Kimock/Worrll/Ingram/Hess @ City Winery 8/10/13

Sure, if i were able to deal with a huge crowd I would be at Brooklyn Bowl that night for Mike Dillon Band and then Galactic, but this was a good and fun runner up.  Bernie Worrell and Andy Hess especially drew me in and I ended up enjoying all of them.  Steve did spend a lot of time talking in between each piece, but probably because he had to tune up whatever he was playing each time.  He did a lot of switching around. I liked when he played the pedal steel guitar.  It was also awesome I wasn't the only dancer.  Is NYC getting good again?  All of us dancers around the place weren't in anyone's way and having fun.  I did get cold after a while and decided to sit at the bar, but it was still fun.


http://www.citywinery.com/newyork/steve-kimock-featuring-bernie-worrell-wally-ingram-andy-hess-8-10.html
Steve Kimock featuring Bernie Worrell, Wally Ingram, Andy Hess, and more! - 8/10
Kimock’s ability to articulate tone, melody and emotion into music combined with technical brilliance has earned Kimock the title “Guitar Monk”( Relix Magazine) for his commitment to guitar, and his ability to make it speak with its own original voice.
His variegated brand of guitar, alternately subdued and vibrant, defies easy categorization. At times prog rock/jazz-inflected and at others gypsy-straightaway, his crystal clear tone has been captivating audiences for more than thirty years.
Kimock co-founded the Jazz/Rock fusion band Zero in the 80’s, KVHW in the 90’s and now tours under his own name. He is widely embraced by fans as one who carries the free-form torch of improvisation, through an extensive catalog of original material in his own bands, as well as through live performances with so many esteemed musicians. Kimock has performed alongside the likes of Bruce Hornsby (and can be heard on two of Hornsby’s releases), John Cipollina Jerry Garcia and all members of the Grateful Dead, as well as Peter Frampton, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, Buddy Miles, Buddy Cage, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Bobby Vega, Martin Fierro , Joe Satriani, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, Elvin Bishop, George Porter Jr., Steve Winwood, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Grace Slick, Papa John Creach, Norton Buffalo, Amos Garrett, Warren Haynes, Hadi Al Sadoon, Stephen Perkins, Nicky Hopkins, Freddie Roulette, and many more.
A relentless innovator as well as player, Kimock's focus leads to guitar & amp craftsmanship. Over the past few years, he collaborated on a series of highly collected custom Two-Rock “Kimock Amplifiers” as well as a coveted ergonomic Scott Walker brand guitar - built in stereo.
His passion and devotion to performing live improvisation is matchless, and his unparalleled ability to embrace and capture a theater musically is the stuff of legends.

No BS! Brass Band @ Damrosch Park Bandshell 8/8/13

We were told at the beginning of the Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 that No BS! Brass Band wasn't able to make it to the earlier show they were scheduled for due to travel problems.  I believe that's when it was raining as well, so who knows how many made it.  It was nice that they were around and played in the VIP tent, which is outside and right next to the stage.  It was a good idea to have a brass band play for a little while they get the stage ready for the dancers and orchestra.  They had about 3 or 4 trombones, 4 trumpets and a tuba.  It's hard to say much in a couple of songs with no mics in a large space.  It was fun to get a little more dancing in and I was impressed that the guy had a tuba instead of a sousaphone.  I've seen too many amazing brass bands from New Orleans, I have incredibly high standards.

http://www.lcoutofdoors.org/no-bs?show_date=2013-08-08%2018:30:00
The go-to horn players for bands from Bon Iver to The Wailers, Richmond, Virginia’s No BS! Brass Band firmly believes that jazz is for dancing and that pop songs sound best on brass. No BS! pays tribute to greats like Mingus and Michael Jackson, and tackles prog-rock favorites like Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and ear candy like a-ha’s “Take On Me” with “sternum-rattling...hot, irrepressible blast[s] of brass and canyon-like grooves” (Spin).

Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 @ Damrosch Park Bandshell 8/8/13

This was phenomenal.  We found out at the end that it's actually a new band that intends to record.  Yippee!  It's basically pieces of 2 of my favorite bands merging into one.  Millennial Territory Orchestra or MTO meets Henry Butler and whoever he wants to add.  The 9 included Matt Munisteri on guitar, Brad Cole on bass, Doug Weiselman on clarinet and saxes, Erik Lawrence on saxes, Peter Apfelbaum on saxes, Charlie Burnham on violin who I am all very familiar with and want to see every time they play anything.  Then there was a great drummer Herlin Riley from New Orleans who I didn't know before but he fit right in.  I don't know who the trombone player is.  The entire show was great.  It was also awesome that there were a decent amount of dancers and no one was giving us a hard time for it.  It was slightly dripping and the seats were all wet from earlier rain, but the majority of the crowd found ways to sit.  However, there was no problem to them this time if others got up and danced.  There were also some really fun dancers on the side that were fun to watch get down at times.  Excellent show!

http://www.lcoutofdoors.org/dance-heginbotham?show_date=2013-08-08%2019:30:00
A premier exponent of New Orleans piano, the adventurous virtuoso Henry Butler teams up with crack arranger Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Millennial Territory Orchestra) to dive into the roots of jazz. Butler’s elegant vocals and driving improvisations and Bernstein’s inventive trumpet power a fresh, forward-looking sound. With master drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Brad Jones, and members of the MTO, the newly formed The Hot 9 reframes the deep regional pedigree of classics by Bessie Smith and Fats Waller alongside Butler’s gleefully exploratory originals.

I did see Henry play with MTO at Jazz Standard a couple of times last year.  I'm so glad they are forming their own band and recording something:
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/mto-w-henry-butler-jazz-standard-82612.html
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/mto-w-henry-butler-jazz-standard-82312.html

I did a search on my blog for Steven Bernstein and there's quite a few posts on him:
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Steven+Bernstein

Henry isn't too shabby on the blog either:
http://terrismusicblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Henry+Butler
 

Ellery Eskelin Trio @ Cornelia St Cafe 7/26/13

I had a great time first having dinner upstairs and then going down to have the great music.  I didn't know the drummer before but he was fun.  I like how Ellery is so versatile and keeps it all so fresh.  We all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the music. 


9:00PM & 10:30PM   ELLERY ESKELIN - TRIO NEW YORK CD RELEASE - Ellery
Eskelin, tenor sax; Gary Versace, organ; Jochen Rueckert- drums - $20
cover includes a drink -
home.earthlink.net/~eskelin/Site/Ellery%20Eskelin.html

Henry Butler @ Joe's Pub 7/21/13

This was an awesome solo show.  We sat right behind him at the front of the stage and could see all of his moves.  He really went around the repotoire.  He started with some spiritual and then went to Jelly Roll and then WC Handy and lots of other phenomenal stuff.  Every single thing he did was stellar.  It was so much fun.

The M & Ms: Medeski, Mali, Mercurio, Moore @ LPR 5/23/13

I had high expectations for this show.  A new amalgamation of people I love, and I loved who was in it.  I did end up having a great time and it was a good show.  However, it was also quite lacking in what it could have been.   It's all about the expectation.  It was free for me because I'm a member.  I didn't even have to wait in the long line to get in. 

It was listed as doors at 10, show at 10:30, but ended up having delays getting people in. I was in early, and at some point there as a 13 yo kid on stage impromptu opening for us.  I was a little bored and conserved my energy by sitting over in one of those big cushy chairs by the photo-booth bathroom area with some friends.

I enjoyed the band when they came on.  Anything Medeski touches is worthwhile.  He was doing it for me as always.  The music in general was nice and worth coming out.  Then, toward the end of the 2nd set, the 13 yo kid came out and it got great.  It brought intense Stanton out,  and it really went somewhere.  I wanted that kid to stay the rest of the show and give us something to reminisce about.  The kid was much better then.  I think part of it was Papa Mali was lacking.  I've seen that guy in so many guises and he's unbelievably talented and oozes with soul. But, that night and when I recently saw him in NOLA, things were lacking.  I presume he's just having a little dip and I send him good vibes for the return of that mojo that I know still exists in him.  I will say people were calling that kid the next Derek Trucks.  I would say he was quite good at that sit in, but Derek Trucks is a whole other thing.  We were just really happy to get that show.

After that, they were finishing up the 1st set.  The music was still good, I just realized it was time for me to go home, happy to have attended.



Equifunk & Nolafunk Present
The M & Ms:
Medeski, Mali, Mercurio, Moore

M&Ms melt in your mind, not in your hands.

John Medeski  (Medeski Martin & Wood)
Papa Mali  (7 Walkers)
Rob Mercurio   (Galactic)
Stanton Moore

Stephane Wrembel @ Barbes 5/19/13

Sephane Wrembel is awesome.  He plays in the style of Django Reinhardt.  He's very talented.  His band evolves over time.  It's always good.  I liked his intense drummer last night. 

He plays at Barbes almost every Sun night, 2 sets.  It's only $10 and a wonderful tiny space.  It's very easy to get to on the F Train.  I highly recommend you see him anywhere he plays.

It looks like these Barbes gigs aren't on his website.  You can find them on Barbes' website.  Actually, you can go to any set at Barbes and see anything and get a great World music show.