kh1958

I had a great time at this festival. I wasn't able to make it until the Friday night concerts. First off, the Avery Sharpe Trio with Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano and Winard Harper on drums. A very good group. Next, Geri Allen Trio. Interesting set, including interaction with a very skilled tap dancer. Onaje Allan Gumbs Sextet, with Mark Shim on tenor. One of the best sets I saw at the festival. Supergroup time, the McCoy Tyner Quartet with Gary Bartz, Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette. McCoy ended at around midnight, and about 75% of the crowd left after his performance. This was a big mistake. Pat Martino was the last concert of the night, and he was in masterful, burning form from the outset. Mostly he played Wes Montgomery tunes. This performance was great. Saturday, I had a bit of time to look at the exhibitions--the highlight of course was the Mosaic booth. Lots of sales ($10 for singles, $35 for Selects, and a number of the black boxes at sale prices also). At 3, Sonny Fortune Quartet. Certainly my favorite saxophonist heard at this festival. Next, Frank Kimbrough Trio. I wasn't familiar with him, but really enjoyed his set. After taking a break, my next concert was the Don Friedman Trio. He really sounds as good or better than on his Riverside recordings. A really fine trio performance. Vincent Herring with Jeremy Pelt. A bit of an odd group, with a very loud, funk styled electric bassist, but good playing from the horn players. Nice version of Norwegian Wood, of all things. Roy Haynes Quartet. With Jaleel Shaw. Nice set, by the amazingly energetic octagenarian. Finally, at 12:40, the Stanley Clarke Group begins the final set. I've never been a fan particularly, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But in fact, this concert was perhaps the most thrilling of the festival. Performing with violin, keyboards, and drums, Clarke was masterful and electrifying on four pieces. GoodBye Pork Pie Hat (on electric bass), Confirmation (trio with violin and drums), another piece for the quartet (name escapes me), and solo (amazing). The group was unknown to me, but they were superb (if very young in appearance). It was a fitting climax to the festival.

The same set list, I believe (my memory is a bit blurred by the intervening 11 concerts I saw over the last two days at the Jazz Improv festival). A slightly different band, as Orrin Evans was on piano, and Mark Turner was not present, rather there was Bill McHenry on tenor. Actually, Wallace Roney sounded pretty strong, probably the best I've ever heard him. It was quite enjoyable to hear Shorter's compositions in a large group context.

I was there Thursday night.

Last night, at the Iridium--David Weiss, A Tribute to Wayne Shorter, with special guest Wallace Roney. Nice to hear Wayne Shorter compositions played by a large group. They are there again tonight, with James Spaulding as the special guest.

Bill Charlap Trio at the Village Vanguard--Not my cup of tea, I was pretty bored. Then, David Schnitter Quartet at Smalls--A definite improvement, with Mark Soskin on piano.

Last night I saw the Mingus Dynasty at the Iridium. They were in excellent form--led by Craig Handy, the sextet also included Orrin Evans on piano, Boris Koslow on the Mingus bass, and Kenny Rampton on trumpet. Highlights included Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Diane, Noddin' Your Head Blues, Thrice Upon a Theme (I never thought I would see a performance of this obscure Mingus composition), and Cumbia and Jazz Fusion.

Dave Brubeck--Jazz Impressions of the U.S.A. (Columbia six eyes).

Duke Ellington--Ellington Uptown (Columbia six eyes, gray label)

Another forum member, David Weiss, is leading a group at midnight on Saturday.

I recommend them for air travel. They definitely reduce (but they do not eliminate) the unpleasant sound of jet engines. They operate with batteries, so you have to turn them on to get the noise reduction effect--in my limited understanding they emit an inaudible sound which cancels out certain low frequncy sounds. I wouldn't spend alot of money on a pair though, as I've found they tend to break fairly often--I'm on my third set right now.

Are you going to be taking photos?

Is anyone else going to this seminar/festival, a week from this Friday and Saturday in New York? I'm going to be in New York for a work related seminar at the end of next week, and was hoping to attend Friday night and Saturday. There's a pretty nice lineup of concerts, including McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette, Geri Allen Trio, Pat Martino, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Avery Sharpe, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Sonny Fortune, Don Friedman, Roy Haynes, Wallace Roney, Stanley Clarke and others. http://www.jazzimprov.com/live/

An obvious one, but I see no mention of Bags and Trane. Also, Milt is on some of the Bird Broadcasts from the Royal Roost, on Savoy.

Ahmad Jamal's Alahambra (Argo) Ahmad Jamal at the Penthouse (Argo)

Dave Brubeck Quartet--Jackpot, Live in Las Vegas (Columbia two eyes)

I have a few of the Toshibas (none of the Kings)--nice quiet surfaces and fine sound.

Ahmad Jamal--Chamber Music of the New Jazz (Argo).

Why don't you just buy one from Concord Records?--it's on sale for $129 at this moment. http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/12RCD-4408-2/

imo, a "ghost band" began when the leader was alive, then continued under someone else's leadership after his death. also, these kinds of bands tend to play the same arrangements from the "old days." the mingus big band and the mingus jazz orchestra were both created after mingus's death. they play new arrangements of his original compositions. finally, i think the mbb features some of the best performers playing incredibly vital music, and is one of the most consistently entertaining outfits in jazz today. long live the mmb! One of the best jazz bands around today.

I also received notice that my order will be shipped.

Sonny Stitt--A Little Bit of Stitt (Royal Roost)--A deep groove with really remarkable saxophone sound. Louis Armstrong--Ambassador Satch (Columbia, six eyes) The Sound of Jazz (Columbia, six eyes)

Sinfonia was THE record store if you were looking for fresh US vinyls back in the '50s and '60s. The store on the Champs-Elysees is history by now A long journey for this record, from W. 63rd Street to Paris to a used book store in Dallas.

Deep-groove? Yes, amazing sound, but a fair amount of surface noise.

Art Blakey--Orgy in Rhythm, volume 2 (Blue Note, W. 63rd Street)--Today's great find for only $10. Back cover has stamp in lower right corner, Sinfonia, 88 (or 66) Champs Elysees. A record store?

Frank Foster--Basie is Our Boss (Argo)