kh1958

Well, I got to meet Mokoomba (a very friendly group of fellows) and had a long talk with their tour manager, but they did not actually perform, as the "promoter" did not advertise so that less than ten people showed up (and even with advertisement the audience base for African music in Dallas is pretty small), booked an inappropriate venue, and did not pay them (after they flew here from a California performance the day before). So I felt bad for them, even if frustrated at not hearing them play again (so near, yet so far).

Mokoomba, a fabulous band from Zimbabwe, is actually performing tonight 3.7 miles from my home.

Yes, a pianist, and a very fine one.

I saw him in Fort Worth in 1984, 1985 and 1987--a total of nine sets.

Triple and two tenths.

Manu Katche, The Scope (Anteprima) Tunde Jegede and Derek Gripper, Mali in Oak (GlobeMusic)

Last night, at the Kitchen Cafe, the Shelley Carrol Quartet. This place is perhaps the best listening room in town. Very clean and balanced sound. I hadn't heard Shelley in a couple of years. He and his band sounded fabulous. There again tonight.

Last night, at the Majestic Theater, Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective, with a backdrop of visual collages by artist Andrew F. Scott, and choreography by Rennie Harris, performed by the Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater Company. This was the premier performance, and they are doing it again tomorrow night in Austin.

April 25, 2019: James Carter Organ Trio, Django Festival All Stars, Jason Marsalis, Charlie Gabriel, Toronzo Cannon, Rev. John Wilkins, Sasha Masakowski, Michael Skinkus and Moyuba with Michael Ray, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Dr. Lonnie Smith with Donald Harrison Trio, Snug Harbor, New Orleans Mdou Moctar, Hotel Vegas, Austin David Amram, Duet, Tulsa Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana April 26, 2019: Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective, Kidd Jordan Family Band, Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti) Astral Project, Roger Lewis and Baritone Bliss, Louis Ford, Robert Cray, Chris Thomas King, Jose James, Diassing Kunda (Senegal), New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Shelley Carrol, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival Jess Sah Bi and Peter One, Marfa Myths Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast), Mdou Moctar (Niger), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana April 27, 2019: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Leroy Jones, Blodie's Jazz Jam, Tom McDermott and Evan Christopher, Lawrence Sieberth and Fareed Haque, Mr. Sipp, Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast); Diassing Kunda (Senegal), Gregory Porter, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Makaya McCraven, Marfa Myths Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti), Mdou Moctar (Niger), Boukman Exkperyans (Haiti), Girma Beyene & Akale Wube (Ethiopia), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana Herlin Riley and Friends, Snug Harbor, New Orleans April 28, 2019: Maurice Brown, Give the Drummer Some (Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Terence Higgins, and Johnny Vidacovich), Marsalis Family Band, Mdou Moctar (Niger), Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast); Cedric Burnside, Walter Wolfman Washington, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Rachella Parks, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival Annette Peacock, Nahdah El Shazly, Marfa Myths Girma Beyene & Akale Wube (Ethiopia), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana May 2, 2019: Nicholas Payton, Regina Carter, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2019: Trumpet Mafia, Kamasi Washington, Mathew Whitaker Quartet, Jamil Sharif, Jarekus Singleton, Cecile McLoren Salvant, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, Paramount Theater, Austin May 4, 2019: Jupiter and Okwess (Congo), Kenny Neal, Boukman Eksperyans (Haiti), Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez, Jeremy Davenport. Panorama Jazz Band, Troy "Guitar Burner" Turner, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2019: Jupiter and Okwess (Congo), Herbie Hancock, Buddy Guy, Little Freddie King, Boukman Eksperyans (Haiti); Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Lil Buck Sinegal, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 8, 2019: Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, Majestic Theater, Dallas May 18, 2019: Tejendra Majumdar (sarod), Austin May 22, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Wild Detectives, Dallas May 23, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, The North Door, Austin May 24, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Flight Gallery, San Antonio May 25, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Space HL, Houston May 31, 2019: Vieux Farka Toure, The 04 Center, Austin June 1, 2019: Vieux Farka Toure, The Heights Theater, Houston Russell Malone, Duet, Tulsa June 14, 2019: Kenny Neal, Charles Bender Performing Arts Center, Humble June 15, 2019: Godkihindi Family Recital (bansuri), Houston Kenny Neal, Antone's, Austin July 1, 2018: Orquesta Akokan, Antone's, Austin July 10, 2019: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Dosey Doe, The Woodlands July 13, 2019: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 20, 2019: Josh Feinberg (sitar), Houston July 23-24, 2019: Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward, The Townsend, Austin July 25, 2019: Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward, Guitar Sanctuary, McKinney August 15, 2019: James Brandon Lewis Trio, Beerland, Austin August 31, 2019: Charlie Musselwhite, Ally Venable, Bedford Blues Festival September 1, 2019: Nikki Hill, Robert Kimbrough, Bedford Blues Festival September 5, 2019: Nels Cline, Joe McPhee & Tom Rainey, The North Door, Austin September 12, 2019: Tinariwen, Paramount Theater, Austin September 14, 2019: Tinariwen, Canton Hall, Dallas September 21, 2019: Pratik Shrivastava (sarod), Jesse Bannister (saxophone), Subhen Chatterjee (tabla), Allen Public Libarary October 4, 2019: John Scofield, Wortham, Houston November 2, 2019: Dr. L Subramaniam, Austin Blue Note Records 80th Anniversary Celebration, Wortham, Houston November -, 2019: Sanskrati Wahane (Sitar), Prakrati Wahane (Santoor) and Mukta Raste (Tabla), Allen Public Library December 15, 2019: Mike Stern/Jeff Lorber Fustion, One World Theater, Austin January 25, 20120: Branford Marsalis, Wortham, Houston February 29, 2020: Vijay Iyer Sextet, Wortham, Houston March 21, 2020: Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Wortham, Houston April 17, 2020: Miquel Zenon, Wortham, Houston

In Austin on May 31 at the 04 Center, and in Houston at the Heights Theater on June 1 (the only 2019 U.S. dates currently listed on artist website) Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Ali Farka Touré came from a historical tribe of soldiers, and defied his parents in becoming a musician. When Vieux was in his teens, he declared that he also wanted to be a musician. His father disapproved due to the pressures he had experienced being a musician. Rather, he wanted Vieux to become a soldier. But with help from family friend the kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, Vieux eventually convinced his father to give him his blessing to become a musician shortly before Ali passed. Vieux was initially a drummer / calabash player at Mali’s Institut National des Arts, but secretly began playing guitar in 2001. Ali Farka Touré was weakened with cancer when Vieux announced that he was going to record an album. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with him, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux’s debut CD, were amongst his final ones. It has been said that the senior Touré played rough mixes of these songs when people visited him in his final days, at peace with, and proud of, his son’s talent as a musician. In 2005, Eric Herman (still Vieux’s manager today) of Modiba Productions expressed an interest in producing an album for Vieux; this led to Vieux’s self-titled debut album, released by World Village in 2007. Ali Farka Touré’s work to tackle the problem of malaria is continued as 10% of proceeds are donated to Modiba’s “Fight Malaria” campaign in Niafunké through which over 3000 mosquito nets have been delivered to children and pregnant women in the Timbuktu region of Mali. On this first album, Vieux pays homage to his father and follows Ali’s musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues. The album features Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father. One of the tracks, ‘Courage’, is on the soundtrack of the film The First Grader (2010). On his second record, Fondo on Six Degrees (2009), Vieux branched out and presented his own sound: while remaining true to the roots of his father’s music he uses elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences. The album received a great deal of critical acclaim from across the globe, and Vieux was clearly moving out of his father’s shadow. By June 2010, Vieux was performing at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That month Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE. His live performances are highly energized and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences from all audiences in spite of any language barriers (though Vieux does speak 8 languages). In 2011 Vieux released his 3rd studio album, The Secret, so named because the listener will hear the secret of the blues with a blend of generations from father to son. It was produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of the Soulive trio) and features South African-born vocalist Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar and jazz guitarist John Scofield. The title track is the last collaboration between Vieux and his late father. With the heralded release of The Secret, Vieux Farka Touré has clearly established himself as one of the world’s rare musical talents and guitar virtuosos with a distinct style that always pays homage to the past while looking towards the future. Vieux released The Tel Aviv Session (Cumbancha) in April 2012, a collaborative project with Israeli superstar Idan Raichel dubbed ‘The Touré-Raichel Collective’ that has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a masterpiece and one of the best collaborative albums in the history of international music, drawing comparisons to Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder’s legendary Talking Timbuktu album. In 2013, Vieux Farka Touré’s beautiful and critically acclaimed latest album Mon Pays was released as an homage to his homeland. Being that his native Mali had recently been splintered by territorial fighting between Tuareg and Islamic rebels since January 2012, Mon Pays was devoted to reminding the world about the beauty and culture of his native Mali. Translated as ‘My Country,’ this predominantly acoustic undertaking transformed into an artifact of cultural preservation. Two songs on the project -Future’ and ‘Peace’ feature Sidiki Diabate’s kora leading an emotional charge complemented by Touré’s spectacular guitar work. Both tracks represent an important generational “passing of the torch” as Sidiki’s father, Toumani is considered one of the greatest living kora masters and was a close friend of Vieux’s father Ali. Mon Pays has been widely hailed as the most mature and lovely record yet from one of this generation’s most exciting artists to come out of Mali and one of world music’s true rising stars. Vieux reunited with Idan Raichel in Paris to record, release and subsequently tour their 2nd collaborative album as The Touré-Raichel Collective in 2014. The result was yet another musical and critical triumph, titled 'The Paris Session' (Cumbancha) revered by many as not just a musical gem for the ages but a powerful testimonial to the power of art and fraternity to transcend vast cultural and political divides. In 2015, Vieux released another unexpected, genre-bending collaborative album, this time with New York-based singer Julia Easterlin, aptly titled 'Touristes'. The album shot to the top of the iTunes World chart and earned critical acclaim, including that of John Schaefer (NPR) who called it "brilliant." On April 7, 2017, Vieux released his latest album 'Samba', recorded live in front of a small audience at Applehead Studio in Woodstock, NY. The album is already being hailed by critics as Vieux's finest, most well-rounded and mature album to date. With each new project, Vieux expands his horizons, embraces new challenges and further entrenches his reputation as one of the world’s most talented and innovative musicians. Tinariwen Saturday Sep 14, 2019 Doors: 7:00 PM Show: 8:00 PM All Ages $36.75 - $45 Canton Hall 2727 Canton St, Next to Bomb Factory Dallas, TX

It's a good one.

CARAVAN: A REVOLUTION ON THE ROAD APRIL 9 | 2019 The Majestic Theatre | 7:30PM $29 Tickets - All Aisle Seats & Orchestra Floor Center $19 Tickets - Orchestra Floor Left and Right, Front Orchestra Floor Center TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE RENNIE HARRIS CHOREOGRAPHY RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT AMERICAN STREET DANCE THEATER COMPANY ANDREW F. SCOTT GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard, internationally renowned choreographer Rennie Harris and Dallas-based visual artist Andrew F. Scott team up for an interdisciplinary world-premiere performance that explores the ability of music and art to bring about racial healing. This one-night only performance will expand upon a theme that Terence Blanchard began exploring a few years ago: racial tension and injustice. With live music, dance and visual projections, sculpture and projection mapping - Caravan: A Revolution on the Road will examine these larger societal issues, while the individual nuances of the stories will reflect the life experiences of each artist and their thoughts and feelings about Black Lives in the 21st century. This performance is made possible by a grant from the TACA New Works Fund. “A trumpeter of expressive urgency and a composer of expansive vision.” – The New York Times ARTIST STATEMENT This collaboration brings together live musical performance by Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective, choreography and dance by Rennie Harris and his company and Andrew F. Scott’s visual projections, sculpture and projection mapping. This project expands upon the theme that Terence Blanchard began exploring a few years ago. Responding to real life events stemming from racial tension and injustice, Blanchard and the E-Collective recorded an album, Breathless, and performed across America, visiting cities most affected by racial conflict by police and against police, including Dallas. Feeling empowered by the strong emotional reaction from the audiences – many were moved to tears – and recognizing the healing impact of his music on people, Blanchard decided to continue the conversation and engage more artists. Terence Blanchard, Andrew Scott and Rennie Harris have teamed up to add a new dimension to the work Blanchard has done, to bring about a changing of hearts and souls. Blanchard’s fusion of jazz, R&B, blues, funk and soul synergistically interweaves with Harris’s approach to movement, which represents a kind of archaeology of the human spirit through vernacular African American dance styles. Scott’s conceptually-based visual projections and installations, which are rooted in African and African American art and culture, seamlessly integrates into the overall artistic narrative. The skeleton of the work examines these larger societal issues, while the individual nuances of the stories reflects the life experiences of each artist and their thoughts and feelings about Black Lives in the 21st century.

My copy included a booklet.

Peter Brotzmann in Texas... May 2019 USA Tour: Brötzmann/Leigh Peter Brötzmann-reeds; Heather Leigh-pedal steel guitar 20 May 2019 Pioneer Works, New York 22 May 2019 Wild Detectives, Dallas, Texas 23 May 2019 North Door, Austin, Texas 24 May 2019 Flight Gallery, San Antonio, Texas 25 May 2019 Space HL, Houston, Texas

The volume of live African music that is available in Texas and the adjoining state (Louisiana) over the next few months is rather surprising and unprecedented. I hope to see as much as possible. April 20: Mokoomba from Zimbabwe at some place called the Swayz Ballroom, a couple of miles from my house. WTF? April 25, 26, 27 and 28, : Mdou Moctar from Niger in Austin, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the International Music Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana. April 25, 26, 27 and 28: Dobet Gnahore from the Ivory Coast, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the International Music Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana April 26 and 27: Diassing Kunda from Senegal, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 26: Jess Sa Bi and Peter One of the Ivory Coast in Marfa April 27 and 28: Girma Beyene & Akale Wube from Ethiopia at the International Music Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana May 4 and 5: Jupiter and Okwess from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 31 and June 1: Vieux Farka Toure from Mali in Houston and Austin September 12 and 14: Tinariwen from Mali in Dallas and Houston

The Comet is Coming, Trust in the Life-force of the Deep Mystery (Impulse)

I saw that Ben Allison group twice at the Cornelia Street Café. A terrific group and she was just fine as the drummer.

Oscar Peterson Collates, volume 2 (Clef ten inch) Thelonious Monk, The High Priest (Prestige) Stu Williamson, Sapphire (Bethlehem ten inch)

Singer-songwriter, guitarist and percussionist, Aurelio Martinez aka AURELIO (born 1969), is one of Central America’s most gifted performers. Born in Honduras, the artist is known for his powerful and evocative voice. He is a major tradition-bearer of the Garifuna culture and music and he is considered nowadays as the Cultural Ambassador of the Garifuna nation. The Garinagu, commonly known as the Garifuna are people of Amerindian and West African descents who live along the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The original home of the Garifuna is St. Vincent (one of the windward islands in the West Indies) from which they were deported in 1796 by the British government and landed on Roatan island, situated in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Aurelio grew up in a small Caribbean village called Plaplaya, surrounded by a family of talented musicians. His father was a well-known local troubadour who improvised Paranda songs containing Garifuna roots rhythms and Latin sounds. Following the influence of his uncles and grandfather, he became a brilliant drummer in his early childhood. From his vocally gifted mother, he learned to sing and picked up many songs she crafted. Actually, Aurelio began performing at Garifuna ceremonies when just a boy, even at the most sacred events where children were usually not even allowed. At the age of 14, the young man became a respected musician with a firm grounding in Garifuna rhythms, rituals and songs. This is a ticketed event for the covered seating area. Free tickets are available (4 per person over age 16 while they last) at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the performance between the hours of 10:30 AM-1:00 PM. If tickets remain at 1:00 PM, the box office will re-open one hour before show time to distribute the remaining tickets. As always, open seating on the hill. The shows goes on rain or shine.

April 9, 2019: Terence Blanchard and Rennie Harris, Majestic Theater, Dallas April 11, 2019: Stanley Jordan, One World Theater, Austin Terence Blanchard and Rennie Harris, Bass Concert Hall, Austin Evan Christopher's Clarinet Road, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans April 12, 2019: Dave Douglas, Wortham, Houston Aurelio, Miller Outdoor Theater, Houston Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Leroy Jones, Little Freddie King, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Shelley Carrol Quartet, Kitchen Cafe, Dallas Cedric Burnside, Brazos Nights, Waco April 13, 2019: University of Texas Jazz Orchestra with Joe Lovano, Bates Recital Hall, Austin Carl LeBlanc, Ellis Marsalis, Leroy Jones Original Hurricane Brass Band, Walter Wolfman Washington, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Shelley Carrol Quartet, Kitchen Cafe, Dallas April 14, 2019: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Astral Project, Calvin Johnson Native Son, Jamil Sharif, Jason Marsalis 21st Century Trad Band, Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs, Tuba Skinny, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans April 18, 2019: Amina Claudine Myers, TBH Center, Houston April 19, 2019: Benny Green Trio, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas April 20, 2019: Mokoomba, Swayz Ballroom, Dallas April 25, 2019: James Carter Organ Trio, Django Festival All Stars, Jason Marsalis, Charlie Gabriel, Toronzo Cannon, Rev. John Wilkins, Sasha Masakowski, Michael Skinkus and Moyuba with Michael Ray, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Dr. Lonnie Smith, Snug Harbor, New Orleans Mdou Moctar, Hotel Vegas, Austin David Amram, Duet, Tulsa Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana April 26, 2019: Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective, Kidd Jordan Family Band, Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti) Astral Project, Roger Lewis and Baritone Bliss, Louis Ford, Robert Cray, Chris Thomas King, Jose James, Diassing Kunda (Senegal), New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Shelley Carrol, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival Jess Sah Bi and Peter One, Marfa Myths Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast), Mdou Moctar (Niger), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana April 27, 2019: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Leroy Jones, Blodie's Jazz Jam, Tom McDermott and Evan Christopher, Lawrence Sieberth and Fareed Haque, Mr. Sipp, Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast); Diassing Kunda (Senegal), Gregory Porter, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Makaya McCraven, Marfa Myths Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti), Mdou Moctar (Niger), Boukman Exkperyans (Haiti), Girma Beyene & Akale Wube (Ethiopia), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana April 28, 2019: Maurice Brown, Give the Drummer Some (Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Terence Higgins, and Johnny Vidacovich), Marsalis Family Band, Mdou Moctar (Niger), Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast); Cedric Burnside, Walter Wolfman Washington, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Rachella Parks, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival Annette Peacock, Nahdah El Shazly, Marfa Myths Girma Beyene & Akale Wube (Ethiopia), Festival International De Louisiane, Lafayette, Louisiana May 2, 2019: Nicholas Payton, Regina Carter, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2019: Trumpet Mafia, Kamasi Washington, Mathew Whitaker Quartet, Jamil Sharif, Jarekus Singleton, Cecile McLoren Salvant, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, Paramount Theater, Austin May 4, 2019: Jupiter and Okwess (Congo), Kenny Neal, Boukman Eksperyans (Haiti), Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez, Jeremy Davenport. Panorama Jazz Band, Troy "Guitar Burner" Turner, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2019: Jupiter and Okwess (Congo), Herbie Hancock, Buddy Guy, Little Freddie King, Boukman Eksperyans (Haiti); Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Lil Buck Sinegal, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 8, 2019: Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, Majestic Theater, Dallas May 18, 2019: Tejendra Majumdar (sarod), Austin May 22, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Wild Detectives, Dallas May 23, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, The North Door, Austin May 24, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Flight Gallery, San Antonio May 25, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, Space HL, Houston May 31, 2019: Vieux Farka Toure, The 04 Center, Austin June 1, 2019: Vieux Farka Toure, The Heights Theater, Houston June 14, 2019: Kenny Neal, Charles Bender Performing Arts Center, Humble June 15, 2019: Godkihindi Family Recital (bansuri), Houston Kenny Neal, Antone's, Austin July 1, 2018: Orquesta Akokan, Antone's, Austin July 10, 2019: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Dosey Doe, The Woodlands July 13, 2019: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 20, 2019: Josh Feinberg (sitar), Houston July 23-24, 2019: Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward, The Townsend, Austin July 25, 2019: Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward, Guitar Sanctuary, McKinney August 15, 2019: James Brandon Lewis Trio, Beerland, Austin August 31, 2019: Charlie Musselwhite, Bedford Blues Festival September 1, 2019: Nikki Hill, Bedford Blues Festival September 5, 2019: Nels Cline, Joe McPhee & Tom Rainey, The North Door, Austin September 12, 2019: Tinariwen, Paramount Theater, Austin September 14, 2019: Tinariwen, Canton Hall, Dallas September 21, 2019: Pratik Shrivastava (sarod), Jesse Bannister (saxophone), Subhen Chatterjee (tabla), Allen Public Libarary November 2, 2019: Dr. L Subramaniam, Austin November -, 2019: Sitar & Santoor Duet: Sanskrati Wahane (Sitar), Prakrati Wahane (Santoor) and Mukta Raste (Tabla), Allen Public Library

Big Ears certainly wins in the avant garde side of jazz (though Kidd Jordan can put up a pretty good fight). I would note that Big Ears substantially increased the jazz content last year and carried that over to the current year. It's not a given this will continue.

I actually like NOJHF the best. I rarely go to the big outdoor stages, mostly sticking to the seated/tented jazz and blues stages. What I like is the juxtaposition of different genres of music that I listen to (jazz, blues, African, other World music) and the combination of the high level of local talent with national/international talent. (This year there are 688 musical acts booked; 600 of them are from Louisiana.) Where else can I listen to a set of Mississippi Hill Country blues by Cedric Burnside, then take a short walk and see Lee Konitz (which happened a couple of years ago)? And whereas I used to think traditional New Orleans jazz was not worth bothering with after the early 1960s, I now know that is completely wrong. And the food is great.

I'm definitely addicted to music festivals--I went to five last year. All had their own distinct charms and drawbacks. Next up, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (for the seventh time, the sixth year in a row).

Dates of 2020 Winter Jazzfest: January 9-18

Perhaps you should be. They were obscenely loud at the Standard.