LWayne

I did not turn up any redundant results when searching for existing topics, so I will launch into am annual "best of" post with my personal picks for best new releases, reissues, and concerts of this past year. Same caution as always, except for the first few selections of each category, remaining picks are not in any descending order as far as designating favorites: Artist Title Label 1 Andrew Hill Time Lines Blue Note 2 Frank Kimbrough Play Palmetto 3 Paul Motian Band Garden of Eden ECM 4 Chris Potter Underground Sunnyside 5 Randy Weston Zep Teppi Random Choice 6 Ben Allison Cowboy Justice Palmetto 7 Tomasz Stanko Quartet Lontano ECM 8 Raw Materials Raw Materials Savoy 9 Paul Motian On Broadway, Volume 4 Winter & Winter 10 Dave Holland Quartet Critical Mass Dare 2 Records 11 Ornette Coleman Sound Grammar Sound Grammar 12 Bill Frisell Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian Nonesuch 13 David Binney Cities and Desire Criss Cross 14 Ted Nash and Still Evolved In The Loop Palmetto 15 Louis Hayes & Cannonball Legacy Band Maximum Firepower Savant 16 Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers Golden Beams Overall a better year for new releases than last year IMHO. The depth of my list evidences that it was a good year for new and intriguing music. The top three: Andrew Hill, Frank Kimbrough, and Paul Motian would top a "best of" list any year as all three releases should stand the test of time. It seems that I purchased a lot of Palmetto, ECM , and Blue Note releases this last year. My musician of the year must be Paul Motian, as he participated in no less than four of the selections on my list as well as being part of two of my favorite concerts of the year. Reissues Artist Title Label 1 Red Garland Trio At The Prelude Prestige 2 Dizzy Gillespie Verve/Phillips Small Group Sessions Mosaic 3 Gil Evans The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions Blue Note 4 Lou Blackburn The Complete Imperial Sessions Blue Note 5 Bill Evans with Lee Konitz Play the Arrangements of Jimmy Giuffre Lonehill Jazz 6 Yusef Lateef Eastern Sounds Prestige 7 Herbie Nichols Trio Complete Studio Master Takes Lonehill Jazz 8 McCoy Tyner Sahara Mobile Fidelity Not as strong as a year in reissues as compared to the recent past IMHO. Last year, with the releases of "undiscovered" recordings by Monk/Coltrane, Coltrane, and Parker/Gillespie certainly helped make 2005 a particularly strong reissue year. We really need more depth of field in Blue Note Connoisseurs for 2007. Shows/ Concerts: 1. Paul Motian/ Joe Lovano/ Bill Frisell @ The Village Vanguard NYC 09/13/06 2. Frank Kimbrough/ Paul Motian/Jay Anderson @ The Jazz Standard NYC 07/13/06 3. Raw Materials (Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa) @ An Die Musik Baltimore 10/21/06 4. Henry Threadgill's Zooid @ The International House, Philadelphia 03/17/06 5. Chris Potter 's Underground Quartet @ Jazz Showcase, Chicago 02/02/06 6. Maria Schneider Orchestra @ Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh 04/08/06 7. Randy Weston's African Rhythms & Gnawa Masters @ Tri-C JazzFest, Cleveland 04/27/06 8. Tomasz Stanko Quartet @ An Die Musik, Baltimore 10/24/06 9. Dave Holland Quintet @ Birdland NYC 01/19/06 10. Jack DeJohnette/ Bill Frisell/ Jerome Harris @ Boulder Theater, Denver 10/08/06 Tremendous year for live music. I was very fortunate to attend many shows and create some great memories that I will treasure. LWayne

I love Maria's music as well! The new CD has not been released as yet as I believe it is being recorded early next year. LWayne

If it is any solace, Dave advised after his Chicago concert that he has the plans to reissue this CD under his new label. LWayne

Sheldon; I was also at the 10 PM show last Wednesday at the HotHouse as I was in town for business. It turned out to be my second stop that night as I caught the first set of the Dave Holland Quintet at the Jazz Showcase earlier that evening. I felt the urge to visit Jazz Showcase once more before their move while I was in town. Did you get a set list for the 10 PM show? We arrived a little late and had to stand since there was an incredibly large crowd for the second set (I saw a sign that stipulated a 198 person maximum for fire code). There had to be close to 300 people at the second set! Great evening of music for both shows! LWayne

In mint condition for $8 plus $2 shipping. Marked down for quick sale. LWayne

Marked down for quick sale... Asking $10 plus 3 shipping. Thanks, LWayne

I recently purchased the Mosaic set and have a near-mint copy of the Horace Parlan masterpiece "Up & Down" for sale. It is Japanese 24 bit mastered RVG release in original plastic. Asking $15 plus $3 shipping. Thanks, LWayne

I am looking for advice for used LP and CD stores in Greenwich Village NYC as I will be visiting tomorrow. I am looking for a copy of John Patton's "Soul Connection" on Nilva for a friend. Any suggestions/ recommendations? Thanks, LWayne

Jason talked at length about the inspiration for this release during his concert at the Tri-C Jazz Fest. The feeling was that it was going to be more of a compilation of commissioned work versus a themed project. LWayne

I will be back in Chicago in October and the Jazz Showcase, as always, will be on the itinerary. Now it will definitely be a priority. From an earlier post-is there a danger of the HotHouse closing? I was hoping to catch Tomasz Stanko there again. The show last year was a killer! LWayne

I know that Dave Holland Quintet is supposed to be at Jazz Showcase in Mid October according to the Dave Holland website. LWayne

Last Thursday, July 13th, while in New York City for business, I treated myself and my colleague to the first set of the Frank Kimbrough Trio at the Jazz Standard. This date was arranged to promote the release of the great new CD “Play” and featured Kimbrough at Piano, Jay Anderson on Bass, and the incomparable Paul Motian on drums. This was my first time at the venue and I was taken by the warm, inviting, vibe of the club. While the Jazz Standard is a basement venue, similar to the Village Vanguard, it seems friendlier. Particularly impressive was the acoustics of the room that made it very easy to hear the piano, bass, and drums clearly as separate instruments as well as together forming the sound of the group. Sometimes, in clubs, the acoustic bass seems lost in the mix, but the positioning of Jay Anderson towards the front of the stage allowed him a much greater presence and role in the group dynamic. Frank opened with an inviting, melodic, "Lullabyeblue", the bouncy title track of his previous Palmetto CD and one of my favorite FK songs. Next up was an up-tempo tune from the new CD, “The Spins”, which highlighted the great group interplay between the musicians. The third song “Beginning” was also from the new CD and provided the perfect platform for Kimbrough to demonstrate his trademark touch of elegance with a song. The next two songs were versions of great standards. Kimbrough’s adaptation of the Victor Herbert classic “Indian Summer” and Paul Motian’s composition “Byablue” provided each musician a chance to stretch out, solo, and show their chops. The highlight of the set was an extended version of the song “Waiting for Santander” from the new “Play” CD. The harmonically complex song showcased some wonderful group improvisation. Afterwards, Kimbrough entertained the audience with the story of its origin; being written under unfortunate circumstances while waiting for a concert in Santander, Spain. The set closed with a creative version of the classic Rogers & Hart “All the Things You Are” that brought the audience to their feet in applause. This was truly a great evening and a rare opportunity at catching a remarkable artist and his trio at the top of their game. Concert of the year! LWayne

I will be in town on business that day and was planning on swinging by the 55Bar (website made it sound interesting-depression era bar with ambiance) and was wondering if anyone can give me advice. -Best place to park nearby -Best place to catch a good dinner How early should I plan on arriving in advance of the 7 PM show for a good seat? Thanks, LWayne

Last month my wife and I decided to make a pilgrimage to Cleveland Ohio to attend the Tri-C JazzFest. Although we live close by in Pittsburgh, we had never attended this festival because it always conflicted with the dates of JazzFest in New Orleans. Needless to say we were very impressed by this festival. Over the last couple of years, the organizers have managed to book an impressive array of national acts. When we decided not to travel to New Orleans this year due to the lack of jazz at their JazzFest, Tri-C became a welcome option. We decided to take advantage of the educational opportunities promoted at Tri-C Jazz Fest and attended the free Randy Weston discussion on Moroccan music at the State Theater at Public Square in downtown Cleveland. Weston proved to be an animated ambassador of African music, introducing Gnawa master Abdellah El Gourd on hag’houge. This instrument is like a lute that produces a droning, otherworldly, sound. Later that night Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Quintet (Weston-Piano, T.K. Blue-Sax, Benny Powell-Trombone, Alex Blake-Bass, and Neil Clarke-Percussion) performed with the Gnawa Master Musicians of Morocco before a packed house at Cuyahoga Community College. The program combined both groups in a transcendent evening. The highlights of the show were the ensemble pieces. While Weston refrained from playing during the song “Chalabati”, which was punctuated by keening vocals and rhythmic hand claps by the Gnawa Master Musicians of Morocco, he called his African Rhythms Quintet to the stage one by one to compliment the swirling sound. The next night was quite a contrast with Jason Moran and the Bandwagon at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The backdrop was perfect for the dense, challenging, stimulating music played by the trio. Many of the songs were culled from his recent “Same Mother” album along with the unveiling of various commission pieces that will form the basis for his forthcoming album. The highlight of the evening was an adaptation of the song “Kinda Dukish” with other snippets of Ellington accenting the composition. We were very impressed by both the depth and selection of music booked for the festival and the professionalism and dedication of the Tri-C staff. Would highly recommend this festival to board members as I am sure we will go back next year. LWayne

Bertrand-thanks for the review. Grachan is one of my favorites, and I hope to catch him live in the very near future. I will be checking out his website. LWayne

I did not care for these recordings, although my distaste of the sonic quality was a large factor. I was not ware of the "CIMP sound" and an sure that this would have been useful to know. LWayne

Very sad news indeed. I was fortunate enough to hear him play at the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Concerts several times. He was also involved in the pre-concert seminars where he proved to be an engaging speaker and very approachable as well. Truly one of the heavyweights to which everybody after him will be compared. Thanks Jackie for the music.... LWayne

While in Chicago on business, I treated myself to the Dave Holland concert at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For those that have not been there before, this is a wonderful facility for a jazz concert with great sound and exceptional sight lines. While I purchased a ticket for the sixth floor "gallery" level, not sure that I would be able to break free for the show, I was nonetheless impressed with the view and sound. The first set featured Dave Holland on bass and master Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu. Apparently this duo has just returned from shows in Europe and this was their first performance in the United States. I was particularly impressed with the virtuosity of each musician; Trilok Gurtu on tabla and percussion, and Dave Holland bowing the bass. Together they played some interesting rhythms that fused together Indian, world, rhythm and blues, and jazz influences. While the music was certainly captivating at first, I found myself losing a little interest as the set wore on. The second set featuring the North American debut of the Dave Holland Octet was more my taste. The octet featured the Dave Holland Quintet (Dave Holland-Bass, Steve Nelson-Vibes, Nate Smith-Drums, Chris Potter-Sax, and Robin Eubanks-Trombone) augmented with Antonio Hart on Alto Sax, Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin on Trumpet, and Gary Smulyan on Baritone Sax. All of these musicians also play in the Big Band, and so the set featured songs from these last two Grammy-winning albums. The highlight of the evening IMHO was an extended improvisation on the song "What Goes Around" featuring Chris Potter being absolutely transcendent on tenor sax. As stated in a previous review, Potter never ceases to amaze and has demonstrated tremendous growth in the last year or two. His tenor soared above the fray, adding plenty of interest as he bisected the melody again and again. Robin Eubanks also provided some highlights on trombone; particularly when he traded licks with Smulyan on bari sax. This group continues to blaze new ground and always proves entertaining. It was a great night! LWayne

While in Philadelphia last week on business, I was fortunate to be able to attend a rare concert by Henry Threadgill's Zooid. Apparently Threadgill had not been in Philadelphia for ten years, but certainly had an eager audience awaiting him at a sold-out International House. The venue itself provided an interesting back-drop as it serves as a residence for students from all over the world matriculating to over twenty different colleges in the Philadelphia area. Apparently the concert was the last in a series of "Ancient to the Future" performances paying tribute to 40 years of creative music by the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Inc.). The series marking the fortieth anniversary of the AACM previously hosted concerts by Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, and Leroy Jenkins/ Myra Melford. A "Zooid" is "an organic cell capable of independent movement or several cells forming a colony". This definition accurately described the creative, often bizarre, but certainly challenging music that was performed as well. The unusual grouping of two cellos, tuba, guitar, drums and alto sax/ flute certainly made for some intriguing voicings and proved to be a very visceral performance that grooves and swings on its own terms. This version of Zooid consisted of both Dana Leong and Rubin Kodheli on cello, Jose Davila on tuba, Liberty Ellman on guitar, Elliot Humberto Kavee as well as the leader on flute and alto sax. Leong, Kodelhi and Davila weaved a complex tapestry for the other musicians to layer their own elongated harmonics. The resulting sound is a very dense amalgam of chamber jazz, ethnic and classical influences, orchestrated to intrigue and beguile the listener. This very original creative music constantly shifted direction and shapes revealing undercurrents, dimensions, and textures that alternately challenged and rewarded the listener. LWayne

From the Jazzmatazz newsletter, I saw that Henry Threadgill and Zooid listed for a rare performance on Friday, March 17th at the International House in Philadelphia. I am likely to be there that day on business and might try to stay overnight, catch the show, and return to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Any idea about what the venue is like? Tickets are available through Ticket Web, but I would prefer to wait closer to the date of the performance to make sure that I will be available that night. Also, would recommend any suggestions as to reasonably priced hotels for that night and access to airport for the next morning. If any Philly jazz fans are planning on going to the show, I would love to meet you. Thanks. LWayne

Any source to find upcoming shows and dates for Andrew Hill? The Blue Note website just lists this week's run at Birdland and I believe that his website (www.andrewhilljazz.com) is not updated and does not list any upcoming appearances any more. Thanks, LWayne

It has been a while since I have so anxiously awaited a new release. Any advanced word? Frank? LWayne

Don't forget George Benson, Sonny Clark (from nearby Hermitage, Pa.) or Steve Nelson..to name just a few more. I am very proud of my hometown, where I still live, and hope to catch the tribute. Oh yeah, congratulations to the Steelers on number five..and still counting LWayne

Does anyone know where to find his current touring schedule? I missed an opportunity to see him live in Freiburg, Germany about five years ago and would love to have another chance to catch a performance. LWayne

While I ave attended each of the past 13 consecutive JazzFests, my streak will probably come to an end this year. It has become much harder to book flights and hotels post-Katrina without getting gouged, and this year's lineup of true jazz acts is the worst that I can recall. While I do enjoy catching other types of music-zydeco, Cajun, R&B, etc.-I have always attended because of the lure of top-flight international and national jazz acts. Given that the festival has been eroding in recent years, and has been transforming into a true "Music" festival, this year's lineup is obviously geared towards attracting a wider-ranging audience and boosting attendance in the wake of corporate sponsorship. What a shame. Hope that JazzFest is not going the way of the DoDo..extinction, baby! LWayne