This was the only ticket I was able to buy in advance. My seat was in the front row, but on the piano side. The drums were a little obstructed by music stands. This is a 1,000 seat theatre with 2 wide aisles on each end and no center aisle. I realized before it began I could stand off to the side on the steps, which is almost always my preference.
This was a great show. I'm happy with my choice. I really wanted to see John Surman, but the website had mistakenly listed that show for both 7/2 and 7/3 when it was only for one night.
What I missed:
John Surman baryton saxophone master with Howard Moody on church organ
One of the most important British saxophonists and composers meets a church organ virtuoso with innovation on the brain: and a new way of jazz thinking is born. For their 2nd collaborative album, Rain on the Window, Moody and Surman-whom we've been waiting to welcome back to the Festival-blend saxophone and clarinet with organ to create a new form of jazz. Unexpected combination.
What I saw:
The Jack DeJohnette Group with Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dave Fiuczynski, George Colligan, Jerome Harris
A loyal and longtime regular at the Festival, Jack DeJohnette, one of the world's greatest drummers, welcomes friends Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Dave Fiuczynski (guitar), George Colligan (keyboards) and Jerome Harris (bass guitar), all of whom hail from different musical galaxies. On the program: Jack's classics, Special Edition, New Direction and Music for the Fifth World, along with pieces from his current project, Music We Are, and a few new compositions. Get rhythm!
It was excellent! I forgot how awesome Jerome Harris is. He plays a regular acoustic bass as opposed to the contrabass. I guess it's because he also plays guitar. I certainly didn't feel any lack in the instrument.
Rudresh was one of the reasons that drew me to this show. I always love seeing him. I'm so glad he and Jack found each other.
Dave Fiuczynski played both the double-neck and single-neck guitars. I think he was the guy I saw on the double-neck sitting in with someone at Sullivan Hall once. I recall that didn't do it for me. Well, he did it for me at this gig. He was great.
This was my first time seeing George Colligan. I hope it's not my last.
Jack announced the first 3 songs and then they played them. Then he announced the next 4 songs and they played them. No encore, but the show was I think close to 2 hours. I think they were anxious to wrap it up because Ahmad Jamal was starting his 80th birthday celebration show in the theatre next door.
There were at least 2 great drum solos. The repertoire gave us some insight into the history of Jack's music. They started with a song he composed for Eric Dolphy. I remember I really liked an African Tango piece. It was a nice sampling.
I keep expecting to see him with the setup he had for the Alice Coltrane tribute show I saw at the Society for Ethical Culture a couple of years ago. I guess that was a super extra special event.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I'm so glad I got to go.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Upcoming: Club d'Elf @ Public Assembly 7/15/10
Yeah! I highly recommend this! I'm not sure if I will be able to stay up, but if I get in a nap, I'm there!
Thursday July 15, 2010Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos)70 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg, NY (Bedford L)Show starts at 9 pm. $10. 21+. D'Elf (w/ Brahim Fribgane - oud, perc, voice; Mat Maneri - elec viola; Danny Blume - guitar; Mike Rivard - bass & sintir; & Eric Kalb - drums) plays last at 12:30 am.
Also on the bill: Copal (www.copalmusic.com), Puracane & Hordanos.facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134586473228586&ref=mfhttp://www.publicassemblynyc.com
Thursday July 15, 2010Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos)70 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg, NY (Bedford L)Show starts at 9 pm. $10. 21+. D'Elf (w/ Brahim Fribgane - oud, perc, voice; Mat Maneri - elec viola; Danny Blume - guitar; Mike Rivard - bass & sintir; & Eric Kalb - drums) plays last at 12:30 am.
Also on the bill: Copal (www.copalmusic.com), Puracane & Hordanos.facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134586473228586&ref=mfhttp://www.publicassemblynyc.com
Upcoming: Radio I-Ching 7/20/10
This is a great band and there's only one chance to see them this summer. They are well worth checking out and the time is good for a Tues night.
Radio I-Ching
Otto's Shrunken Head Tiki Bar & Lounge
538 E.14th Street (btwn. Aves. A&B)
Tuesday July 20 @ 9:00 -10:30
Radio I-Ching:
Dee Pop.......Skins
Andy Haas....Reeds
Don Fiorino...Strings
from last week's Village Voice. Review by Tom Hull.
Radio I-Ching
No Wave Au Go Go | Resonant Music
Avant-wandering rock refugees—Andy Haas on curved soprano sax and electronics, Don Fiorino on guitar-like things, Dee Pop on percussion—pull together. Their worldbeat originals smoke the jazz covers, which serve as ethereal exotica, except for "Judgment Day," which redeems their faith in Americana. A MINUS
Brass Bands @ Montreal Jazzfest 7/2/10
It was a nice day and I made it out to the fest early. It's free and in the middle of the city. There was a brass band that was fun. They are called Grüv'n Brass. They are funky NOLA style. Now, when you are spoiled like I am and get to see a lot of great NOLA brass bands often, they can't hold a candle to them. However, they are good and fun if you aren't quite as spoiled. The NOLA brass is just more powerful. I did enjoy their set while sitting in the fest bistro and shaking my shoulders a bit. They certainly aren't bad. I also just checked out their site and it's cute:
http://www.gruvnbrass.com/
I was on my way out when I saw this Hungarian-style brass band with a circle of people gathered around them. They were about to start. It turns out they are from Belgium and are called l'Orchestre International du Vetex. They are fun! They have both a tuba, yes tuba and not sousaphone, and a baritone sax. There's 3 trumpets, one of which sometimes plays accordion. There's an alto sax and 1 or 2 trombones. And one drummer/percussionist. They had an array of music and I enjoyed it a lot. I stayed for almost the whole set.
http://www.oidv.net/vetexvetex/
http://www.gruvnbrass.com/
I was on my way out when I saw this Hungarian-style brass band with a circle of people gathered around them. They were about to start. It turns out they are from Belgium and are called l'Orchestre International du Vetex. They are fun! They have both a tuba, yes tuba and not sousaphone, and a baritone sax. There's 3 trumpets, one of which sometimes plays accordion. There's an alto sax and 1 or 2 trombones. And one drummer/percussionist. They had an array of music and I enjoyed it a lot. I stayed for almost the whole set.
http://www.oidv.net/vetexvetex/
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Masada Marathon @ Theatre Masonneuve, Montreal 7/1/10
Theoretically I could have made it to both the 6pm and the 9:30 shows, which were different. But, I had to get my bearings and get my advance tickets to everything. That took a couple of hours to figure it all out. I did get to the entire amazing 9:30 show, which went til midnight. I saw people coming out of the 6pm show at 8:30.
Here's the listing for the 6pm show I missed:
Bar Kokhba
Jamie Saft Trio
Ben Goldberg Quartet
Mycale
Erik Friedlander Solo
Masada Sextet
Here's the show I saw at 9:30:
Mark Feldman and Sylvie Couvoissier Duo
The Dreamers
Uri Caine Solo
Masada String Trio
Electric Masada
The duo was as stellar as ever. They played for about 25 min. At first, I was completely mesmerized by Feldman. I started paying more attention to Sylvie during her solo time. They are so fantastic.
The Dreamers is so amazing. I forgot how much I love Kenny Wollesen. He's so great on vibes. The combo of Joey Baron on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion is always a huge treat. Jamie Saft is amazing on keyboards. I kept getting caught by him. I highly recommend seeing Ribot 3 nights in a row. He keeps getting better and better! Trevor Dunn on electric bass is awesome. The music is all so good. They played for about 30-40 minutes and left us wanting more!
Then we got a stellar solo performance by Uri Caine. I was surprised they gave each act a standing ovation except for this. It really deserved one. It was excellent.
The Masada String Trio is Greg Cohen on bass, Mark Feldman on violin and Erik Friedlander on cello. Zorn sits on the floor and conducts. It's always a pleasure. These are some of the best strings you can possibly hear.
I don't know if I can possibly say how blessed I am to see the unbelievable Electric Masada again. I love any of the projects that Zorn plays on. This is one of my favorite rock bands of all time. I didn't realize it's almost the same lineup as The Dreamers. Kenny is on drums instead of vibes. Jamie Saft is still on keys. Trevor Dunn holds down the electric bass. Ribot! So essential to this group. Kenny and Joey Baron and Cyro make it extra extra special. Ikue Morie on laptop. At one point during this, it was completely empty behind me and I could get up and rock out. Ahh! There was also an incredible part where Zorn conducted everyone and they could only play when he pointed at them. It was like a "baby cobra", if you will. It was unbelievable and thrilling.
Here's some press on the shows:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/montreal-jazz-festival-celebrates-saxman-john-zorn/article1626881/
Here's something on the Masada projects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada_%28band%29
Here's the listing for the 6pm show I missed:
Bar Kokhba
Jamie Saft Trio
Ben Goldberg Quartet
Mycale
Erik Friedlander Solo
Masada Sextet
Here's the show I saw at 9:30:
Mark Feldman and Sylvie Couvoissier Duo
The Dreamers
Uri Caine Solo
Masada String Trio
Electric Masada
The duo was as stellar as ever. They played for about 25 min. At first, I was completely mesmerized by Feldman. I started paying more attention to Sylvie during her solo time. They are so fantastic.
The Dreamers is so amazing. I forgot how much I love Kenny Wollesen. He's so great on vibes. The combo of Joey Baron on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion is always a huge treat. Jamie Saft is amazing on keyboards. I kept getting caught by him. I highly recommend seeing Ribot 3 nights in a row. He keeps getting better and better! Trevor Dunn on electric bass is awesome. The music is all so good. They played for about 30-40 minutes and left us wanting more!
Then we got a stellar solo performance by Uri Caine. I was surprised they gave each act a standing ovation except for this. It really deserved one. It was excellent.
The Masada String Trio is Greg Cohen on bass, Mark Feldman on violin and Erik Friedlander on cello. Zorn sits on the floor and conducts. It's always a pleasure. These are some of the best strings you can possibly hear.
I don't know if I can possibly say how blessed I am to see the unbelievable Electric Masada again. I love any of the projects that Zorn plays on. This is one of my favorite rock bands of all time. I didn't realize it's almost the same lineup as The Dreamers. Kenny is on drums instead of vibes. Jamie Saft is still on keys. Trevor Dunn holds down the electric bass. Ribot! So essential to this group. Kenny and Joey Baron and Cyro make it extra extra special. Ikue Morie on laptop. At one point during this, it was completely empty behind me and I could get up and rock out. Ahh! There was also an incredible part where Zorn conducted everyone and they could only play when he pointed at them. It was like a "baby cobra", if you will. It was unbelievable and thrilling.
Here's some press on the shows:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/montreal-jazz-festival-celebrates-saxman-john-zorn/article1626881/
Here's something on the Masada projects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada_%28band%29
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Los Cubanos Postizos @ Stuy Oval 6/30/10
This was just about an hour of phenemenal music. The lineup was a little different. Shazad Ismaily on bass, a percussionist from the previous band, Anthony Coleman on keyboards, Dafnis Prieto on drums and of course Marc Ribot. Now, Dafnis is a real Cuban and a damn good Cuban musician. Maybe that's why Ribot said they were thinking about changing the name to Los Postizos instead. Maybe not.
It was so much fun and awesome music. It was surprising how not many people were dancing until Ribot coaxed them up for the most danceable song of all. I found the whole thing easy to dance to and loved every minute. The sitters didn't bother me like they have in the past.
If you haven't had the opportunity yet and you love Latin music, go if you ever get another chance. This band is really great!
That was a nice way to send me off to Montreal. Ribot is going to be there and I hope to be able to get tickets. I couldn't buy them on-line because the ticket site kept saying I entered my phone # in the wrong format. I couldn't figure out what the format they would possibly accept was, so I have to wait. It might be a good thing anyway since some of those fees were pretty hefty. Wish me luck!
It was so much fun and awesome music. It was surprising how not many people were dancing until Ribot coaxed them up for the most danceable song of all. I found the whole thing easy to dance to and loved every minute. The sitters didn't bother me like they have in the past.
If you haven't had the opportunity yet and you love Latin music, go if you ever get another chance. This band is really great!
That was a nice way to send me off to Montreal. Ribot is going to be there and I hope to be able to get tickets. I couldn't buy them on-line because the ticket site kept saying I entered my phone # in the wrong format. I couldn't figure out what the format they would possibly accept was, so I have to wait. It might be a good thing anyway since some of those fees were pretty hefty. Wish me luck!
La Cumbiamba eNeYe @ Stuy Oval 6/30/10
In spite of being one of the closest venues to my home, this was my first time there. It was the perfect evening weather-wise. During this set, there were lots of kids with balloons, but they seemed well-behaved and happy to be around music. The set was awesome and was about 45-50 min long.
They did a couple of songs before inviting Marc Ribot up to play the rest of the set with them. The first song started with a flute solo. It's mainly percussion with 2 drummers playing flute at times. There is an electric bass and 3 vocalists. I was already very into it and having fun. I must say when Ribot played, it went to an even greater level.
While I love all things Ribot, my favorite is a larger stage setting like this. I also like him on a larger stage outside. I kept remembering when Ceramic Dog opened for MMW at Prospect Park a few years ago. I love this lineup. I would also love a show next year with Ceramic Dog and Caged Funk.
It was a great band and so much fun.
http://www.lacumbiambany.com/
They did a couple of songs before inviting Marc Ribot up to play the rest of the set with them. The first song started with a flute solo. It's mainly percussion with 2 drummers playing flute at times. There is an electric bass and 3 vocalists. I was already very into it and having fun. I must say when Ribot played, it went to an even greater level.
While I love all things Ribot, my favorite is a larger stage setting like this. I also like him on a larger stage outside. I kept remembering when Ceramic Dog opened for MMW at Prospect Park a few years ago. I love this lineup. I would also love a show next year with Ceramic Dog and Caged Funk.
It was a great band and so much fun.
http://www.lacumbiambany.com/
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