Steve Reynolds

Even better than last week’s Sun of Goldfinger show. Like last week, fully improvised. The opening 44 minute piece had Rainey fully peaking. I’ve seen him dozens of times over the years and yet he still shocks me. Stunning with only grooves that he plays. Sounds like no other drummer. Best brush player on the planet. Dunn is understated to some extent and simply brilliant. Torn is like no one else and Berne was on fire. Second 16 minute piece slightly less great but it would have been an impossibility to match the first improvisation.

Tim Berne with David Torn, Trevor Dunn (on electric bass) & Tom Rainey gonna be insane

Same here. Fell asleep and woke up to late to take the drive.

Same 2 for me:)

Sun of Goldfinger Tim Berne, David Torn & Ches Smith starts in about 30 minutes 3 feet from David Torn:)

Extraordinary 50 minute set of freely improvised music. Second to last piece they morphed into a post bop like groove. Magical. Helias has to have the most gorgeous bass sound. Last 4 months I’ve seen Brandon Lopez, John Hebert, Luke Stewart, Mark Dresser, Caroline Morton, Eivand Opsik & Michael Formanek. Some of them multiple times (Lopez 6-7 times I think). I’m truly blessed to be able to witness these masters of the double bass so often. Missed a quartet with Luke Stewart tonight as I’m a bit under the weather. With Maria Valencia, Stewart, Nate Wooley & Ryan Sawyer. I’ve never seen Valencia who is a young saxophonist/clarnetist.

Erik Friedlander’s The Throw Erik on cello, Mark Helias on double bass & Ches Smith on drums The Stone at The New School looks like no charts which makes me happy:)

His first NYC appearance ever was this past August 17th / a duo with Tomeka Reid at The Stone (at The New School)

Saw Savannah Harris with Peter Evans’ “Being and Becoming” this past spring and he was amazing. Will get that CD. Love Tomeka Reid.

Patricia Brennan Trio: The Stone at New School unfamiliar with the guitarist (Keisuke Matsuno) or drummer (Noel Brennan) Patricia is a great vibraphonist fwiw this past Tuesday great sets at Record Shop in Brooklyn / think I commented elsewhere. The little improv scene in Brooklyn is piping hot!!!

Ron Anderson / weak is a very relative term. Probably too strong. Issue is that Chuck Roth (26 years old) is one of the greatest young guitarists I’ve seen. My friend Kevin called Chuck a wunderkind. Recordings should start coming out soon. Incredibly original and very intense. Plus the bass amp wasn’t designed for a bass so his sound was a bit covered up. Nice dude, fwiw. second group was strong as well. Tom Weeks on alto, James McKain on tenor, Caroline Morton on double bass & Kevin Murray on drums. Out of Ayler but with a current modern touch. The 2 saxophones were tremendous. I’ve seen James McKain quite a few times this year and he is excellent. Great taste. Knows what the fuck is up. Very learned and is a critical listener. Was very impressed first time seeing or hearing Tom Weeks. Caroline Morton is young and just another one of the great young woman musicians on the scene. Very inspiring and invigorating to these older ears. Murray is a beast. They are starting to find space and the saxophonists both know when to step back. Strong listening all around.

Sunday 10/22 Chris Corsano quartet with Nate Wooley at P.I.T. In Brooklyn Wednesday 10/25 at New School: Erik Friedlander, Mark Helias & Ches Smith

I always appreciate your honest commentary I was at a gig last night. 3 short sets by 3 groups. Mostly very young. Incredibly loud and very energetic. First trio was Chuck Roth on guitar, Ron Anderson on electric bass & James Paul Nadian on drums. Best and loudest of the groups despite that the older dude who played last night was the weakest. Anderson is a fine bassist but Chuck & James brought the heat. But hard to really know the depth of this or the other sets. But seeing these sets is invigorating. Will be great to see them grow. Key is allow silence & softer passages. Usually happens with dedication. Will see more experienced musicians Thursday.

Enjoying the CD. Enjoy the gigs!

Why do you hate Sandell? lots of people don’t like Mats

Ordered. $40 U.S. dollars / no mention of any 7” EP thankfully

Ava destroys atoms!! Need this one

Great musicians. Sure would like a drummer. That being said, Maneri, Wooley, Moran & Lonberg-Holm et al is tempting. fwiw as great as Mat Maneri is in record, the last 2 quartet shows over the last 10 days featured his best playing live I’ve heard in 6-7 years. Last night in Kingston, NY was an incredible 80 minute set. Second set 10 days ago at Jazz Gallery in NYC might have been even better. Randy Peterson rules the world:)

Mat Maneri Quartet last night in Kingston, NY maybe better every time with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the incredible Randy Peterson

Wowza Lordy Lordy

Theresa Wong, Carla Kihlstedt, Nava Dunkelman & Fred Frith The Stone @ New School 8:30 set

Thanks / sorry for my typical overreaction! Glad I’m seeing Fred Frith tonight for the second time in a week. And yes non-NYC area listeners should be thrilled to see and hear Mary. She is always wondrous. Maybe I’m a bit jaded (if that’s the correct descriptor) as I’m fortunate to see so much exciting new idea music hear locally.

I’m not a traveler but I can see anything exciting that is scheduled except Henry Threadgill here in NYC or Brooklyn from much closer up. Seems to me the schedule in 2019 had me salivating but 5 years later it’s turning into mush. In fact the live shows I see on a very regular basis in the small rooms here are much more inspiring than what seems like the more of the same. That trio with Ribot, Medeski & Russo played in NY recently but I had a previous more exciting gig to go to. Tomorrow night Fred Frith. Did they book him? In fact none of the old school or next or current generation free radicals seem to have a voice. Instead it’s Herbie Hancock to drive attendance. Ugh. then again last year or the year before I believe you had Ches Smith with Craig Taborn & Mat Maneri. I don’t see anything like that on the list of artists. Ceramic Dog & Tomeka Reid’s quartet look like the highlights to me as well as Henry Threadgill, of course. Maybe I’m too close to the current NYC avant scene and wonder why the great young exciting musicians don’t get noticed except in Europe. And the exciting newish or older European brilliant improvisers are absent from the schedule.

Saturday night Fred Frith with Zeena Parkins! The Stone at The New School 8:30 show

Thanks, Clifford I will try to be there. Seeing Trevor at Jazz Gallery with Jamie Harris on November 18th. Care of the Robert D. Bielecki Foundation. For all locals please try to attend one or both of these shows if at all possible. Trevor deserves this. Still playing brilliantly from what I’ve heard on recent recordings. Like many of us, I’ve never had the opportunity to see him play live. Legend.