Pete C

I still haven't been to those Sundays at CB's, and this Sunday is a particularly interesting evening. I've been meaning to catch Boston's Fully Celebrated Orchestra for some time. I also hear from someone who attends those gigs regularly that turnout has been slim most weeks, so they can use the audience.

You haven't even mentioned the trio with Haden & Motian.

If an entire session exists, can you ask if it could find its way to record store shelves? I think that is the potential intention.

Seth is going to check the vaults to see if an entire session exists.

The video I mentioned above is the same performance.

Thanks from me too. I have most of that on VHS, but I need to upgrade.

I'll just list a couple of favorites. Bright Moments - I nominate this as the quintessential live Kirk album, though the true quintessence must include the visual, so the video The One Man Twins is essential. It unfortunately hasn't made it to DVD. Rip, Rig & Panic - I think many will agree this is his best "pure jazz" album. Blacknuss & Volunteered Slavery, both for the amazing alchemy he did with the soul tunes of the day. I have the 32 Jazz compilation, "Left Hook, Right Cross" that includes both. That's my short list. After that, everything else!

You might want to try Dusty Groove. It's hit or miss whether they'll carry the item you want, but when they have it their prices are very good.

Maybe not, since touring arrangements do require advance planning.

I just emailed Seth Rothstein at Sony Legacy about this. I'll let you all know if I hear anything.

Molde is on my wish list. Western Norway (Bergen area) is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

At Fez in New York, where they have played every Thursday for years, the cover is $18 + a drink minimum. Clubs in NY average $15-35 cover (some shows higher at places like the Blue Note). These days $25 is about the norm. I haven't seen the band in several years, but even from week to week the personnel changes, which is part of the fun.

Chris, I can't remember if it was the interview with you, or the other audio interview, where Prez said he wanted to record with strings, but Granz wasn't interested. I generally find string dates disappointing, but there are some very notable exceptions: Getz -Focus Clifford Brown with Strings - very nice Neal Hefti charts The Warm Moods of Ben Webster - this is a bit different as it's only a string quartet, but Johnny Richards' charts really swing. I think some of the Webster recordings with Ralph Burns string charts are good too. Ben's sound was definitely suited to the treatment. And several sessions on this compilation: The Konitz session with Bill Russo charts is really excellent, as is Giuffre's third-stream writing on his own orchestral sessions.

Generally, but the programming at the Chicago festival is pretty hip, and it's free! And in greater North America, Montreal is a damn fine festival. Speaking of free, Tom, another one you might want to check into is Estival Jazz in Lugano, Switzerland. Lugano is a beautiful, pleasant place, and they book interesting stuff. I've never been to the festival--I think it conflicts with North Sea, but I've been to Lugano twice.

I've been to North Sea 4 times. I love it, but it's a real endurance contest. 3 nights, about 8-9 hours each, 14 concurrent stages. Very bad if you can't make decisions. It's got the widest range of styles, from straight ahead to avant, and also a bunch of latin, funk, blues, fusion, etc. Last year I saw, among others: Dave Holland Big Band, Enrico Rava, Simon Nabatov & Nils Wogram, Gonzalo Rubalcaba & David Sanchez, Brotzmann Tentet, Richard Bona, King Crimson, Herbie Hancock Quartet with Bobby Hutcherson, Solomon Burke, Jorge Ben Jor, and Van Morrison. And the Hague is a pleasant place, and only 45 minutes from Amsterdam. I just learned that due to some venue conflicts they will move to Rotterdam in 2006. There's plenty of hardbop too, to keep your moniker happy. I was at the Umbria festival once. The programming is very heavy on mainstream American acts. Not much I can't see all the time in New York. But Perugia is very pleasant, and there's lot's to explore in Umbria. I wouldn't recommend Vienne. The town is not very interesting, and there's not as much choice per evening as the other festivals. The main concerts are in a Roman amphitheatre, which is very atmospheric, but you're likely to be very far from the stage. Montreux shouldn't be allowed to call itself a jazz festival. It's mostly rock, hip hop, and lots of other stuff these days, with precious little real jazz. If you're into Brazilian music, however, they dedicate one weekend to the stuff and get the best of the best. I'm pretty sure the London festival is in October or November.

I wonder what kind of interaction he and Bley had, if any, in Montreal.

The trio is a quartet: Ornette, Denardo & 2 basses: Greg Cohen & Tony Falanga.

It's a touring group put together through the auspices of the SF Jazz Festival: Redman, Bobby Hutcherson, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenon, Josh Roseman, Renee Rosnes, Robert Hurst & Brian Blade. "Possibly the biggest event to happen in the jazz world in years, the SFJAZZ Collective takes the stage for their world premiere with four performances in San Francisco. This first resident band for SFJAZZ features eight all-star musicians who are consistently ranked among the top artists performing today. The group will focus on jazz music from the 50’s to the present, this year featuring the work of master innovator Ornette Coleman. The group will also debut new pieces composed by each artist. Don’t miss this historic launch!" http://www.sfjazz.org/concerts/spring04/ar...collective.html

There's a side of me that says go, and a side of me that says don't go. Those '60s albums are, IMO, about as profound as this art form gets. But I haven't really enjoyed Jackie in recent years, and Moncur's chops are gone, from what I hear. I did see Moncur in a William Parker large ensemble a couple of years ago, but he played very little, so it was hard to judge. I think I'd rather see some guys in their prime tackle that amazing Moncur music. Well, Hutcherson is still in his prime... I wonder who'll be in the rhythm section? Ridley?

It was at the Village Gate. 1975. The Adams-Pullen-Walrath band. FWIW.

If he'd threatened me I'd have asked the establishment for my money back. Mingus once turned his back to the audience and farted a fart of Mingusian proportions when I was at a table close to the stage, but when he turned around he had a friendly smile on his face.

Song for Biko is superb.

Apparently a Chicago soul jazz trio from the 60's. The only name I'm familiar with is Chi-town stalwart drummer Robert Shy, who worked with Rahsaan for several years.

Yeah, I like the chemistry with Aoki in the mix. When I was in Chicago for the jazz festival in 2002 there was an amazing set at the Record Mart Sunday brunch: Anderson-Aoki-Drake get a groove going and they're joined by Ari Brown, Ernest Dawkins & Malachi Thompson. A friend of mine reported on the NYC (Tonic) gig last night. He was there for the first (10 PM) set. He tells me Brotzmann stuck to clarinet & alto, though he had the tenor on stage, and that it was a more subdued than a usual Brotzmann set, which disappointed some in the audience, but my friend enjoyed it.

Yes, excellent recording, excellent group. Don't forget Trio Music. I saw a Corea/Haynes/Pattitucci trio last year that was at the same high level of inventiveness and interplay. And a Corea/Burton duo concert in '97 was one of the most spellbinding encounters I've ever witnessed. Don't write the guy off.