crowd, a lot don't. They should!
There were about 4 compositions and 3 pieces of art. It was about 70ish minutes long. It was fabulous.
http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/834
Billy Bang - violin
Andrew Bemkey - piano
Hilliard Greene - bass
Newman Taylor Baker - drums
Billy Bang is an American free jazz violinist and composer. Bang has most recently explored his experience in Vietnam in two albums: Vietnam: The Aftermath (2001) and Vietnam: Reflections (2005), recorded with a band which included several other veterans of that conflict. The latter album also features two Vietnamese musicians based in the United States.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Calvin Weston @ The Stone 11/4/10
It was supposed to include Billy Martin, but he had to go to Europe suddenly. They still charged $20, and it was worth it. I forgot how much I love "avant acid jazz". It grooved, it rocked, it jazzed and at times they funked it up.
The bass! The drums!
Let me tell you about the guitar! He had a couple of blocks of pedals and there were times where I thought it was Ribot. I think a few lines were similar. There were also plenty of parts where he played nothing like Ribot and that was great as well.
Now, Calvin did not want to stop. He was prepared to play straight through til 11. I thought that was rather smart, I mean, we paid $20 for the set (the usual cover is $10) and if there was a break, I for one probably wouldn't stay for the 2nd set for another $20. It was great, but I was tired and hungry. But alas, he asked the manager du jour and was told he could charge another cover and "you like money, don't you?". If I really wanted to stay, I might have helped keep it going. It might have worked to keep playing and pass a hat around to those of us who wanted to stay to kick in another $5-10 and charge newcomers the $20. I probably would have stayed as it would have been hard to leave such great music. However, I was tired and hungry and the proposal was left unmentioned.
It was a great extra long set. They started around 8:15-20 and played til 9:40. Calvin played trumpet and keyboard as well as drums. The bass player is awesome.
I want to take a little overnight trip to Philly at some point and I'm waiting to coincide it with music. I'm now going to try to do it when Calvin's got a gig.
11/4 Thursday (MJJ)
8 and 10 pm G. Calvin Weston Group, tribute to Ornette Coleman and Free Jazz G. Calvin Weston (drums, keyboards, trumpet) Ed Ricart (guitar) Tom Spiker (bass) Billy Martin (percussion, drums) G. Calvin Weston came up in North Philadelphia, where he saw musicians such as Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, and James Brown at the Uptown Theater. Seeing his attention focused on the drummers, his father bought him a small set. In high school Calvin learned to read music and played second snare in the drum ensemble. He co-founded the group Bad Influence, which played in cabarets and clubs around Philadelphia. At 17, Calvin joined Ornette Colemans Prime Time Band with bass player Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Charlie Ellerbee, touring extensively in North America and Europe. Calvin went on to play and record with guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, then joined John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards in 1990. During the late ‘90s Calvin recorded and toured with Billy Martin of Medeski Martin and Wood, Tricky, Eyvind Kang, Derek Bailey, Marc Ribot, and James Carter. He also played on several movie soundtracks, including "Get Shorty.” And he continues to lead his own groups. www.myspace.com/calvinweston. TWENTY DOLLARS
The bass! The drums!
Let me tell you about the guitar! He had a couple of blocks of pedals and there were times where I thought it was Ribot. I think a few lines were similar. There were also plenty of parts where he played nothing like Ribot and that was great as well.
Now, Calvin did not want to stop. He was prepared to play straight through til 11. I thought that was rather smart, I mean, we paid $20 for the set (the usual cover is $10) and if there was a break, I for one probably wouldn't stay for the 2nd set for another $20. It was great, but I was tired and hungry. But alas, he asked the manager du jour and was told he could charge another cover and "you like money, don't you?". If I really wanted to stay, I might have helped keep it going. It might have worked to keep playing and pass a hat around to those of us who wanted to stay to kick in another $5-10 and charge newcomers the $20. I probably would have stayed as it would have been hard to leave such great music. However, I was tired and hungry and the proposal was left unmentioned.
It was a great extra long set. They started around 8:15-20 and played til 9:40. Calvin played trumpet and keyboard as well as drums. The bass player is awesome.
I want to take a little overnight trip to Philly at some point and I'm waiting to coincide it with music. I'm now going to try to do it when Calvin's got a gig.
11/4 Thursday (MJJ)
8 and 10 pm G. Calvin Weston Group, tribute to Ornette Coleman and Free Jazz G. Calvin Weston (drums, keyboards, trumpet) Ed Ricart (guitar) Tom Spiker (bass) Billy Martin (percussion, drums) G. Calvin Weston came up in North Philadelphia, where he saw musicians such as Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, and James Brown at the Uptown Theater. Seeing his attention focused on the drummers, his father bought him a small set. In high school Calvin learned to read music and played second snare in the drum ensemble. He co-founded the group Bad Influence, which played in cabarets and clubs around Philadelphia. At 17, Calvin joined Ornette Colemans Prime Time Band with bass player Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Charlie Ellerbee, touring extensively in North America and Europe. Calvin went on to play and record with guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, then joined John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards in 1990. During the late ‘90s Calvin recorded and toured with Billy Martin of Medeski Martin and Wood, Tricky, Eyvind Kang, Derek Bailey, Marc Ribot, and James Carter. He also played on several movie soundtracks, including "Get Shorty.” And he continues to lead his own groups. www.myspace.com/calvinweston. TWENTY DOLLARS
Monday, November 8, 2010
Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures @ LPR 11/3/10
I never get sick of this band. This show was a sextet instead of the octet and it was just as good. It's nice to be able to key in on a smaller group sometimes. They all were magnificent. I loved the guitar. I loved the interaction between Adam and Brahim. It was a wonderful set.
Wed., November 03, 2010 / 6:30 PM
Doors Open: 6:30 PM
Show Time: 7:30 PM
ADAM RUDOLPH (handrumset (kongos, djembe, tarija, zabumba) thumb pianos, sintir, multiphonic vocal, percussion)
GRAHAM HAYNES (cornet, flugelhorn, percussion)
BRAHIM FRIBGANE (oud, cajon, bendir, tarija, percussion)
KENNY WESSEL (electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, percussion)
JEROME HARRIS (acoustic bass guitar, slide guitar, vocal, percussion)
RALPH JONES (flute, bass clarinet, alto flute, sop and tenor saxophones, bamboo flutes)
Wed., November 03, 2010 / 6:30 PM
Doors Open: 6:30 PM
Show Time: 7:30 PM
ADAM RUDOLPH (handrumset (kongos, djembe, tarija, zabumba) thumb pianos, sintir, multiphonic vocal, percussion)
GRAHAM HAYNES (cornet, flugelhorn, percussion)
BRAHIM FRIBGANE (oud, cajon, bendir, tarija, percussion)
KENNY WESSEL (electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, percussion)
JEROME HARRIS (acoustic bass guitar, slide guitar, vocal, percussion)
RALPH JONES (flute, bass clarinet, alto flute, sop and tenor saxophones, bamboo flutes)
Douglas Detrick Trio @ University of the Streets 10/31/10
No music was compelling me this Halloween. I did find myself wishing I was in NOLA, but it hadn't occurred to me until that night. I also wasn't compelled to really look for options and had a great day regardless. I was feeling like getting some kind of music in after my great day. I'm so glad I did. I felt like this band is something I could catch in Brooklyn but there we are short on venues for these guys in Manhattan ... until now. We really need another Tonic in Manhattan - badly!
This band is great! I knew nothing about any of them. They reinterpreted blues songs in their own way. They chose Son House and Roscoe Holcombe because they were innovative in their day. Neither had a trumpet or a bass drum. but they were always creating when they played. I wanted to ask about the bass drum when they were done, but I didn't. I know Zigaboo Modaliste is credited with the "kick drum" and I never explored exactly what that meant. I will do the research when I get time.
The drums were especially compelling for me. He kept doing something interesting. He even included the music stand as part of his kit for a portion of the set.
It was a very enjoyable set!
http://www.universityofthestreets.org/
DOUGLAS DETRICK TRIO
Sun, October 31, 2010
8:00 pm
Douglas Detrick - trumpet, John Sutton - bass, Christian Coleman - drums. www.myspace.com/douglasdetrick
www.myspace.com/chuckyfaff
www.myspace.com/christiancolemandrums
$10.
This performance will focus on the music of Son House, Roscoe Holcombe and other early blues and country musicians along with original compositions by Douglas Detrick.
drums were great. Played the music stand
This band is great! I knew nothing about any of them. They reinterpreted blues songs in their own way. They chose Son House and Roscoe Holcombe because they were innovative in their day. Neither had a trumpet or a bass drum. but they were always creating when they played. I wanted to ask about the bass drum when they were done, but I didn't. I know Zigaboo Modaliste is credited with the "kick drum" and I never explored exactly what that meant. I will do the research when I get time.
The drums were especially compelling for me. He kept doing something interesting. He even included the music stand as part of his kit for a portion of the set.
It was a very enjoyable set!
http://www.universityofthestreets.org/
DOUGLAS DETRICK TRIO
Sun, October 31, 2010
8:00 pm
Douglas Detrick - trumpet, John Sutton - bass, Christian Coleman - drums. www.myspace.com/douglasdetrick
www.myspace.com/chuckyfaff
www.myspace.com/christiancolemandrums
$10.
This performance will focus on the music of Son House, Roscoe Holcombe and other early blues and country musicians along with original compositions by Douglas Detrick.
drums were great. Played the music stand
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Angelica Sanchez/Chad Taylor/Greg Ward/ Sean Conly @ University of the Streets 10/30/10
This space a few blocks from my home has been around for over 40 years and I'm just realizing it exists. They just started a curated series and it's a good thing. It's a good space. I think it seats about 75 people, but it doesn't feel wrong when only a few of us show up. There are comfortable seats and a few tables in a semicircle around the room in 3 staggered levels, each level is up a step. The performance area is on the floor. It looks like you can see pretty well from just about any seat. I chose the one in the center and then moved slightly to the left so I could see the drummer better (he was a little blocked by a music stand from the sax).
I enjoyed the set. Angelica played piano and Chad Taylor was awesome on drums. It's been a while since I've seen him. Too long. The set was about 45-50 minutes and very good and engaging.
Angelica Sanchez piano
Chad Taylor drums
Greg Ward sax
Sean Conly bass
http://www.universityofthestreets.org/
I enjoyed the set. Angelica played piano and Chad Taylor was awesome on drums. It's been a while since I've seen him. Too long. The set was about 45-50 minutes and very good and engaging.
Angelica Sanchez piano
Chad Taylor drums
Greg Ward sax
Sean Conly bass
http://www.universityofthestreets.org/
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Film: Live From Tokyo @ Asia Institute 10/29/10
I've been curious about music in Japan for a while now. I know that there are many great live CDs that come from Japan and the ones I have, of artists I love, are all a little different, more cutting edge than the CDs from the states. This film was about a music scene of underground local Japanese musicians playing in Live Houses all over Tokyo. It's one director and his team's view of the scene. It looks like it is so vast that you make many films out of this very rich and dense scene. I love screenings with a Q&A with the filmmaker. It was definitely an even richer experience with that.
They had the director Lewis Rapkin out briefly before the film. I must say I was surprised how young he was (and the audience as well). He is a musician living in Brooklyn. He did a study abroad thing in Tokyo and saw great music every single night. He was compelled to come back with a crew and document the scene. They did the filming in 8 weeks. They contacted the bands and potential interviewees by email. Each day they got up early and went through their emails and set up appointments. Then they would go out and do the interviews they had scheduled for that day and film the bands. They have tons of footage that did not make it in the film. They would like to do something with it at some point.
The bands span all genres. The ones in this film appear to all be trying to do something innovative. I liked a lot of them, but not all. I perked up once I saw this guy, Makoto Oshiro, who makes his own very interesting instruments. He showed us one and I thought the film did a good job of helping explain what was going on. They actually drew a picture and would go back and forth between Makoto talking and the picture, which helped understand what he was talking about. The band called dvd was pretty cool. 2 drummers and a visual artists. There were many more, and you can see something about each of them on the website.
One extremely interesting thing is that when a band gets booked at a Live House, the band has to make up any cash difference if they don't get the required headcount. Apparently, some of these bands pay the club to get to pay, sometimes as high as $400. It's called the naruma system. There is one venue, Enban, that is a purist for the artists. There is no naruma system in place and the owner lets the artists decide what they want to do and how they do it. He books a huge variety of music and art including stand-up comics. I immediately thought of Enban as "The Stone of Tokyo". Not quite, but it's a space for the artists. It's also more expensive for a patron to go to a Live House. It might cost $25 to see your friends in an amateur band. However, each of these little venues has an excellent sound and light system. Here's a good article about Live Houses in Tokyo:
http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment-arts/view/tokyos-live-house-music-scene-set-to-go-global
Anyway, I enjoyed the film and the Q&A a lot. There is another screening in SF and then I'm not sure what.
Here's the website, with lots of good info:
http://www.livefromtokyo.net/
Here's a good gig list for when I make it to Tokyo eventually:
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27640613612
Live From Tokyo is a documentary film about independent music culture in Tokyo.
The documentary looks at Tokyo's music culture as a reflection of Japanese society and in relation to international music culture. In 2009, we find ourselves well into the iPod generation of hyper-connectivity and information culture. The Internet has become a household portal into the endless information of the world. The music industry is plummeting and listeners are accessing and treating music in a new way. Barriers that separated music cultures in the past are becoming less relevant as globalization continues to connect artists. A new paradigm of music culture is upon us. Tokyo's reputation for an overwhelming variety of global information, media-saturated urban environment and cutting edge innovation, makes it the perfect sample for addressing a new outlook on music culture.
They had the director Lewis Rapkin out briefly before the film. I must say I was surprised how young he was (and the audience as well). He is a musician living in Brooklyn. He did a study abroad thing in Tokyo and saw great music every single night. He was compelled to come back with a crew and document the scene. They did the filming in 8 weeks. They contacted the bands and potential interviewees by email. Each day they got up early and went through their emails and set up appointments. Then they would go out and do the interviews they had scheduled for that day and film the bands. They have tons of footage that did not make it in the film. They would like to do something with it at some point.
The bands span all genres. The ones in this film appear to all be trying to do something innovative. I liked a lot of them, but not all. I perked up once I saw this guy, Makoto Oshiro, who makes his own very interesting instruments. He showed us one and I thought the film did a good job of helping explain what was going on. They actually drew a picture and would go back and forth between Makoto talking and the picture, which helped understand what he was talking about. The band called dvd was pretty cool. 2 drummers and a visual artists. There were many more, and you can see something about each of them on the website.
One extremely interesting thing is that when a band gets booked at a Live House, the band has to make up any cash difference if they don't get the required headcount. Apparently, some of these bands pay the club to get to pay, sometimes as high as $400. It's called the naruma system. There is one venue, Enban, that is a purist for the artists. There is no naruma system in place and the owner lets the artists decide what they want to do and how they do it. He books a huge variety of music and art including stand-up comics. I immediately thought of Enban as "The Stone of Tokyo". Not quite, but it's a space for the artists. It's also more expensive for a patron to go to a Live House. It might cost $25 to see your friends in an amateur band. However, each of these little venues has an excellent sound and light system. Here's a good article about Live Houses in Tokyo:
http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment-arts/view/tokyos-live-house-music-scene-set-to-go-global
Anyway, I enjoyed the film and the Q&A a lot. There is another screening in SF and then I'm not sure what.
Here's the website, with lots of good info:
http://www.livefromtokyo.net/
Here's a good gig list for when I make it to Tokyo eventually:
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27640613612
Live From Tokyo is a documentary film about independent music culture in Tokyo.
The documentary looks at Tokyo's music culture as a reflection of Japanese society and in relation to international music culture. In 2009, we find ourselves well into the iPod generation of hyper-connectivity and information culture. The Internet has become a household portal into the endless information of the world. The music industry is plummeting and listeners are accessing and treating music in a new way. Barriers that separated music cultures in the past are becoming less relevant as globalization continues to connect artists. A new paradigm of music culture is upon us. Tokyo's reputation for an overwhelming variety of global information, media-saturated urban environment and cutting edge innovation, makes it the perfect sample for addressing a new outlook on music culture.
Flexible Orchestra 2010 @ The Ukrainian Restaurant Ballroom 10/28/10
I was curious on many different levels. I have walked by this Ukrainian place probably at least 3,000 times and I've never been in it. I'm reading a Ukrainian novel, Dead Souls by Gogol, so it felt like it would be a good time to do it. The 7 accordions definitely peeked my curiosity. I wasn't the only one. There was a large turnout and even though the space isn't small, they could have used a larger space. They mentioned their previous shows were in a Church and they should probably go back to that in the future.
I chose to stand and I found a spot that I could see the musicians. However, I didn't realize my view would be blocked by a column for the dancers. I stayed until intermission, so I got 2 music pieces and the Libretto concert suite.
The first piece was for 6 accordions, with the 7th, Guy Kucevsek the composer/conductor. I liked it a lot. I liked how the accordions sounded like an organ at times and like strings at other times.
The 2nd piece had 7 accordions, violin, cello, contrabass, and I think one singer. That was good, a little different.
The Libretto, entitled "French Artithmetic concert suite" was fun. However, I really do not like high voices, especially opera voices. Also, I couldn't really see the dancer because of the column in my way. I did like the orchestra when I could connect. We also had the text so we could read along, since you really couldn't understand the soprano at all.
After that, I decided it was enough. I enjoyed it while I did, but didn't need any more. It was interesting and different for me. I would love to see it in a Church some time.
Flexible Orchestra 2010 / "Accordions Plus" New Music for Seven Accordions, Violin, Cello & Bass Compositions by Guy Klucsevsek, Daniel Goode, Christian Wollf & others Thursday, October 28th at 8:30pm at The Ukrainian Restaurant Ballroom / 140 Second Ave & 9th St. For more info:
www.danielgoode.com
http://www.soundart.org/flexorch.html
I chose to stand and I found a spot that I could see the musicians. However, I didn't realize my view would be blocked by a column for the dancers. I stayed until intermission, so I got 2 music pieces and the Libretto concert suite.
The first piece was for 6 accordions, with the 7th, Guy Kucevsek the composer/conductor. I liked it a lot. I liked how the accordions sounded like an organ at times and like strings at other times.
The 2nd piece had 7 accordions, violin, cello, contrabass, and I think one singer. That was good, a little different.
The Libretto, entitled "French Artithmetic concert suite" was fun. However, I really do not like high voices, especially opera voices. Also, I couldn't really see the dancer because of the column in my way. I did like the orchestra when I could connect. We also had the text so we could read along, since you really couldn't understand the soprano at all.
After that, I decided it was enough. I enjoyed it while I did, but didn't need any more. It was interesting and different for me. I would love to see it in a Church some time.
Flexible Orchestra 2010 / "Accordions Plus" New Music for Seven Accordions, Violin, Cello & Bass Compositions by Guy Klucsevsek, Daniel Goode, Christian Wollf & others Thursday, October 28th at 8:30pm at The Ukrainian Restaurant Ballroom / 140 Second Ave & 9th St. For more info:
www.danielgoode.com
http://www.soundart.org/flexorch.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Michael Formanek @ Jazz Standard 10/27/10
I did a rare 2 set experience. If there was any repeats in the 2nd set, I didn't notice. This music is different every time. Every combination of these guys and their greater circle of musicians is great and constantly different. Each artist caught me at various times and it sounded so good all together. It was quite enjoyable.
Tim Berne – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Craig Taborn – piano
Michael Formanek – bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums
Born in 1958, Michael Formanek was just 19 years old when he joined Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Since then, he’s played and/or recorded with Chet Baker, Dave Burrell, Elvis Costello, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Fred Hersch, Freddie Hubbard…and the list goes on. The Rub And Spare Change is the re¬markable ECM label debut of this bass virtuoso and resourceful composer. As a bandleader, Formanek is able to bring forth inspired performances from his cohorts, and this Jazz Standard one–nighter finds him at the head of a quartet that draws deep from its members’ years of shared experience.
Tickets: $20
Tim Berne – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Craig Taborn – piano
Michael Formanek – bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums
Born in 1958, Michael Formanek was just 19 years old when he joined Tony Williams’ Lifetime. Since then, he’s played and/or recorded with Chet Baker, Dave Burrell, Elvis Costello, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Fred Hersch, Freddie Hubbard…and the list goes on. The Rub And Spare Change is the re¬markable ECM label debut of this bass virtuoso and resourceful composer. As a bandleader, Formanek is able to bring forth inspired performances from his cohorts, and this Jazz Standard one–nighter finds him at the head of a quartet that draws deep from its members’ years of shared experience.
Tickets: $20
Monday, October 25, 2010
Dave Douglas & Keystone: Spark of Being @ Highline 10/25/10
This was awesome! Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorite books. This was music performed live while watching an experimental film about the book. I loved it. I need to re-read it. I thought it was all very well done. The film basically gave a visual interpretation of the book. It was probably more enjoyable if you know the book. The music is probably great without the film. They started with one opening piece without a visual and the rest was a different piece for each section of the film. It's hard to describe - you had to be there.
The soundtrack has DJ Olive. I'm not sure who we had last night.
Dave Douglas & Keystone
Spark of Being
A Film by Bill Morrison
Dave Douglas - trumpet
Markus Strickland - sax
Adam Benjamin - rhodes
Brad Jones - bass
Gene Lake - drums
?? - laptop
Music for electric sextet with trumpet, tenor/soprano sax, rhodes, electric bass, drums, and turntables. Inspired by films, written for films, both new and old.
SPARK OF BEING, the newest release from Douglas' Grammy-nominated Keystone band, is a collaboration between Douglas and experimental film-maker Bill Morrison. Spark Of Being is a film retelling the Frankenstein myth with accompanying Douglas soundtrack. Further info at Greenleaf Music.
KEYSTONE, the first DD&K studio recording, is available at Greenleaf Music as a two disc package: one CD of just the music, and one DVD containing two 1916 Arbuckle silent films with new musical accompaniment. This package was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. A live recording from Umea, Sweden from October 2005 is also available on Greenleaf Music's specially priced Paperback Series. The recording captures the band with Gene Lake, Marcus Strickland, Adam Benjamin, Brad Jones, and DJ Olive. The New York City premiere of this project took place at Zankel Hall on February 18, 2006 as part of John Adams' In Your Ear series.
The soundtrack has DJ Olive. I'm not sure who we had last night.
Dave Douglas & Keystone
Spark of Being
A Film by Bill Morrison
Dave Douglas - trumpet
Markus Strickland - sax
Adam Benjamin - rhodes
Brad Jones - bass
Gene Lake - drums
?? - laptop
Music for electric sextet with trumpet, tenor/soprano sax, rhodes, electric bass, drums, and turntables. Inspired by films, written for films, both new and old.
SPARK OF BEING, the newest release from Douglas' Grammy-nominated Keystone band, is a collaboration between Douglas and experimental film-maker Bill Morrison. Spark Of Being is a film retelling the Frankenstein myth with accompanying Douglas soundtrack. Further info at Greenleaf Music.
KEYSTONE, the first DD&K studio recording, is available at Greenleaf Music as a two disc package: one CD of just the music, and one DVD containing two 1916 Arbuckle silent films with new musical accompaniment. This package was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. A live recording from Umea, Sweden from October 2005 is also available on Greenleaf Music's specially priced Paperback Series. The recording captures the band with Gene Lake, Marcus Strickland, Adam Benjamin, Brad Jones, and DJ Olive. The New York City premiere of this project took place at Zankel Hall on February 18, 2006 as part of John Adams' In Your Ear series.
SearchAndRestore Kickstarter Project
Help get the music out! I'm spoiled, but there are so many people that would love to experience these great artists! It's worth $25 to you, I know it is! I see the benefits of this project reverberating. More venues, more opportunities to see these people, more artists, etc.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1489433400/search-and-restore-documents-and-unites-the-nyc-ne
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1489433400/search-and-restore-documents-and-unites-the-nyc-ne
Friday, October 22, 2010
Cuban Music @ Guantanamera 10/19/10
I already knew that when the stars are in alignment, meaning the "right" 4 musician combo is available, this is the only place to be. I was told it is amazing Cuban music unlike any other in the US. I am not that sophisticated in my understanding of Cuban, but it was awesome and I enjoyed it immensely.
It consists of stellar congas that compelled me to get up and dance, electric bass, keyboard, and a great guy on bongos and cowbell. You know I loved this instrumentation! The music was captivating and awesome. I'm told it's not always these specific 4 and that makes a big difference. Oh - the food and drinks were awesome so if nothing else, you are bound to have a good time and spend some money.
It was awesome! I need to look out for that Conga player! I'm trying to find out the names of the musicians. I might edit this later if so.
http://guantanameranyc.com/media/guantanamera.html
It consists of stellar congas that compelled me to get up and dance, electric bass, keyboard, and a great guy on bongos and cowbell. You know I loved this instrumentation! The music was captivating and awesome. I'm told it's not always these specific 4 and that makes a big difference. Oh - the food and drinks were awesome so if nothing else, you are bound to have a good time and spend some money.
It was awesome! I need to look out for that Conga player! I'm trying to find out the names of the musicians. I might edit this later if so.
http://guantanameranyc.com/media/guantanamera.html
Upcoming: Bill Frisell 11/20
I just bought a ticket and I was surprised when TB did not tack on a bunch of extra fees. I see this note:
Musical Portraits from Heber Springs: Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Project. Featuring Viktor Krauss, Greg Leisz, and Jenny Scheinman..
This event features an ALL-IN ticket, meaning the price you see advertised is actually the price you pay - no additional fees or service charges will be charged at check-out when you choose the online TicketFast or will-call delivery option
I like it! Sure, I'm still paying the fees, but I prefer to know the total cost up front. It allows me to skip the "anger step" I usually have when purchasing through TB, which I do as little as possible. I would like to update this old post about going to the box office eventually, but it can't hurt to put a reference:
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/save-fees-go-to-box-office.html
Anyway, this is one of the best spaces and this show is sure to be phenomenal:
http://www.billfrisell.com/artists/Frisell/tour_link.html
11/20/10 New York, NY
The Concert Hall
Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Project Featuring Viktor Krauss, Greg Leisz & Jenny Scheinman
BUY TICKETS
Musical Portraits from Heber Springs: Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Project. Featuring Viktor Krauss, Greg Leisz, and Jenny Scheinman..
This event features an ALL-IN ticket, meaning the price you see advertised is actually the price you pay - no additional fees or service charges will be charged at check-out when you choose the online TicketFast or will-call delivery option
I like it! Sure, I'm still paying the fees, but I prefer to know the total cost up front. It allows me to skip the "anger step" I usually have when purchasing through TB, which I do as little as possible. I would like to update this old post about going to the box office eventually, but it can't hurt to put a reference:
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/save-fees-go-to-box-office.html
Anyway, this is one of the best spaces and this show is sure to be phenomenal:
http://www.billfrisell.com/artists/Frisell/tour_link.html
11/20/10 New York, NY
The Concert Hall
Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Project Featuring Viktor Krauss, Greg Leisz & Jenny Scheinman
BUY TICKETS
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Joe Russo Trio @ Rose 10/17/10
Yes! It's been way too long since I've seen Joe Russo. I'm very impressed with this trio, which was actually a quartet for this set, with the addition of a violin (or was it a viola?) I think Joe met moments before the gig. It was awesome. It looked like it was all improvising. I was drawn to it due to Joe Russo and Todd Sickafoose. Of course, it's the Guitar Festival, so the guitar is bound to good. He was. I have to pay attention to the listings and look out for Jonathan Goldberger he was great. He had a lot of electronics at his feet and he used them skillfully in addition to playing the guitar.
It was an awesome show and the set was about an hour. There was a low turnout for the festival, so they didn't even charge the cover. I inquired about where I pay the cover and was told they would pass the hat. There was a literal metal hat on a stand in front of the stage, ready to be filled. I loved it, but wished they walked around with it as there was about 25+ people for this and it helps get the contributions. It was a great band and a great set and they deserve to be paid.
Anyway, more confirmation that you now have to go to Brooklyn to be able to see everything. There's a lot of great music that doesn't seem to be making over to Manhattan these days.
It was an awesome show and the set was about an hour. There was a low turnout for the festival, so they didn't even charge the cover. I inquired about where I pay the cover and was told they would pass the hat. There was a literal metal hat on a stand in front of the stage, ready to be filled. I loved it, but wished they walked around with it as there was about 25+ people for this and it helps get the contributions. It was a great band and a great set and they deserve to be paid.
Anyway, more confirmation that you now have to go to Brooklyn to be able to see everything. There's a lot of great music that doesn't seem to be making over to Manhattan these days.
Marco Cappelli @ Rose 10/17/10
It was billed as a solo, but ended up being a duo with Adam Rudolph. I was able to make it for the last 15 minutes and it was great. When I walked in, Adam was drumming softly and Marco had his guitar face up in his lap and a bow. It was interesting and mellow. Adam also played the thumb piano at times. Marco also held the guitar in a more traditional way.
It was good and a nice thing for the first band on a Sunday evening.
It was good and a nice thing for the first band on a Sunday evening.
Bolero Jazz @ 5C Cafe 10/13/10
It's shocking that I hadn't been to this awesome little spot at 5th and C until now. They usually have good music and I hear the food is good as well. It looks like the music is from 8-10:30 and there is a tip jar in lieu of a cover. It's a great place to hang in between sets at The Stone. They have a bar/cafe setup, which means everything a person would want.
I loved the music. They say they have different amalgamations, and my first time seeing them it was great to just be a guitar/bass duo. I was falling asleep during the 2nd set due to jetlag, so I had to leave early. This is definitely a venue to keep track of! I'm looking forward to seeing this band again.
http://5cculturalcenter.org/index.html
http://5cculturalcenter.org/press.html
Time Out New York (April 14, 2010)
Trudy Silver, cofounder and artistic director of 15-year-old cultural center 5C (68 Avenue C at E 5th St; 212-477-5993, 5cculturalcenter.org), says of Bolero Jazz Wednesdays (7:30pm, free), “It’s not really a dance thing; it’s more intimate. There’s a grand piano. It’s like a living room.”
Leading the Latin-flavored musical evening is Puerto Rican bass player Joe Falcon, who has been a fixture at 5C ever since it opened its doors back in 1995. “He tells stories of life on the island, and people he’s worked with, but doesn’t make you feel like you need to speak Spanish to know what he’s talking about”
Falcon, a retired social worker, brings along singer Andrea Oliva, conga maestro Emilio Ortega and guitarist Luis Rodriguez, though each week promises a whole new lineup of musicians who share the stage with him. For some post-show nibbles, you can keep up the lowkey vibe with dishes like fresh hummus served with raw veggies, pita wedges and crostini ($10)—plus a glass of wine ($6–$10), of course.
TONY Blog: Relax Here: Bolero Jazz Wednesdays
I loved the music. They say they have different amalgamations, and my first time seeing them it was great to just be a guitar/bass duo. I was falling asleep during the 2nd set due to jetlag, so I had to leave early. This is definitely a venue to keep track of! I'm looking forward to seeing this band again.
http://5cculturalcenter.org/index.html
http://5cculturalcenter.org/press.html
Time Out New York (April 14, 2010)
Trudy Silver, cofounder and artistic director of 15-year-old cultural center 5C (68 Avenue C at E 5th St; 212-477-5993, 5cculturalcenter.org), says of Bolero Jazz Wednesdays (7:30pm, free), “It’s not really a dance thing; it’s more intimate. There’s a grand piano. It’s like a living room.”
Leading the Latin-flavored musical evening is Puerto Rican bass player Joe Falcon, who has been a fixture at 5C ever since it opened its doors back in 1995. “He tells stories of life on the island, and people he’s worked with, but doesn’t make you feel like you need to speak Spanish to know what he’s talking about”
Falcon, a retired social worker, brings along singer Andrea Oliva, conga maestro Emilio Ortega and guitarist Luis Rodriguez, though each week promises a whole new lineup of musicians who share the stage with him. For some post-show nibbles, you can keep up the lowkey vibe with dishes like fresh hummus served with raw veggies, pita wedges and crostini ($10)—plus a glass of wine ($6–$10), of course.
TONY Blog: Relax Here: Bolero Jazz Wednesdays
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Aaron Parks @ Jazz Standard 10/12/10
New York! Very little comes close to the multiple stellar options we have on a daily basis. Berlin and New Orleans and probably Chicago are the only places I've been that consistently come close, but not quite.
This reminded me how great live music can be and just how spoiled I am. Everyone on the stage was phenomenal. Ted Poor is an amazing drummer. He extended his kit with a tambora. The whole set was amazing. If I wasn't so jetlagged I would have gladly stayed for the set, which they said would be different material.
It was an awesome "welcome home" show.
Aaron Parks - piano
Steve Cardenas - guitar
Ila Cantor - guitar
Matt Brewer - bass
Ted Poor - drums
This reminded me how great live music can be and just how spoiled I am. Everyone on the stage was phenomenal. Ted Poor is an amazing drummer. He extended his kit with a tambora. The whole set was amazing. If I wasn't so jetlagged I would have gladly stayed for the set, which they said would be different material.
It was an awesome "welcome home" show.
Aaron Parks - piano
Steve Cardenas - guitar
Ila Cantor - guitar
Matt Brewer - bass
Ted Poor - drums
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
hotROMania IV @ Porgy and Bess, Vienna, 10/8/10
This is a nice jazz club in Vienna. You pay once (15 Euro on this night) and can stay for both sets. Each seat is facing the stage and there are little tables interspersed. The seats are comfy and while there's lots of seats, it isn't too tight. There is also an upstairs with a balcony, but this night everyone was downstairs.
The first set was more straight ahead regular music with great piano, bass, and sax. I must say I didn't notice the drums at all which probably means it was basic jazz drumming. I would have noticed if it was bad. The 2nd set included a pan flute that was awesome and it was traditional Romanian jazz.
It was a nice experience and I'm glad I made it there.
http://www.porgy.at/prog-01.php?id=4328
Florin Raducanu „Improvisation on the music on the world“ (ROM/USA)
Florin Raducanu: piano
Dalila Cernatescu: pan flute
Sebastian Mihai: tenor saxophone
Adrian Flautistu: bass
Eugen Nichiteanu: drums
The first set was more straight ahead regular music with great piano, bass, and sax. I must say I didn't notice the drums at all which probably means it was basic jazz drumming. I would have noticed if it was bad. The 2nd set included a pan flute that was awesome and it was traditional Romanian jazz.
It was a nice experience and I'm glad I made it there.
http://www.porgy.at/prog-01.php?id=4328
Florin Raducanu „Improvisation on the music on the world“ (ROM/USA)
Florin Raducanu: piano
Dalila Cernatescu: pan flute
Sebastian Mihai: tenor saxophone
Adrian Flautistu: bass
Eugen Nichiteanu: drums
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
2 violins, Street Music in Prague, 10/2010
It was one of my last days in Prague and I stumbled upon this incredible-sounding music on the street. I was surprised to see it was just 2 violinists, playing a familiar piece, in an arched alcove in the Old Town Square. They were selling CDs entitled "Prague Street Music". While I loved the live experience, I personally am not that into classical covers to own a CD, but it was spectacular to listen to at the time. I'm sorry to say I didn't get their names.
Batukatum @ Jazz Boat, Prague, 10/7/10
The city is breathtaking. I had low expectations for the music, and chose to eat before boarding. Judging from the food being served, that was a good move. I did taste that Czech herbal liquor, Becherovka here. It was very nice to be on the water and see the sites and all the ducks and swans. I chose Latin night and it was relatively inexpensive, as is even the touristy stuff in Prague. The music was good enough to have me moving while looking out on the water. They ended with a fun Dizzy tune.
http://www.jazzboat.cz/program-vstupenky/
BATUKATUM
Samba, Bossa nova, Forro,
http://www.jazzboat.cz/program-vstupenky/
BATUKATUM
Samba, Bossa nova, Forro,
Roman Pokorný Fusion/Jazz Trio @ U Maleho Glena, Prague 10/5/10
This was actually blues with good guitar and bass. Perhaps, blues-rock that got a little funky at times. I was glad I carry earplugs with me as it was quite loud in the little space. I stayed for one set and enjoyed it and the space a lot. I was just tired and didn't need any more.
http://www.malyglen.cz/
Roman Pokorný Fusion/Jazz Trio - funk/fusion/crossover guit/b/br
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z48ntpfTa3A
http://www.malyglen.cz/
Roman Pokorný Fusion/Jazz Trio - funk/fusion/crossover guit/b/br
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z48ntpfTa3A
Gabriel Coburger Quartet @ Agharta Jazz Club, Prague 10/4/10
Prague is awesome! I'm finding lots of jazz clubs and starting to explore them. I saw great Modern Jazz Quartet from Hamburg, Germany for my first night in Prague, the Gabriel Coburger Quartet. They were from Hamburg, I was coming from Hamburg, it seemed right. Gabriel plays the tenor and soprano sax and alto flute. I especially enjoyed his flute playing. The piano player also played vibraphones and a little piano that they say has no name. I find that hard to believe, but perhaps. I didn't get a good enough look to attempt to try to figure it out. The electric bass player also played guitar at times. The drummer was interesting. He had a kit and then a few percussion instruments. He played the triangle a lot, which I loved. I enjoyed him the most.
I like the space, it has a nice feel to it. Stone walls, little tables, nice vibe. I thought I would make it back, but that didn't happen. I had too much exploring to do. There are pictures of the club and the stage on their website. It's right by the Old Town Square, which is a great location if you are doing the tourist thing.
http://www.gabrielcoburger.de/
http://www.agharta.cz/index.php?p=program&site=agharta_ajc
GABRIEL COBURGER QUARTET (D) modern jazz - ts+fl, p, g, d
I like the space, it has a nice feel to it. Stone walls, little tables, nice vibe. I thought I would make it back, but that didn't happen. I had too much exploring to do. There are pictures of the club and the stage on their website. It's right by the Old Town Square, which is a great location if you are doing the tourist thing.
http://www.gabrielcoburger.de/
http://www.agharta.cz/index.php?p=program&site=agharta_ajc
GABRIEL COBURGER QUARTET (D) modern jazz - ts+fl, p, g, d
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Stanton Moore Trio w/Anders @ Brooklyn Bowl 9/23/10
I had no idea who would be in the Trio, it was listed as "Stanton Moore Trio + Anders Osborne". I wasn't sure what that meant, but I like Brooklyn Bowl much more than Sullivan Hall, and it's been a while since I've seen STM or Anders. I got saturated with STM about 4 or 5 years back. It was a jazzfest where I saw Stanton's Trio, Quartet, and Quintet way too many times.
It was a 1 hour set with the Trio and the 2nd set was 1 song with the Trio and then Anders joined them. Will Bernard and Will Blades were the rest of the band, which was cool. I hadn't seen THAT variation of STM yet. It was good, but I would get a little bored at times. I definitely enjoyed each of them at various times, and it was fun, it just wasn't one of those blown away amazing shows.
Once Anders took the stage things took a turn. I'm so busy with work I could only stay for a couple of songs. It's been so long since I've seen Anders I was surprised. I forgot how good he can be. He rocked! The 2nd song was a little slow and a good time to make a break for it. I did a much better job of timing the train, I was on the platform a few min before 11 and it came within a minute.
It was a 1 hour set with the Trio and the 2nd set was 1 song with the Trio and then Anders joined them. Will Bernard and Will Blades were the rest of the band, which was cool. I hadn't seen THAT variation of STM yet. It was good, but I would get a little bored at times. I definitely enjoyed each of them at various times, and it was fun, it just wasn't one of those blown away amazing shows.
Once Anders took the stage things took a turn. I'm so busy with work I could only stay for a couple of songs. It's been so long since I've seen Anders I was surprised. I forgot how good he can be. He rocked! The 2nd song was a little slow and a good time to make a break for it. I did a much better job of timing the train, I was on the platform a few min before 11 and it came within a minute.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Blackbird Parlour, Williamsburg
On my way to the train, I had to stop and listen to a great boogie-woogie piano at The Blackbird Parlour. I think the sign out front said Uncle Leadfoot is the piano player. All the windows and doors were open, so I could stand outside, right next to the piano. It reminded me of Austin. Fun!
The Inbetweens @ Lovin Cup 9/21/10
I finally got my full set. This is my favorite Mike Gamble project that I've seen. However, there are many Mike Gamble projects that I've never seen since he usually plays in Brooklyn.
It's an awesome trio. The music is beyond jazz, it's got a little of a psychedelic feel, but that's not the best way to describe it, either. It's new and creative music that would appeal to a lot of people, not just the experimental music crowd. I see from their myspace page that they selected experimental/indie/nu jazz as the genre.
The venue is wonderful and raises the bar. Having continuous live music is huge. The drinks are Manhattan prices and not quite as strong as I like, but I can deal.
Michael Gamble- guitars (http://michaelgamble.com) Noah Jarrett- basses (http://noahjarrett.com Conor Elmes- drums and cymbals
THE INBETWEENS emerged in the summer of 2002, from the roots of collective improvisation, curiosity, and like minds. Before they were the Tweens, they each lived in Boston, where they each spent time gigging and studying at the New England Conservatory of Music with gurus such as Bob Moses, George Garzone, John Lockwood, and John Abercrombie. In the fall of 02' the boys migrated to Brooklyn, where they each spent an entire year eating, sleeping, and rehearsing in a cozy lil' 3-bedroom apartment, appropriately lodged "inbetween" Brooklyn's own Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. Since then the trio has completed a self-titled debut album at Clinton Recording Studios, in Manhattan, and has been performing regularly in the Northeast and the midwest. Some listeners consider them a power trio, but their energetic musical conversations draw in people from all backgrounds: popular to improvised. The Inbetweens are not afraid to enter uncharted territories. They trust each other and take risks for the sake of the music.
It's an awesome trio. The music is beyond jazz, it's got a little of a psychedelic feel, but that's not the best way to describe it, either. It's new and creative music that would appeal to a lot of people, not just the experimental music crowd. I see from their myspace page that they selected experimental/indie/nu jazz as the genre.
The venue is wonderful and raises the bar. Having continuous live music is huge. The drinks are Manhattan prices and not quite as strong as I like, but I can deal.
Michael Gamble- guitars (http://michaelgamble.com) Noah Jarrett- basses (http://noahjarrett.com Conor Elmes- drums and cymbals
THE INBETWEENS emerged in the summer of 2002, from the roots of collective improvisation, curiosity, and like minds. Before they were the Tweens, they each lived in Boston, where they each spent time gigging and studying at the New England Conservatory of Music with gurus such as Bob Moses, George Garzone, John Lockwood, and John Abercrombie. In the fall of 02' the boys migrated to Brooklyn, where they each spent an entire year eating, sleeping, and rehearsing in a cozy lil' 3-bedroom apartment, appropriately lodged "inbetween" Brooklyn's own Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. Since then the trio has completed a self-titled debut album at Clinton Recording Studios, in Manhattan, and has been performing regularly in the Northeast and the midwest. Some listeners consider them a power trio, but their energetic musical conversations draw in people from all backgrounds: popular to improvised. The Inbetweens are not afraid to enter uncharted territories. They trust each other and take risks for the sake of the music.
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