Jazz Jam @ City Winery 6/24/10

So it wasn't the best NYC music to ever happen to me. It started out with that potential. I got there just before it started, which was around 11:20. Tain started off with guys he plays with, playing his own music. He had James Genus on bass, with Steve Wilson on sax and David Kikoski, a great piano player. This band was very worthy of following Herbie as the first band in the late night after party. They played for just under an hour. For the last tune, which I think was a Herbie tune, they invited David Gilmore on guitar, Mark Turner on sax, and EJ Strickland on sax to join them. It was great and moved my already high expectations up even further.

I still had reason to be super excited as I saw more and more of the artists I love coming in. The stage was next populated with Chris Potter, Adam Rogers on guitar, a great trumpet. The drummer, bass, and piano players were all good to have up there.

Then, they exited and a whole new group was called up to do a song. This was because there were so many musicians, and Tain wanted to give as many as possible a chance to play.

I got more and more disappointed as the night went on. It would have been good if my expectations weren't so high. I feel like a "Monday Morning Quarterback". I would have put Henry Grimes with Steven Bernstein and Ben Perowsky instead of those straight ahead cats I'm not sure I know. Steven and Ben didn't even get to play. Henry did have a great bass solo.

I still stayed the whole night and had fun when I wasn't complaining and trying to call the plays from the couch in front of the tv.

It got fun towards the end. Robert Glasper played piano and 2 drummers, each with a stick in one hand and a drink in the other, started playing. There was a sax on stage that didn't know what to do. I know it got me dancing again. Nothing spectacular, but good and fun.

Then, it ended fun. Kurt Rosenwinkel took the drum kit and Chris Potter got on the piano. Yes, you read that correctly. There was a girl on the bass and it was fun. Chris is also a good piano player. Not like he can play sax, but good nonetheless.

I'm just very spoiled I guess.