Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite @ Riviera Theatre, Chicago 3/3/13

I had a business trip to Chicago.  I hadn't been there in about 13 years or so.  I contacted some friends, vetted out the music options in their city, and they chose this.  It was a good show and a lot of fun.  I now realize I was getting Charlie Musselwhite mixed up with someone else. 

I like the Riv.  The floor is all standing.  We had a good spot in front of the stage not too close, but close enough.  It was easy to stash my coat over a railing and leave it.  Ben and Charlie did a lot of sitting, but they stood at times.  The other 3 stood the whole time. 

It was a fun, good show.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-04/entertainment/ct-ent-0305-harper-musselwhite-review-20130305_1_charlie-musselwhite-blues-ben-harper

Bill Evans' Soulgrass @ Blue Note 3/2/13

I kept wondering when I was going and I almost let it slip away without making it.  I'm glad I went - it was awesome.  So much energy and such great musicians.  I was so impressed.  While I don't need singing I didn't mind it.  Josh is a great drummer, too.  I haven't seen Mitch Stein in a while.  They were all so phenomenal and play so well together.  Bill mentioned how awesome it is to play with Medeski, how he's always playing it different every time.

It turns out it was the same lineup for the last night, no ABB personnel.  It sounds like it was just as good a show as I got, though.

Bill Evans, sax
John Medeski, organ and keyboards
Ryan Cavanaugh, banjo
Mitch Stein, guitar
Etienne Mbappe, bass
Josh Dion, drums/vocals

Omaha Diner @ The Cutting Room 3/1/13

I can't remember if this is the same space as the old Cutting Room.  There are some familiarities, but it's also different.  The old place had the performance space in a separate room.  There were many tables and chairs, but I could usually find some kind of standing space.  Now, it's still like that room with the tables, but there are no walls between that and the rest of the space.  That means there's plenty of room to stand, but standers are actually in a different room from the sitters, who are closer to the stage.  The standing and bar area is big and it's a recipe for talkers.  I had a good spot just outside the main room, standing in the center.  I could ignore the talkers for the most part, but it is a shame.  The drink prices are hefty.  All in all, it's not a place I'm thrilled to go to, but I will if I have to.  I'll go to the must see shows like this one.

I could see any of the 4 of them play any music whatsoever.  This project is about playing songs that were #1 on the charts.  Songs that made it to #1 that these great musicians selected to play.  Now, it was obvious they were also making a statement "really?  THIS song, really?"  However, I must admit, I always liked "Miss You" that they opened with.  Now, it doesn't matter what they play, they do it phenomenally.  It was stellar. 

Here's a setlist that was posted on the Cutting Room site
Jake Watson · Tufts

Set list, as near as I could tell:
Stones, Miss You ->
Adele, Rolling In The Deep
Love Train, O'Jays
16 Tons, Tennessee Ernie Ford
Van Halen, Jump
One Bad Apple, The Osmonds
(Modern love?)
Moves Like Jagger, Maroon 5
I Can't Go For That
?
Beyonce, Single Ladies

OMAHA DINER
Steven Bernstein - trumpets
Charlie Hunter - seven-string electric guitar
Bobby Previte - drums
Skerik - tenor saxophone
Sitting in a diner in Omaha, Nebraska in 1954, Todd Storz noticed that a teen-age
waitress selected the same song on the jukebox over and over. At that moment, Top 40
radio was born, joining the TV dinner, the Reuben sandwich, the bobby pin, the ski lift,
and (some claim) fuzzy dice on the list of famous and infamous inventions from the city
that sits atop the Strategic Air Command.
Now comes the latest invention, OMAHA DINER - four storied musicians attempting to
re-define a format that forever perverted the way we experience music. You may love
Top 40 (doubtful), you may hate it (probable), you may not care about it at all (liar), but
you cannot escape it.
Top 40 as you've never heard it before - OMAHA DINER.
*** OMAHA DINER's Ironclad Guarantee: all songs have touched, however briefly, #1
on the Top 40 pop chart.

Burnt Sugar @ The Stone 2/28/13

I enjoyed seeing them in the intimate setting of The Stone.  I really love this band.  They use Butch Morris' conduction techniques.  This ensemble led by Greg Tate has a lot of soul.  It's quite unique and awesome. 


Burnt Sugar Cinefhonic Strike Force Presents Music Inspired by Oscar Micheaux’ 1925 film Body & Soul Starring Paul Robeson Carl Hancock Rux, Abby Dobson (voice) Latasha Nevada Diggs (voice, electronics) Luqman Brown (voice, electronics, trombone) Andre Lassalle (guitar) Micah Gaugh (alto sax) Avram Fefer (flute, bass clarinet) Gregory IRONMAN Tate (conduction) “Body and Soul”, directed by the legendary African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, is a direct critique of the power of the cloth, casting Robeson in dual roles as a jackleg preacher and a well-meaning inventor. Burnt Sugar's Cinethonic Strike Force will present a Conduction of the score they developed for the projects screening-and-live-scoring Paris debut at the Sons d' Hiver Music Festival, February 3, 2013.

Heads Up: Bill Evans + Special Special Guests Tomorrow!

I was at the Bill Evans show at Blue note tonight.  He mentioned that tomorrow, Sunday 3/3, The Allman Brothers are in town and have an off night.  While there's no guarantees what that could mean, I would venture to guess that there could be some extra special guest(s) at Bill's show tomorrow night.  I can't go because I'm leaving town, but if I were around, this is where I would be.  Especially since it's awesome even without these types of special guests.

Fishbone @ Brooklyn Bowl 2/24/13

I never saw them before and I had to stay for a bit and check them out.  Their fans really liked Mike Dillon Band, so that was a good sign.  It was a riot for me to see crowd surfing, I think I only saw it live once or twice before. 

I love that they have intense horns.  I didn't need all the singing and talking.  It was still a lot of fun and good and I'm glad I stayed for a portion.  If it wasn't Sun night, I could have stayed longer.

http://www.relix.com/blogs/exposed/2013/02/26/fishbone-and-mike-dillon-band-at-brooklyn-bowl-a-gallery

Mike Dillon Band @ Brooklyn Bowl 2/24/13

This band is awesome!  So much energy and superb music.  It was probably my favorite show of the month.  I got a CD.  I like it!  I could do without the singing on the CD but I'm fine with it live.  Also, Carly definitely brings the live intensity up with her dancing.  And, the band is already pretty intense without her - she just brings it up several notches.  Still, the CD is well worth the $10 and had some intense energy itself.  I love Mark Sutherland and he's awesome on the CD.

Dave Dreiwitz was an additional special guest bass player.  They also had the trombone from Fishbone sit in.  It was awesome.

Mike Dillon (Vibraphone, Percussion, Lead Vocals)
Carly Meyers (Trombone, Moog Taurus Pedals)
Adam Gertner (Drums)
Cliff Hines (Guitar, Bass and Keys)

http://www.relix.com/blogs/exposed/2013/02/26/fishbone-and-mike-dillon-band-at-brooklyn-bowl-a-gallery