Justin V

I'm not familiar with Emmanuel Riggins, but Karriem is a wonderful drummer. My condolences to him and the rest of the Riggins family.

Happy 92nd Birthday to Phil Nimmons!

Brian Lynch is having a sale on his Hollistic MusicWorks site, with CDs 50% off and downloads very reasonably priced. I purchased: The Questioned Answer album features Emmet Cohen, Boris Kozlov and Billy Hart, while the download album of extra tracks has Lynch and Cohen performing as a duo. The Combinations: Live at the Jazz Estate album is a collaboration between Lynch and a group based in his hometown of Milwaukee. I'm excited to hear all of it.

The compilation of early Dave Brubeck Trio sides with Ron Crotty and Cal Tjader holds a special place in my heart, as I bought the album after hearing Brubeck live for the first and only time and having his music really click with me. Incidentally, Eugene Wright is still with us and turns 92 tomorrow. Thank you for the music, Mr. Crotty, and rest in peace.

I just picked up my first Belgrave-led session, Gemini, last week and have listened to it a few times already (the last time being last night). It's cool to hear him on discs by fellow Detroiters Geri Allen and Robert Hurst III. Besides a younger generation of nationally known Detroit musicians giving credit where credit was due, it exposed Belgrave's playing to a wider audience, which he deserved (and deserves). I'm sad to admit that I only saw him perform live when I walked past the stage at last year's Detroit Jazz Fest while on the way to the restroom, but I'm looking forward to checking more of his recordings. Thank you for the music, Mr. Belgrave, and rest in peace.

I'm glad that Felser started this thread, which reminded me that I needed to check out Dennis Gonzalez's music. I also remember Gonzalez's contributions to the JC forum back when I was first getting into jazz. I've ordered his Live in Washington, DC, 1989 CD with Frank Lowe, but I also have my eye on A Matter of Blood.

Besides his work mentioned elsewhere in his thread, I have to mention some of his other contributions. He did the arrangements for Herbie Hancock's The New Standard, an excellent album of pop covers, as well as the arrangements for the wonderful albums by The Classical Jazz Quartet, the super group that consisted of Stefon Harris, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash. He was such a multi-talented, gifted musician. Thank for everything, Mr. Belden, and rest in peace.

Thank you for contributions, Mr. Lundvall, and rest in peace.

Horrible news. I'm hoping for the best.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the ICP Orchestra's farewell tour, and the disbanding of the Standards Trio is another huge loss. If the unofficial Keith Jarrett site, keithjarrett.org, is correct (and it does seem to jibe with my regular checks of Jack DeJohnette's site), it appears that I caught the second-to-last Standards Trio performance in October in Chicago. It was my first time seeing the group live and it was a memorable concert; I was looking forward to hearing them again someday. Fortunately, the group has been extensively documented and will likely release more live albums, but I'm saddened by the news that they've disbanded.

Guus Janssen - Out of Frame Ernst Glerum/Uri Caine - Sentimental Mood ICP Orchestra - East of the Sun Tyshawn Sorey - Koan Tethered Moon - First Meeting

On Saturday, I saw the ICP Orchestra in Buffalo. One segment of the concert pretty much summed up the ICP live experience. It started out as a chamber-ish piece with trumpeter Thomas Heberer, bassist Ernst Glerum and violinist Mary Oliver. Heberer wandered around the audience and eventually sat down several rows back, playing all the while. While Heberer played among the audience, Wolter Wierbos let out a rip on his trombone and fell to the ground, and was soon followed by reedist Tobias Delius and cellist Tristan Honsinger. Han Bennink then asked, 'Now what?' The downed members were then exhorted to get up by the barking commands of Bennink and Glerum. Thus revived, Honsinger called out a series of random numbers before returning to his seat. The piece then morphed into a calypso-like swing tune using the whole orchestra, with pianist Guus Janssen reaching inside the piano to coax a guitar-like sound from it. The segment ended with Honsinger's vocals on his 'Restless in Pieces', which included absurdist lyrics about being part of a human-chicken pie. For me, the concert was a bittersweet experience, because the joy of seeing the orchestra was tempered by the knowledge that this would be the last time that I'd get to see them. The orchestra is such an iconic group of strongly individual musicians, the likes of which we won't see again. I can only hope that they play some reunion shows down the road and that the various members will continue to work together in other contexts. I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them with Misha Mengelberg, without a pianist and with Janssen, whose playing is deserving of a wider audience (the same could be said of the other orchestra members). I'll definitely continue to check out the orchestra's recordings and those of its members.

I was listening to First Meeting by Tethered Moon earlier and was enjoying Gary Peacock's playing. Happy Birthday, Mr. Peacock!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Jarrett!

On Saturday, I saw Maria Schneider with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, which opened up with a few tunes led by their director, Byron Stripling. The orchestra performed some old and new Schneider compositions. It was evident throughout the night how much respect and admiration the members of the orchestra had for Schneider. In a talk afterward, Stripling spoke of how inspired the band was by her music and how high her standards are as a leader. Other than Stripling, trumpeter Dwight Adams, who often appears with different groups at the Detroit Jazz Fest, saxophonist Pete Mills, who was Schneider's classmate at Eastman, flugelhornist Jim Powell, a veteran of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band, and the effervescent saxophonist Hal Melia were some of the featured soloists. Melia, who has to be one of the happiest guys to grace a bandstand, had a particularly lovely ballad feature that drew Schneider's praise and a long round of applause. Although Maria Schneider's music has been described as hard to play, and this must certainly true for an orchestra that was working with limited rehearsal time, it has a graceful, flowing quality that belies its complexity. Schneider confirmed that she had a dance and figure-skating background as a child, which comes across in the fluidity of her music and the way she conducts an orchestra. In between songs and during the talk afterward, she was charming, erudite and clear in explaining her approach to music. I almost didn't make the concert due to a family emergency, but I'm glad that I did. I came away with an even greater appreciation for Schneider as a composer and person, and I was very impressed with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, which rose to the occasion and did Schneider's music justice. --------------- Earlier tonight, I saw Steve Coleman and the Five Elements at a free show in Oberlin. I'd never seen any of the band in person, and I only found out about the show on Saturday or Sunday. It was at a student-run bar that was packed with an enthusiastic crowd. I listened to the group's Alternate Dimension Series, Vol. 1 earlier today; I was surprised to find that all of the group members other than guitarist Miles Okazaki were on that 2002 recording. Given the length of time that the group has worked together, it should come as no surprise how tight they are as a unit. They were locked in to some tricky, shifting grooves throughout the night. Although the grooves were relentless, there was still a flexibility and a looseness built into the band's execution that prevented the music from stagnating or seeming heavy-handed. Coleman and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson often played cowbell when they weren't playing their primary instruments, and the entire band chanted at one point behind a drum solo by Sean Rickman, who also beat-boxed at one point. In a shrewd form of marketing, Rickman wore a t-shirt bearing the url of his lesson site, which will surely be getting some hits from those in attendance. Coleman probably had a greater share of the solo space than any other individual member, but Finlayson and Ozazaki weren't far behind in what is a pretty democratic group sound-wise. Rickman was integral to the group's emphasis on rhythm, and he was a tireless force of nature behind the kit. I don't believe that bassist Anthony Tidd was featured as a soloist, but his assertive, rock-solid playing served as a bridge between Rickman's restless drums and the front-line work of the horns and guitar. The overall sound of the group was focused and trance-like. Although Coleman jokingly apologized at the beginning of the set for killing the nightclub vibe when he had the lighting adjusted to make the sheet music legible, the audience responded to what was accessible--and engagingly idiosyncratic--music. The set included three or four very short pieces as an encore (and Coleman's nod to Cinco de Mayo as he played 'The Mexican Hat Dance' while a student plugged Coleman's upcoming workshop). I ended picking up both Synovial Joints and Functional Arrhythmias after the set, and I'm looking forward to hearing both albums and more of Coleman's other recordings. As a side note, it was cool spotting the ever-dapper Gary Bartz, who is an Oberlin professor, in the audience after the show. I also saw him last year at a Ron Carter show. I like seeing a musician of Bartz's stature out supporting other musicians.

I saw Marilyn Crispell with local drummer Carmen Castaldi on the 24th. I was only familiar with Crispell through duo recordings with Joseph Jarman and Gary Peacock and some live Anthony Braxton recordings. I was very impressed with Crispell, whose playing was by turns abstract, forceful and melodic. Although I could hear her influences, she has a distinctive voice. Castaldi's understated drumming was both supportive and provocatively independent. It was a night of music that was challenging, yet inviting. I have her Trio on Tour (with Reggie Workman and Gerry Heingway) on order.

On the 18th, I caught Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea in Indiana. I'd never seen Herbie live before, and with their last tour being 37 years ago, I knew that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them together. We had front-row seats with a dead-on view of Herbie, with the piano and a monitor blocking some of our view of Chick. I could go on at length, but it was easily one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Their complementary styles served them well on two freely improvised duets (one acoustic and one mainly electric), 'Alone Together', a Miles tribute consisting of 'All Blues' and 'Someday My Prince Will Come' (the latter featuring the soaring vocals of Gayle Moran-Corea), 'Cantaloupe Island' and an encore of 'Spain', with an audience sing-along. The electric duo was unbelievable, with Herbie laying down this spooky, atmospheric and intense background that eventually gave way to this gonzo, alien-sounding riff with percussion from Chick, which Herbie then soloed over on electric keyboard and acoustic piano. It was fun, challenging and inventive, which made it emblematic of the whole show. After their encore, Herbie and Chick shook hands and thanked much of the first row, and my wife and I shook hands with Herbie. They both seemed genuinely appreciative of the audience throughout the night, which is always good to see. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to witness the warm interplay between two giants in top form; it was a special night. I can only hope that they release an album commemorating and/or documenting the tour, as their last tour produced two albums. I wish that I could have seen them in Chicago and/or Ann Arbor the two previous nights as well, because their free-wheeling collaboration has to make each a concert a unique experience..

Ralph Moore is definitely an excellent musician deserving of more recognition. The more I hear of him on recordings, the more that I think that he is one of the best saxophonists around. Here's hoping that he'll be on some more recordings and touring in my neck of the woods soon. Thanks for calling attention to his page.

I didn't see it mentioned elsewhere, but the great Herbie Hancock turned 75 on the 12th. Later that week, I was lucky enough to see Herbie and Chick Corea perform in Indiana, and I was blown away by the two master pianists inspiring each other and having so much fun. I've since been on a major Herbie kick, reading his excellent autobiography and purchasing and listening to several more of his albums. Here's wishing Herbie a happy belated birthday and many more. I'm looking forward to further exploring his discography.

I'll join in the chorus and say that I'd gladly welcome any Sam Rivers reissue.

Although I kind of feel like the last kid in the neighborhood to get a bike, I received my CD from the label yesterday and have listened to it three times. As always, it's so good to hear new Ornette. This is only the second new release from Ornette since I started listening to jazz in 2001 or 2002; like Sound Grammar, it's an album that lives up to the excitement generated by its release. I'll be listening to New Vocabulary often.

That sounds like it'll be a good time; I'd like to see Cooper-Moore in such an intimate setting if I could. Good luck!

Citing unnamed sources, you've posted rumors about ghostwriters, a musician's inability to play for 20 years (contrary to recorded evidence) and another musician's alleged murder conviction. By spreading such rumors, you are doing a disservice to the reputations of living musicians and the memory of those who have left us. I don't know whether it's motivated by simple gullibility, maliciousness or a desire to appear to be in the know. It's either reprehensible or pathetic, but it doesn't belong here and adds nothing of value to the community.

Once again, as you've done so many time before, you've posted something of which you have no direct knowledge. It's so tiresome to see you repeatedly post what you've heard from others without regard to its veracity. I'm not impressed by hearsay.

I saw him perform twice last year with guitarist Mike Magnelli, and Mundell Lowe still sounds great. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lowe!