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November 10, 2017: Javier Limon, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio Bria Skonberg, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas Stanley Jordan, Dosey Doe, The Woodlands November 11, 2017: Hariprasad Chaurasia, AISD Performing Arts Center, Austin November 18, 2017: Eddie Palmieri, Laurie Auditorium, San Antonio Kenny Neal, Fitzgerald's, Houston November 19, 2017: Eddie Palmieri, One World Theater, Austin November 21, 2017: Christian McBride with One O'Clock Jazz Band, Murchison Performing Arts Center, Denton November 30, 2017: John McLaughlin, Paramount Theater, Austin December 7, 2017: Latin Jazz All Stars (Steve Turre, Elio Villafranca, Nestor Torres), South on Main, Little Rock, Arkansas December 8, 3017, Latin Jazz All Stars, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas January 10, 2018: Eric Gales, Rockefeller's , Houston January 11, 2018: Eric Gales, Antone's, Austin January 12, 2018: Eric Gales, Guitar Sanctuary, McKinney January 28, 2017: Billy Hart Quartet, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio February 1, 2018: Charles Lloyd, One World Theater, Austin February 2, 2018: Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, Cullen Theater, Houston February 10, 2018: Donny McCaslin, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas March 24, 2018: Mingus Big Band, Cullen Theater, Houston April 5, 2018: Melissa Aldana, South on Main, Little Rock, Arkansas April 12, 2018: Brad Mehldau, Paramount Theater, Austin April 13, 2018: Brad Mehldau, Cullen Theater, Houston Antonio Sanchez, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio April 14, 2018: Brad Mehldau, University of Texas at Dallas April 27, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 28, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Conrad Herwig, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas April 29, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 4, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 6, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 13, 2018: Vid. Sashank, Unity of Dallas Church

Mercer Records Presents Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra (Mercer, ten inch).

Sameer Gupta, Namaskar (Motema)

Last night, Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland, Crosscurrents, at Annette Strauss Square. Also with Chris Potter and four musicians from India, including a spectacular Carnatic violinist. Actually the first time I've ever seen Dave Holland, he sounded great. This band is excellent, a mistake to pass this band by if it comes to your town.

Somi, Live at Jazz Standard (Palmetto)

You don't have to be very active; they are available cheap and in abundance; the used LP and CD bins are stuffed full of them.

There's a Rudresh Mahanthappa/Bunky Green CD called Apex. The other two Bunky Green CDs from the last decade or so are Another Place (with Jason Moran) and The Salzau Quartet (with Nasheet Waits). I like all three.

Last Thursday Night: Chico Freeman Plus-tet at the Village Vanguard, with Anthony Wonsey on piano, Kenny Davis bass, Billy Hart drums and Gust Tsilis on vibes. Two sets dedicated to Arthur Blythe, playing compositions by and songs associated with Arthur Blythe. Mr. Freeman on a few songs played Blythe's alto sax (a 1927 Buscher). That was a great evening of music. Last Friday, to Aaron Davis Hall in Harlem for a concert by vocalist Somi and her excellent band (including Liberty Ellman on guitar), performing songs from Petite Afrique and the Lagos Music Salon. Her voice is truly beautiful; and she writes very fine original material (Jazz/African fusion). The concert was thrilling. Next, to Birdland for the Ron Carter Golden Stryker Trio (Russel Malone and Donald Vega). A fine set of chamber jazz. Saturday was a busy day, the most extreme day of live music ever for me, with two music festivals in one day--Ragas Live at the Rubin Museum (24 hours of concerts from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday) and the Bric Jazz Festival in Brooklyn. Starting at 11 in the morning at the Rubin, with sitarist Indro Roy Chowdbury. One masterful sitarist was followed by another even greater, Rabindra Narayan Goswami. Next a group called Woven, which merged Indian classical, jazz and spoken word, led by violinist Anjna Swaminathan (Stephen Crump on bass). Next, Recalling the Valley (featuring Jay Gandhi on bansuri and Max ZT on hammered dulcimer). Next up, Indian vocalist Falu. After a break, another wonderful sitarist, Abhik Mukerjee. Then I depart for Brooklyn to the Bric Jazz Festival, hearing Matana Roberts (solo), followed by Theo Croker, then Harriet Tubman (Brandon Ross, Melvin Gibbs, J.T. Lewis), and ending with the last part of the set by Rudresh Mahanthappa Indo Pak Coalition. I really enjoyed these sets--I hadn't heard Theo Croker before, but definitely liked him by the end of his set. Harriet Tubman was rather extreme--very loud jazz/rock/avant garde music which sent lots of the audience running for the hills. I loved the group. I guess that should have been more than enough, but I returned to the Rubin Museum anyway, intending just to stay for another set or so. Those plans were discarded because the overnight music was just too good to leave. At 1, a group called Orakel, with kora and oud plus tablas, sort of a West African/Middle Eastern/Indian music fusion; they were wonderful. Followed by another fantastic group, The Epichorus, led by vocalist Priya Darshini. Moving for the rest of the night more heavily into Indian/jazz fusion, Sameer Gupta's A Circle Has No Beginning was followed by Aakash Mittal's Awaz Trio (with Rez Abassi on guitar). Then more jazz with Aaron Shragge's trumpet/guitar duet with Rez Abassi. Next back to the classical Indian music sound with Camilla Celin on sarod, followed by a sunrise raga with Eric Fraser on bansuri. At this point my listening endurance ended (that is, sunrise). I actually didn't think I could listen to that many concerts in such a short period, but in fact the experience of staying up all night listening to music in the Rubin Museum was kind of marvelous, if sort of weird as well.

I saw Heads of State at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2016 (substituting David Williams on bass). Gary Bartz was in spectacular form--a great set. If you like those two Smoke Sessions, then you should try--Bobby Watson, Made in America.

They sure knew how to record Clifford Brown--his sound leaps out of those old Emarcy LPs and sounds alive in the room.

It is excellent from start to finish.

Earl Hines Septet, Plays Evergreens (LRC)

Rickey Kelly, My Kind of Music (1979). Side 1 of the LP (purchased long ago in cut out bin) is perfection. https://www.amazon.com/My-Kind-Music-Rickey-Kelly/dp/B00171DSBY

Sidney Bechet, Live in Concert at the Brussels Fair 1958 (Columbia) Ornette Coleman, At the Golden Circle volume 1 (Blue Note)

Don Byron, Tuskegee Experiments (Elektra Nonesuch)

Dave Brubeck, Bossa Nova USA (Columbia stereo)

Last night, the Herbie Hancock Quartet at Annette Strauss Square

Eddie Harris Quartet, Steps Up (Steeplechase)

True; I didn't notice (duh!) the thread was limited to currently living pianists.

Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus (Riverside) Wes Montgomery, Tequila (Verve)

Ahmad Jamal--Marseille Chucho Valdes--Border-Free Abdullah Ibriahim--Senzo Jean Michel Pilc--New Dreams Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previte--The New Standard Dave Burrell--Margy Pargy Avery Sharpe Trio (Onaje Allen Gumbs)--Autumn Moonlight Harold Mabern--Live at Smalls Orrin Evans--It Was Beauty Jason Moran--Ten

Pierre Bensusan and Didier Malherbe, Live in Paris (Zebra Acoustic)

Fats Waller, Valentine Stomp (RCA Vintage)

October 28, 2017: Anupama Bhagwat (sitar), Durgabari Auditorium, Houston Alam Khan and Gourisankar, Blanton Auditorium, Austin Kenny Neal, Blues at Unit D, Tulsa, Oklahoma Lucky Peterson, Red Hot and Blue, Dallas October 29, 2017: Selwyn Birchwood, Antone's, Austin October 30, 2017: Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri, Blackerby Stage and Studio, Austin November 3, 2017: Carl Weathersby, Lucky Peterson, Antone's, Austin November 4, 2017: Sandip Chatterjee (santoor), Subhajyoti Guha (tabla), Allen Library November 9, 2017: Stanley Jordan, One World Theater, Austin November 10, 2017: Javier Limon, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio Bria Skonberg, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas November 11, 2017: Hariprasad Chaurasia, AISD Performing Arts Center, Austin November 18, 2017: Eddie Palmieri, Laurie Auditorium, San Antonio November 19, 2017: Eddie Palmieri, One World Theater, Austin November 21, 2017: Christian McBride with One O'Clock Jazz Band, Murchison Performing Arts Center, Denton November 30, 2017: John McLaughlin, Paramount Theater, Austin December 7, 2017: Latin Jazz All Stars (Steve Turre, Elio Villafranca, Nestor Torres), South on Main, Little Rock, Arkansas December 8, 3017, Latin Jazz All Stars, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas January 28, 2017: Billy Hart Quartet, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio February 1, 2018: Charles Lloyd, One World Theater, Austin February 2, 2018: Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, Cullen Theater, Houston February 10, 2018: Donny McCaslin, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas March 24, 2018: Mingus Big Band, Cullen Theater, Houston April 5, 2018: Melissa Aldana, South on Main, Little Rock, Arkansas April 13, 2018: Brad Mehldau, Cullen Theater, Houston Antonio Sanchez, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio April 14, 2018: Brad Mehldau, University of Texas at Dallas April 28, 2018: Conrad Herwig, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas April 27, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 28, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 29, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 4, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 6, 2018: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

Somi, The Lagos Music Salon (Okeh)