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Maurice Brown, The Mood (Ropeadope)

Grant Green, Jr., Soul Science (Ropeadope)

Tuba Skinny, Nigel's Dream

August 10-11, 2018 at Cezanne in Houston. Arnett Cobb Birthday Celebration!! Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, sometimes known as the "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax" because of his uninhibited stomping style (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnett_Cobb). Arnett is one of the pillars of Houston's music legacy. We celebrate all weekend with musicians deeply connected to Mr. Cobb including Carl Lott (drums), Shelley Carrol (tenor sax), Clayton Dyess (guitar) as well as special guest pianist, Sorin Zlat (from Romania) and more. Please join us for this festive weekend of music!

Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Comeback Children

Yes, I'm watching WestWorld 2. An excellent show.

Duke Ellington, Ellington Showcase (Capitol)

Charlie Parker, Bird and Diz (Clef ten inch) Lester Young Collates (Mercury ten inch)

Marion Brown, Three for Shepp/Vista (Impulse)

Stan Getz, Focus (Verve) Don Byas, Jazz...Free and Easy (Regent)

Sean Jones, Live from Jazz at the Bistro (Mack Avenue)

Jazz Fest is a great experience, even though it should probably be called the New Orleans Multi-Genre Music and Heritage Festival, or something like that. You can make the kind of festival out of of it that you wish; for me it is a jazz/blues/world music festival. Each year I learn more about the New Orleans jazz scene, which is vibrant and full of talent. Just focusing on trumpeters I heard this year, these included: Maurice Brown, Terence Blanchard, Russell Gunn, Sean Jones, Leroy Jones, Jamil Sharif, Christian Scott, Nicholas Payton, Ashlin Parker, Shaye Cohn, Marlon Jordan, Gregory Davis... And I'm leaving out 15 or so members of the Trumpet Mafia. I've already booked my hotel for next year.

Sadly, the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is concluded. This year, over both weekends, I heard 32 complete sets by 30 artists/bands. It was a fantastic experience to attend the entire festival. On Locals Thursday: Pat Casey and the New Sound (Jazz Tent) Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band (Cultural Pavilion). I was a bit surprised that I liked this group as much as I did. A gypsy jazz group in the Django Reinhardt style, the violinist and guitarist were both quite excellent, and Tatiana Eva Marie sings well, is very beautiful, and she radiates joy in the music. Terrrace Martin (Jazz Tent): The best set I heard that day, with Mono Neon on bass guitar (plus a second keyboard player and drums). Mr. Martin is in Herbie Hancock's band and I gather is a presence out in Los Angeles. He plays alto sax and keyboards. Mono Neon was quite the sight; he played bass guitar with his own style; I liked his playing alot. Nicholas Payton and Maurice Brown joined the group towards the end of the set. Archie Shepp Quartet (Jazz Tent): Mr. Shepp was very elegantly dressed, and his silver saxophone was very impressive looking. The set was a bit disappointing; not bad, just somewhat flat. The prior week's octogenarian saxophonists (Kidd Jordan and Charles Lloyd) set a very high bar. And it seemed like Mr. Shepp's playing was bit bit less than I had heard previously. He sang a fair amount, which I assume indicates limited stamina. His rhythm section was quite nice (Avery Sharpe on bass). Second Friday: Brian Seeger Organic Trio (Jazz Tent) Wess Anderson Quintet (Jazz Tent) Jupiter and Okwess (Congo Square Stage and Cultural Pavilion). A rare trip by me to the third largest stage at the festival, followed by a second set at the smallest venue. An incredible band, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the saying goes, they burned the building to the ground. And left a pit of molten lava in its place. That was frigging great. Marcus Miller (Jazz Tent). After a break, somehow I recovered enough to greatly enjoy Marcus Miller's set. Russell Gunn was featured on trumpet. Second Saturday: Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs (Economy Hall): Louis Ford is a fifth generation New Orleans jazz musician, and this excellent group plays traditional New Orleans jazz and features Jamil Sharif on trumpet. Blodie's Jazz Jam (Jazz Tent): Gregory Davis (Blodie), trumpet player with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, plays a straight ahead jazz set with nine of his friends (including Roger Lewis on baritone, Khari Allen Lee on alto and Marlon Jordan on trumpet). This turned out to be a very fine set; very enjoyable. Lurrie Bell and His Chicago Blues Band (Blues Tent): Mr. Bell was sounding pretty inspired this day; quite fiery guitar playing for sure. Jupiter and Okwess (Cultural Pavilion). The band played four sets over two days, which is unusual for the festival. I managed to hear three of them. Did they sound as awesome the second day as the first day? Yes. Sean Jones Quartet (Jazz Tent): After recovering from the prior set, Sean Jones played with his quartet of the last 15 years, with Orin Evans on piano. This turned out to also be a very good set. The group sounds like a group together for 15 years, and the trumpet playing by Mr. Jones was superb. Second Sunday: Joe Lastie's New Orleans Sound (Economy Hall): Preservation Hall style New Orleans traditional jazz. Leroy Jones and New Orleans' Finest (Economy Hall). This group is more of a hybrid of traditional New Orleans style jazz and modern jazz. Mr. Jones is a superlative trumpet player. His sound is gorgeous, his technique is impeccable. I really don't know why he is not better known. Lakou MIzak (Jazz and Heritage Stage): An excellent group from Haiti. Mr. Sipp (Blues Tent): Mr. Sipp is quite a high energy performer. This set far exceeded expectations. In fact, it was one of the best sets I saw this year. Terence Blanchard and the E Collective (Jazz Tent): The group has a new keyboard player and a new bass guitar player. Mr. Sipp's playing exhausted me, but this was also a fine set. Mr. Blanchard mostly let Charles Altura on guitar take the lead in soloing.

Thanks. I saw Dr. Lonnie in January and his trio was in outstanding form.

May 24, 2018: Wynton Marsalis, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston May 25, 2018: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Highway 61 South, Irving May 28, 2018: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Dosey Doe, Houston June 6, 2018: Nick Moss, Antone's, Austin June 8, 2018: Eric Gales, Rockefellers, Houston Kenny Neal, Charles Bender Performing Arts Center, Humble June 9, 2018: Eric Gales, Sam's Burger Joint, San Antonio June 10, 2018: Eric Gales, Antone's, Austin June 14, 2018: Eric Gales, Jazz in June, Norman, Oklahoma Bill Frisell Trio, Artosphere Festival, Fayetteville, Arkansas Jaimie Branch, Barracuda, Austin June 15, 2018: Eric Gales, The Shrine, Tulsa, Oklahoma June 20, 2018: Broken Shadows (Tim Berne, Dave King, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson), The North Door, Austin June 28, 2018: Walter Wolfman Washington, Big Beat Dallas, Irving June 29, 2018: Walter Wolfman Washington, Highway 61 South, Irving June 30, 2018: Walter Wolfman Washington, Antone's, Austin July 6, 2018: Eddie Turner, Heather Gillis, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 7, 2018: Kenny Neal, Vanessa Collier, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 8, 2018: Eddie Turner, House of Fifi Dubois, San Angelo July 14, 2018: Ronu Majhumdar (flute), Debojyoti Bose (sarod), Jones Hall, Houston Eddy Clearwater, Antone's, Austin July 15, 2018: Eddy Clearwater, Big Beat, Dallas August 10-11, 2018: Arnett Cobb Birthday Celebration with Shelley Carrol and Carl Lott, Cezanne, Houston September 8, 2018: Dilshad Skan (sarangi), Abhisek Lahiri (sarod), Subrata Bhattacharya (tabla), Allen Public Library September 19, 2018: Fred Hersh, Trinity University, San Antonio September 20, 2018: Fred Hersh Trio, Fort Worth Public Library September 22, 2018: Divine Trio, Allen Public Library September 28, 2018: Stanley Clarke, One World Theater, Austin September 30, 2018: Stanley Clarke, Dosey Doe, Houston October 3, 2018: Ches Smith/Mat Maneri/Craig Taborn, North Door, Austin October 5, 2018: John Scofield, Mohawk, Austin October 6, 2018: Sweekar Katti (sitar), Houston George Brooks Aspada, Bates Recital Hall, Austin November 3, 2018: Lonnie Smith Trio, Wortham, Houston December 1, 2018: Pedrito Martinez, Wortham, Houston December 3, 2018: Wynton Marsalis, Tobin Center, San Antonio February 8, 2018: Chucho Valdes, Wortham, Houston April 11, 2019: Stanley Jordan, One World Theater, Austin Terence Blanchard and Rennie Harris, Bass Concert Hall, Austin April 12, 2019: Dave Douglas, Wortham, Houston April 13, 2019: University of Texas Jazz Orchestra with Joe Lovano, Bates Recital Hall, Austin April 26-28, May 2-5, 2019: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

3? It's at least 4.

I believe Dustygroove has this already; I was going to order it myself.

Discs 5 and 6 have arrived, so I now have a complete set.

First weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: Friday: Spencer Bohren & the Whippersnappers (Blues Tent): Mostly in the folk genre, with Aurora Nealand on saxophones. Pretty good actually. Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (Blues Tent): A rather popular singer in New Orleans; her band is pleasingly low volume acoustic; not really my cup of tea for the most part. Sidi Toure (Blues Tent): Mali desert blues. Quite excellent. Christian Scott (Jazz Tent): Based on his last appearance at the festival two years ago, and the three CDs he released last year, my expectations were high; the set was good but most of it was marred by sonic issues, principally difficulty hearing the leader and saxophonist Logan Richardson. A bit of a disappointment, though not his fault. Calvin Johnson/Aurora Nealand/Brian Breeze Cayolle, Stories of Sidney Bechet (Economy Hall): Now this was the best set I heard that day, a superb triple soprano saxophone tribute to Sidney Bechet. It appears to my ears that Aurora Nealand is a very fine musician. Bobby Rush (Blues Tent): The 85 year old Southern soul/bluesman still sings well and plays a mean harmonica. An entertaining, extremely politically incorrect set (featuring the Bobby Rush dancers). Saturday: Trumpet Mafia (Jazz Tent): Fantastic group and set. Almost more trumpet players than one can count (I counted 17, plus one tuba player), plus bass, drums, two percussionists (Bill Summers was one), and three keyboard players; led once again by Maurice Brown, the set was a mix of jazz standards and Maurice Brown originals. Also featuring Adam Rapa, Ashlin Parker and Emily Mikesell. . Sona Jobarteh (Blues Tent): Incredible set by a group from The Gambia. Sona Jobarteh sings and plays the kora and guitar beautifully. Simply wonderful. Charles Lloyd and the Marvels with Lucinda Williams (Jazz Tent): Before a packed to the rafters Jazz Tent, the first half of the set was instrumental and was very good. Mr. Lloyd sounded great. The last half featured Lucinda Williams on vocals; I can't say I'm a fan, but she does have some character to her vocals. Delfeayo Marsalis presents the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (Jazz Tent): Last year I learned about this excellent band at the festival, and this set was in the same vein. This band swings like mad, has excellent soloists (for example, Roger Lewis on baritone, Khari Allen Lee on alto, Gregory Agid on clarinet, the leader himself), and moreover is fun. Sunday: Kidd Jordan and the Improvisational Arts Quintet (Jazz Tent): Kidd Jordan looked frail. He didn't sound frail. Joined by Kent Jordan on flute, Marlon Jordan on trumpet, William Parker on bass, Alvin Fielder on drums, and Joel Futterman on pinao, this set was remarkable; Kidd Jordan sounded magnificent, and his extended interplay with Kent Jordan on flute was simply amazing. A great set. Nicholas Payton Too Black (Jazz Tent): Usually I have mixed reactions to his groups, and this was no exception. This was in the nature of a jazz/funk group (guitar, bass, two drummers), plus three backup singers, and Nicholas Payton doubling on trumpet and keyboards. This time, he played a lot of trumpet, and he sounded real good. Some of the songs worked (to my ears), some did not. Still pretty interesting. Tuba Skinny (Economy Hall): This New Orleans street band (cornet/clarinet/trombone/tuba/bango/two guitars/washboard) plays a mixture of originals and early jazz compositions (for example, they played compositions of Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, King Oliver and Lonnie Johnson). I enjoyed the band quite a lot; the star of the band is the cornet player, whose sound is gorgeous--Shaye Cohn (from what I have read, she is Al Cohn's granddaughter). She is a wonderful player.

Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, A Tribute to Sidney Bechet

http://www.offbeat.com/articles/southern-crossroads-connection-charles-lloyd-lucinda-williams/ "...when I was a young man playing at the Antibes Festival in the South of France—I was there at the same time as Duke Ellington—Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney took me under their wings. They took me to the gravesite of the great Sidney Bechet and initiated me. That experience stays with me." CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS WITH LUCINDA WILLIAMS: SATURDAY, APRIL 28—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 4:15 P.M.

Miles Davis, At the Plaza volume 1 (Columbia)

Wayne Shorter, Schizophrenia (Blue Note)

May 3, 2018: Archie Shepp Quartet, Jamil Sharif, Terrace Martin, Toronzo Cannon, Jeremy Davenport, Wendell Brunious, Tatiana Eva-Marie, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 4, 2018: Marcus Miller, Wessel Anderson, Jupiter and Okwess International (Congo), Little Freddie King, Lil Buck Sinegal, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Brian Seeger's Organic Trio, Tatiana Eva-Marie, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2018: Sean Jones, Lurrie Bell, Jupiter and Okwess International, Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs, Astral Project, Blodie's Jazz Jam, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 6, 2018: Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective, Leroy Jones, Buddy Guy, Mr. Sipp, Joe Dyson, Ellis Marsalis, Walter Wolfman Washington, Lakou Mizak (Haiti), Joe Lastie's New Orleans Sound, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Ganesh and Kumaresh (violins), Bates Recital Hall, Austin May 13, 2018: Vid. Sashank, Unity Church of Dallas Buddy Guy, Verizon Theater, Grand Prairie May 16, 2018: Buddy Guy, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Midland May 17, 2018: Buddy Guy, Moody Theater, Austin May 18, 2018: Buddy Guy, Majestic Theater, San Antonio May 19, 2018: Debashish Bhattacharya (slide guitar), Nilan Chaudhuri (tabla), Allen Public Library June 8, 2018: Eric Gales, Rockefellers, Houston June 9, 2018: Eric Gales, Sam's Burger Joint, San Antonio June 10, 2018: Eric Gales, Antone's, Austin June 14, 2018: Eric Gales, Jazz in June, Norman, Oklahoma Bill Frisell Trio, Artosphere Festival, Fayetteville, Arkansas Jaimie Branch, Barracuda, Austin June 15, 2018: Eric Gales, The Shrine, Tulsa, Oklahoma June 20, 2018: Broken Shadows (Tim Berne, Dave King, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson), The North Door, Austin July 6, 2018: Eddie Turner, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 7, 2018: Kenny Neal, Vanessa Collier, Tall City Blues Festival, Midland July 14, 2018: Ronu Majhumdar (flute), Debojyoti Bose (sarod), Jones Hall, Houston September 8, 2018: Dilshad Skan (sarangi), Abhisek Lahiri (sarod), Subrata Bhattacharya (tabla), Allen Public Library September 19, 2018: Fred Hersh, Trinity University, San Antonio September 20, 2018: Fred Hersh Trio, Fort Worth Public Library September 22, 2018: Divine Trio, Allen Public Library September 28, 2018: Stanley Clarke, One World Theater, Austin October 6, 2018: Sweekar Katti (sitar), Houston George Brooks Aspada, Bates Recital Hall, Austin April 11, 2019: Stanley Jordan, One World Theater, Austin Terence Blanchard and Rennie Harris, Bass Concert Hall, Austin April 13, 2019: University of Texas Jazz Orchestra with Joe Lovano, Bates Recital Hall, Austin

Herbie Hancock, Empyrian Isles (Blue Note)