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APR20 Mokoomba at Swayz Ballroom Sat 8 PM · Swayz Ballroom Dallas, TX Zimbabwe's hardest working band returns to North America for a whirlwind bi-coastal tour of Canada and the U.S. in April. This will be the last and only chance to see Mokoomba in North America in 2019. Catch them preview new songs from their much-anticipated fourth album before they disappear into the studio later this year. Hailing from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Mokoomba is one of Africa’s most exciting live bands, dazzling audiences worldwide with three albums and knockout live shows propelled by a potent blend of traditional Tonga and Luvale rhythms laced with funk, soul, soukous and other pan-African sounds The Guardian's Robin Denslow called Mokoomba "the best young band in Zimbabwe", while Afropop World Wide's Banning Eyre has hailed them as "quite simply the most impressive band Zimbabwe has produced in recent memory". Jon Pareles of the New York Times called lead singer Mathias Muzaza's astonishing vocal range "riveting" and "griot-strength". Since their breakthrough in 2008, winning the Music Crossroads Inter-Regional Festival, Mokoomba’s music has taken them on a worldwide journey. They’ve shared stages Hugh Masekela, Baba Maal, and the Talking Head’s Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz. They’ve rocked festivals from Roskilde to NOLA's Jazz and Heritage Festival and Womad UK. They've played iconic rooms from the Apollo Theater and The Kennedy Center, to London’s 100 Club and Amsterdam’s Melkweg. In 2018 they made their SXSW debut in Austin, TX and rocked Lollapalooza Berlin. Mokoomba was nominated for a 2018 Songlines Award for "Best Group" — their second nomination from the prestigious UK magazine, after winning "Best Newcomer Award" in 2013. The group was also inducted into the Afropop Hall of Fame by the Peabody Award-winning public radio program Afropop Worldwide, taking their place alongside such greats as King Sunny Ade, Youssou N’Dour, Angelique Kidjo, and Thomas Mapfumo.

Uncle Nephew, Blues (ropeadope)

A bounty of live music at the Big Ears Festival: Thursday: Peter Gregson: Bach cello suites. Derek Gripper: South African acoustic guitarist. Superb. West African kora music played on guitar. Artifacts Trio: Very fine group, with Nicole Mitchell on flute, Tameka Reid on cello and Mike Reed on drums (really liked the drummer). Friday: Larry Grenadier: Solo bass. Okay but didn't inspire me. Shai Maestro Trio: Better. A dynamic piano trio performance. Ralph Towner: Solo guitar performance. Fantastic. David Torn: Solo electric guitar performance, with lots of electronics. I enjoyed the set. Torn looks like a mad scientist with his wild, long, silver shock of hair. Attempted to listen to a set by Fire! but they were way too loud for me so I had to flee. Clear Light Ensemble (only Tim Berne is familiar to me) accompanies the film, Carnival of Souls. The cheapo horror cult film is reborn as a silent film with masterful (and quite terrifying) musical accompaniment. Visually the film is quite effective without the creaky dialogue. The combination was actually terrifying. Saturday: Columbia Icefield (Nate Wooley, Mary Halvorson, Susan Alcorn). Okay but didn't really grab me. This is the third time I've seen Mary Halvorson live and every time she spent the entire concert reading her parts. Wadada Leo Smith (solo), Reflections and Meditations on Monk: Beautiful and profound set. Amirtha Kildambi's Elder Ones: Another fantastic set; an intense combination of Indian classical music and jazz. Tim Berne's Snakeoil DeJohnette Coltrane Garrison: The third time I've seen this group and the best performance yet. Jack DeJohnette was incredible. Terrific. Bill Frisell and the Mesmerists accompany films of Bill Morrison: I was going to see Makaya McCraven and then Sons of Kemet, but I find the venue assigned to them to be wretched and opted for the comfort of the wonderful Bijou Theater. It proved to be a good choice. I'm not a big Bill Frisell fan, but this was some of the best music I've heard from him. Sunday: Only time for one concert before heading to airport, but it was quite good, Craig Taborn and Vijay Iyer on a dual piano set.

That set was outstanding.

Mingus, Gillespie, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Blakey, Horace Silver, Rollins, Gerry Mulligan.

Lennie Niehaus Octet, volume 2 (Contemporary ten inch)

Marfa Myths Festival, April 25-28, 2019. https://marfamyths.com/#lineup-0

Wes Montgomery, Portrait of Wes (Riverside) Ronald Shannon Jackson, Texas (Caravan of Dreams)

Max Roach Double Quartet, Easy Winners (Soul Note)

Walter "Foots" Thomas All Stars (Prestige) Billie Holiday, The Unforgettable Lady Day (Verve) Max Roach, Chattahoochie Red (Columbia)

Issa Bagayogo, Mali Koura (Six Degrees)

NAMELESS SOUND PRESENTS AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS Thursday, April 18, 2019 8PM at TBH Center 333 South Jensen Dr. Amina Claudine Myers (New York, NY) - Hammond B3 organ and voice General seating. Pay what you can/pay what you will. Everyone under 18 gets in for free. The first-wave artists comprising the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) encompassed a breadth of what would later become the organization's motto: "Great Black Music, From the Ancient to the Future". The groundbreaking initiative of self-determining musicians was born in 1960's Chicago, and its early members constituted a vital nexus of musically and geographically diverse histories and futures. Among these first-wave artists, none expresses their deep roots in Southern African American traditions quite like the virtuosic, versatile and emotionally moving pianist, organist, vocalist and composer Amina Claudine Myers. Born in a small Arkansas town of about 250 and raised in Arkansas and Texas, Myers was only four years old when she began playing the piano. While a teenager, the young prodigy was directing choirs and playing organ in her Dallas area church, while also beginning her studies of European classical piano repertoire. Already an experienced professional when she started college, Myers began making jazz, r&b and gospel gigs while attending Philander Smith in Little Rock. At Philander Smith, she majored in music education, played in a college jazz ensemble and studied classical piano. In 1963, a public school teaching job brought Myers to Chicago. There, she would join the AACM, while also working as accompanist to such jazz greats as Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. In the AACM, the prodigious and multitalented player began working out musical ideas of her own. It was fertile ground for development, as Myers was among an emerging group of African American artists who would come to be known as some of the most important experimental composers and improvisers of their generation. Her versatility as a composer paralleled her versatility as a performer. A commitment to vocal works was nurtured in the early years of the AACM. It's been a career-long passion that has included notated and improvised solo and choral music, with a range of instrumental combinations. She has composed for orchestra, chamber ensembles and jazz orchestra. She has written musicals and plays, and also acted in the theater. In addition to being a master composer and improviser, Myers is also a valued interpreter. A short résumé of collaborators lending credence to her range and abilities includes Archie Shepp, Lester Bowie, Charlie Haden, James Blood Ulmer, Muhal Richard Abrams, Eddie Harris, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Jim Pepper and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In 2017, Nameless Sound was honored to present Amina Claudine Myers' first Texas appearance since her teenage years in the church. Two distinct concerts offered two aspects of Myer's music: a concert for voice and piano, and a pipe organ recital. For this appearance, we will experience Myers accompanying her own singing on Hammond B3 Organ. Bearing a voice with the depths of her gospel and the blues roots, and accompanying herself with virtuosic technique, Myers has earned critical acclaim for her vocal performances since her landmark 1980 release Amina Claudine Myers Salutes Bessie Smith.

March 30, 2019: Fire (Mats Gustafsson,Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin), The North Door, Austin March 31, 2019: Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour (Melissa Aldana, Bria Skonberg, Christian Sands), Walton Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas 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 Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Leroy Jones, Little Freddie King, French Quarter Festival, New Orleans 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 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, 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 23, 2019: Peter Brotzmann, The North Door, Austin 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 August 15, 2019: James Brandon Lewis Trio, Beerland, Austin August 31, 2018: Charlie Musselwhite, Bedford Blues Festival September 5, 2019: Nels Cline, Joe McPhee & Tom Rainey, The North Door, Austin 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

Derek Gripper, Libraries on Fire

The book feels like you are in Buddy Guy's house as a friend, and he's telling you stories of his life--and he is a very good storyteller. I do recall being offended by some article or review that David Ritz wrote in the 1970s, perhaps in some local publication, where he was comparing Roland Kirk to James Clay, putting down Roland Kirk.

Yes, that's the co-author.

I would recommend Buddy Guy's book (well, it is "co-authored"), When I Left Home. His recollections of his childhood and early days in Chicago are quite vivid and entertaining. In one story, he and B.B. King go to see Gene Ammons in a Chicago club. (Just the fact that this happened makes me happy.)

If you have conflicts, that means it's a good festival.

Paul Winter, Rio (Sony)

My wristband also came today.

LA Four, Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (East Wind)

Of the Joe Farrell Quartet, Canned Funk, Outback, Moon Germs, Penny Arcade, and Upon This Rock, I like all of them.

Leroy Vinnegar, Leroy Walks Again (Contemporary) George Cables, Cables Vision (Contemporary)

Marion Brown Quartet, Five Improvisations

The Big Ears Festival App has now been updated for 2019. Also, there have been changes to the schedule. Now tentatively considering the following schedule: Thursday: 7-8: Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan, Standard 8:30-9:30: Derek Gripper, Knoxville Museum of Art 10-11: Artifacts Trio, St. John's Friday: 12-1: Bela Fleck and Edmar Castaneda, St. John's 2-3: Larry Grenadier, St. John's 4-5: Shai Maestro, St. John's 5:30-6:30: Ralph Towner, St. John's 7-8: ABSINT, Standard 8:45-9:45: David Torn, Standard 12-1: Fire!, Standard Saturday: 12-1: Columbia Icefield, Standard 2-3: Wadada Leo Smith, Standard 4-5: Thumbscrew, Standard 5-6:15: Carla Bley Trio, Tennessee Theater 6:15-7:15: Tim Berne, Bijou Theater 7:45-9: DeJohnette Coltrane Garrison, Tennessee Theater 9:30-11: Makaya McCraven, Mill and Mine 12-1: Sons of Kemet, Mill and Mine Sunday 1-2: Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, Tennessee Theater