Steve Reynolds

Word is that is still a single unit that goes off during the shows and that it will still be hotter than is humanly possible to deal with for the next 3 months or so

Here's hoping the new AC @ The Stone is working on July 28th & 29th The only thing these days I'm interested in that John Zorn is a part of. Got bored with the multiple projects/massive number of compositions/pseudo creative BS of his about 10 plus years ago. So many more focused and interesting and powerful musicians/improvisers just in NYC, let alone in the rest of the world.

Very cool to me that a few of us are all going to shows on the same night.

Look forward to hearing your comments, relyles

A few and I only have the last one which is live in France and the sound is sub-par. I'm hoping they bring a few but last couple of times they only had the most recent one

they deserve a live recording in prime sound in order to capture the monsterous power of Tom Rainey in the context of this trio, a force of nature that has *still* not been captured on record. One hopes Not Two records gets a shot at this band one day.

Thursday, May 23 - 8:30PM OPEN LOOSE Mark Helias, bass; Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Tom Rainey, drums $20 cover includes a drink http://www.markhelias.com goes without saying that I be there, I be there early, and I can't wait to see one of my favorite bands *the* band to hear these three masters at their finest

How about Peter Evans

Opening KV penned tune on AALY's Live at The Glenn Miller Cafe The break at just after the 4 minute mark when they really crank is an absolute scream.

I have Absolute Zero I told Jon that I wasn't yet sure what to think about it. I do think he doesn't give the other musicians enough of their own space and the music needs to breath a little more As far as his technical facility on either horn, he may be without peer. A friend of mine who was at the show says over the last 18 months, he has come a long way. There are group of people who go to many, many shows focused on the outtish downtown scene and he is one of those guys so he has seen him often.

Couple of thoughts: Irabagon could one day be one the big guys Altschul played a solo on brushes on a ballad towards the end of the second set that said all about everything there is to say about the simplicity and genius of a great drummer Helias is among the most versatile and organic bassists playing today A few pieces didn't quite work like a long boppish piece The best piece was almost a tone poem where Irabagon (who played tenor throughout) played long bright tones a of a piece. He can play anything and he is best when he doesn't Altschul's other solo during the second set was beyond my ability to even start to describe where it came from. Btw I love when he almost stands up off the drum stool as he so into the groove Very good night and I was blessed to be within 6 feet of the bass drum Also once Irabagon played some rough and tumble tenor saxophone that was the first time I ever heard anyone for about 20 seconds sound like primo Evan Parker. The whole sound was there, I wondered how much he's listened to the great man

Fwiw, I think Jump Up is as great a sax-bass-drums trio recording that ANYONE could have wished to have made.

Fwiw, I think Jump Up is as great a sax-bass-drums trio recording that ANYONE could have wished to have made.

I think that Rollins playing on that track with Ornette is tremendous while I think Ornette is not quite with it. So at 80 he could have hung with Hamid do maybe he still can. I have always wanted to hear him with a great NOW drummer

Albert Ayler: Spiritual Unity Giuseppi Logan Quartet both recent and fairly recent ESP re-masters Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers: Indestructible

Ten years ago I said Hamid Drake Today I still say it needs to happen at least once

I posted elsewhere but it needs to be said that the 51 piece with Drake, Laswell etc. is pretty damn great. hit or miss for the rest of the set to these ears so far

fwiw, despite the compact size, I love the venue as there is nowhere else to see a band that is quite so intimate. Nothing like a great drummer on that little stage and me within 10 feet.

And I haven't seen him since around 1998 or so when he was in a quartet with John Tchicai, Paul Smoker and I think, Adam Lane on bass I remember it was a very strong show with Tchicai on tenor saxophone And next Thursday in the same place will be Open Loose with Malaby, Helias and Rainey. For sure one of my favorite bands, and the one when Rainey really lets loose

I'm ready for the trio with the Great Barry Altschul

I like the 1977 Hartford 3 CD set. I also like Dead Set from 1980 but my favorite stuff is up through 1974 or so as well

I've never seen the pianist nor have I ever seen Louis Sclavis or Larry Ochs so there is no way I miss that night. Plus I try never to miss Hamid Drake. He may be the same guy playing what he plays but for whatever reason to me it always sounds brand new every time.

great points, Allen

I like this line from Allen: "1) there are a whole lot of tired improvisers - beboppers play the same things, the free players are lazy and repetitive in their approach and reportoire." I may think about this when i go to only 1 of the nights of Vision Festival. Besides my dark period (if I can be so self-centered) of 2003 or so until maybe 2009 or 2010 when for various personal reasons, I could not or would not and therefore did not attend more than a handful of live music performances, I would think that *I* am really the audience that something like the Vision Fest should be nurturing and gearing their program to. Yet - besides one or two slighly inspired chaoices, they pick fine musicians who almost a majority are over 70 and although they usually turn in good performances, in most cases it is little more than "Get Ready for More of the Same" With all due respect, does ANYONE or his brother think that "Hamiett Bluiett and Friends" whoever those friends might be has any chance to be anything other than what we know it will be?? And as far as the free guys playing the same old repetitive approach to their music, there is much truth to that with many of them sticking TIGHTLY to the same small circle of participants. Retrospect shows us that the core groups of musicians for the most part are as insulated from new musical directions as the detested young lions were in the 80's and 90's. And the results in great part are destined years from now to be just as forgettable 20 to 30 years down the road. and the improvisors who may be limited in their approach in many cases deliberatley yet focused to mine that territory or those areas with great passion and integrity (I say Parker-Guy-Lytton fits this bill - their most recent music although it is of the same formula crackles with intensity) seem not to have any real voice at this supposed Free Jazz Festival - egads - has Eddie Prevost ever been invited? Or Alexander von Schlippenbach? yes - over 70, yes - Europeans - but Brotzmann has been there - seems like the committee is simply bereft of any imagination for anything other than Get Ready for More of the Same bakc in the day, they NEVER even had the JOE MANERI quartet on the bill - and yet they had his son a few times - must be some screws loose.....and I always thought when Hemingway's Quartet played maybe in 2000 it was some kind of mistake - I still remember how much better they wetre musically than most all of the supposed legends playing the same thing they been playing since 1970.....and GOD forbid they ever bring a bassist from England (Guy or Edwards) that would expose the limitations of the quote, un-quote downtowner. whatever - I'm in a crotchety space today... then again, if anyone heard the opening nonsense of the yelping and "poetry" at last years event, then maybe it should be obvious and at the same time the supposedly worn out quintet that is In Order To Survive was vibrantly alive and was among of the finest hour of music I saw live over the past couple of years... well going Thursday night to see Barry Altschul and I think he's never been on the list - he's only one of the greatest drummers alive, maybe @ Vision Fest they book another set with Whit Dickey instead.....adn I guess we will never see Randy Peterson allowed on that stage....

I'm just happy I'm able to go see many of the musicians I love play live on a pretty regular basis. Think of it, I get to see Barry Altschul this Thursday live in person! First time seeing him in maybe 15 years. And I'm not taking for granted that I will see the great Mark Helias on bass both this Thursday and next. As far as more people not supporting the great jazz musicians of today, they are the ones missing out