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Evan Parker @ Stone NYC


Steve Reynolds

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opportunity of a lifetime to see one of the grand masters with some great partners:

starting 10/1

full calendar @ http://www.thestonenyc.com

my shows will be with the great Mark Dresser & the powerhouse drummer Gerry Hemingway with Herb Robertson added for the 2nd set on 10/4

with Susie Ibarra and then with Cyro Baptista on 10/9

then with Bill Laswell and 2nd set with the dynamic Chris Corsano dueting with Evan for the 2nd set on 10/13

might be there for duets with the legendary Milford Graves and 2nd set with the master improvisor/inventor/trombonist George Lewis on 10/3

another great night is 2 sets with Dave Holland on 10/14

a nice present for us and him for his 65th birthday year

seeing the great saxophonist back around 1999 @ The Knit changed the way I heard the tenor saxophone - and as far as his soprano playing - that is a whole different universe....

Natives & Aliens, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

fired up that Evan is here

seeing Bobby Bradford with Ehrlich, Murray, Dresser & Cyrille tonight

and then tomorrow with Hemingway, Dresser & Herb Robertson for the 2nd set

seeing Susie Ibarra & Evan on the 9th

trying to see Evan with Cyro Baptista & Chris Corsano on the 13th

would love to see Dave Holland with Evan on the 14th - nothing that Mat Maneri is added with a cellist for the 1st set on the 14th

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well well....

just arrived back home

First set was the trio

Evan arrived with only the big horn we were right up front in the 2nd row - with my friends William & Travis - and Pete Cherches & Don to my left.

I was ready to go about 7 this morning - and I was concerned about my high expectations - I don't like to be disappointed. They played about 38 - 40 minutes to start - with the first 10 minutes or so felling their way around each other. This portion ended with a longish softer portion that a bit anti-climatic - before that the band hit heights that are not possible for normal musicians - with Evan incorporating much circular breathing into his improvisations. Wonderful stuff - thinking that this is what I came here to hear.

Then they played more - almost a blues vamp somewhat reminiscent of Jimmy Lyons playing over Ronald Shannon Jackson & Sirone in Cecil's 1978 Unit. Pinching myself to see if I was dreaming Evan hitting phrases that come from somewhere else - seemingly inhuman - maybe beyond his normal almost routine brilliance and Dresser and Hemingway are married so to speak - so it was becoming increasingly hot and intense for those next 10 - 12 minutes until they finished in what seemed like a untoppable peak.

They then decided to pay a short piece - which for about 4-5 minutes they played the most intense short powerhouse Hemingway driven onslaught I thought was ever possible - and I was screaming just a little bit more on the inside than the outside - I stood up before that but I could barely leave my seat after that display closed the trio's set.

lordy lordy

We quickly got on line outside and when we entered the space one more time this time we moved to the side seats where we would be about 5 feet from Evan and his tenor facing Dresser with Herb Robertson on the right.

First 10 - 12 minutes was softer and more intense than any of the softer passages during the trios' set with the master trumpeter adding everything to the band - Hemingway for quite some time played a little bowed thing - and it was pure genius - then Herb picked up the valve trombone and the band proceeded to smoke out the fucking world for about 10 more minutes - like nothing I have ever heard - mind fuckingly awesome - some more softer stuff - lots of gorgeous Dresser playing with Evan stopping to hear - and taking his time building to a strong climax - they stopped about 25 minutes in. They started the second piece almost in the blues vein again - but with a different vibe with Hemingway playing at what seemed to be a higher level bringing all kind so different sound and rhythms to the music - my best friend Willie is gone in his head knowing now that Gerry Hemingway is the greatest drummer he has ever heard - seeing him for the second time this year - and all 3 of us knowing we are hearing something beyond music - and then...

and Travis plays bass and he wants to play free jazz - He has never heard a bassist like Dresser - I think he might have bought a Dresser solo record - this is young guy who came this music in the last year......

and then......

it got intense - louder, more intense that even the end of the first - Hemingway destroys the world, Evan is 40 years old - at the peak of his powers - and dreams came true - far surpassed my very high expectations

save for possibly the last Brotzmann Tentet show with Drake maybe in 2000 or 2002, the best musical experience of my life.

I shook their hands - thanked Evan Parker for being here and telling him he is my favorite musician in the world and I look forward to seeing him on Friday...

and I didn't see Gary Giddens at the show.....

maybe someone will clue him in one day as this was the free jazz night for his stay - and maybe the other nights with the drummers will bring out this fire as well - but this was jazz - not my father's jazz, maybe they have been playing this stuff for 30 years - but this is timeless stuff that is still original and gone into the air.....

Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

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saw parker in a duo with ned rothenberg about a 10 days ago in amherst, ma. first time seeing parker. was never overly impressed with his recorded music. making me go back and listen to his cds that I kept.

Think the best way to experience Parker is live , although i remember a recorded duo he did with Stan Tracey that someone put in the blindfold test that was quite tasty

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it got intense - louder, more intense that even the end of the first - Hemingway destroys the world, Evan is 40 years old - at the peak of his powers - and dreams came true - far surpassed my very high expectations

Evan Parker is 65. He was born in 1944.

.

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I just got back from an evening at the Stone: two excellent sets by Evan Parker (soprano and tenor saxes), Alexander Waterman (cello) & Mat Maneri (viola)!

Now that I've had a nights sleep, I might add that I 'm quite blown away by Mat's playing. I've heard him before, but never this much, at once.

Alexander Waterman, I've never heard before...the name sounds familiar.

It's always exciting to hear Evan play, particularly on soprano.

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I need to hear Mat Maneri again one of these days

many time when seeing him with his late dad, the *great* Joe Maneri, he would play some of the most amazing stuff

glad you enjoyed the music

wish I cold catch the final night tomorrow - but the memories from the 2 nights I caught will be with me for a long time

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"I know he is - my point is he is 40 in his physical abilities and 65 in experience. "

hmmm...I know I am over-sensitive but I find this age-ist.

How so? It seems to me to be saying he's got the best of both ages - the vigor of a (slightly) younger man and the wisdom of the older. No negativism implied or stated, IMO.

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