Steve Reynolds

all I know is that Mat Maneri played with his band this past summer at the Vanguard and it is hard ti imagine him being let on that stage without being in Paul's band. yes - Mat is one of the great improvisors in music today - Papa Joe used to say that he was the best musician is his band - even back in 1993 when they made those classic quartet recordings. I beg to differ as great as Mat is, Joe was on a different, yet much odder and abstract level. Let's see if Tony Malaby takes *that* stage from 1/31 through 2/5 now that Paul Motian is no longer with us.

I will try to get to 3 nights - 3/10 for sure and probably 3/3 and 3/6 or 3/7 or 3/8. and that doesn't include the 2 duo sets with Cyrille/Lake & Cyrille/Schweitzer.

thanks - yeah I would *love* to see Wogram live...I have a couple of his discs in my pile somewhere..... Streiff and Johnson are also playing in NYC at the same time (it is an Intakt festival at The Stone) so please let me know about those 2 as well.

thanks, ubu that trio without Wogram is playing NYC in March - let me know about Weber and Ulrich as I have never heard or seen either of them. hope you get real close to the drum kit of the *great* Gerry Hemingway as it is beyond when he really gets it cranked - he is a master of dynamics and intensity - quiet or deafening.

Flat-Out Jump Suite and Raw Materials and Residuals are my favorite Hemphill recordings

The *great* Craig Taborn is playing in 2 incredible bands on DEC 14th: The Stone - NYC 12/14 Wednesday 8 pm Matt Maneri with Ed Schuller, Randy Peterson, Oscar Noriega, Craig Taborn Matt Maneri (viola) Ed Schuller (bass) Randy Peterson (drums) Oscar Noriega (sax) Craig Taborn (piano) 10 pm Michael Formanek Group Michael Formanek (bass) Gerald Cleaver (drums) Craig Taborn (piano) Tim Berne (sax) one of those 75 seats is worth a bit more than the $10.00 needed for each set. lordy lordy

The guy brought the *great* Mat Maneri to the Village Vanguard maybe the great, late Papa Joe shoulda been in one of Paul's band. Can you imagine what that crowd woulda thunk when the Round Man played his version of Duke??? And was going to bring Tony Malaby to the Vanguard. Tony Malaby is no step down from Redman or Brackeen nor anyone else. now *that* is mentorship. I don't think Mat Maneri is allowed in without him.

my favorite Motian recording is either the trio with Haden and Bley from Montreal from 1989 or the great "Not Two, Not One" with Peacock and Bley on ECM. and who brought up race?? egads... too bad for me that one of the upcoming shows I was to attend was going to be Motian with Angelica Sanchez, Ben Monder and Tony Malaby on FEB 4th at the Vanguard which would have been my first time seeing him play live - I am so sorry I didn't go this summer when he brought a band with Mat Maneri to the Vanguard. RIP, SIR!!!!

The Charlie Parker Projext is worthwhile as Misha and Han tear it the fuck up. listen again if any of you might and tell me something different. Having Vincent Herring as one of the altos (is he in the Marion Brown chair?!?!) is bit absurd...maybe if they brought in Brotz or Mats or even KV.....how about a shot of Steve Swell on trombone - damn take a chance at letting the guys who LIVE this music play it for an audience. I mean Mats & Brotz deserve to have a shot to clear out half the damn club. or even Darius Jones, for jahs sake.... yeah - Jeremy Pelt might be in place of Freddie....and Drummond and Wilson are fine...but how about at least Nasheet Waits and Gerry Hemingway at the drums kits and I would be there just to hear the fucking onslaught.....

tomorrow night: Village Vanguard BILL McHENRY QUARTET Orrin Evans-p, Eric Revis-b, Andrew Cyrille-d I have never heard McHenry (I have heard good things) but I *have* see Andrew Cyrille at the Vanguard saw him recently @ The Stone from 5 feet away and he was his usual magnificent self.

would almost DIE to see the trio with Joe McPhee this Friday but I am, alas, in New Jersey. For those who don't know, the recordign is good to great and ay times even spectacular. I never get to see you London guys - then again, you don't get to see Mat Maneri or Craif Taborn or some of the NYC guys too often if ever, either.... however - we NEVER get to see any of you guys - I mean Barry Guy was in the States I think in 2001 the last time....John Edwards and Steve Noble - never, correct? enjoy the shows - sounds like a great quartet with Bynum, etc.

not the biggest Zorn fan but I do like some of the first few Masada records but hear this. I attended the Anthony Braxton 65th birthday celebration this past Spring, which had a number of bands playing what turned out to be 25 to 35 minute sets. One of the bands was Zorn, Dave Douglas, Brad Jones (?) and Gerry Hemingway. For 25 minutes they roared, swung, and lifted the roof off the place. Douglas *and* Zorn were beyond great on their horns - no posing that night - you can't fake it when you are truly great - and that night that band was truly great including Zorn on alto saxophone.

SATURDAY: Going to the first (and maybe second)set tonight @ Jazz Standard NYC 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30: JOHN HOLLENBECK LARGE ENSEMBLE featuring KENNY WHEELER John Hollenbeck – drums Kenny Wheeler, Shane Endsley, Jon Owens, Tony Kadleck, Nate Wooley – trumpet Alan Ferber, Jacob Garchik, Mike Christianson, Rob Hudson – trombone Chris Cheek – tenor saxophone/reeds Dan Willis – tenor saxophone/winds Jeremy Viner – alto saxophone Ben Kono – alto saxophone/winds Bohdan Hilash – baritone saxophone/reeds Matt Mitchell – piano Kermit Driscoll – basses Brad Shepik – guitar Theo Bleckmann – voice J.C. Sanford – conductor Special Featured Guests: Kenny Wheeler, Nate Wooley, Shane Endsley, Chris Cheek, Brad Shepik

and although their greatest recordings were in the early 70's : Can the jam on Yoo Doo Right is beyond it's time - maybe still is great discussion above re: Brotz, Moholo, etc.

from the late 60's: John Stevens Peter Brotzmann AMM

Mat Maneri Quartets - NYC 10/12/11 not sure if anyone is reading - responses are welcome to tell me you liked it, still can't stand my way of espousing or articulating or lack thereof - or tell me you wish you were there - or whatever - it woyuld be nice to know that more than a couple of people here still love music - especially the improvised sort.... first set : Mat Maneri (viola) Matt Moran (vibes) Garth Stevenson (bass) Randy Peterson (drums) Travis and I are in traffic all the way fropm his house to mine, form my job to mine and then leaving late for us - about 6:15 choosing the wrong tunnel (Lincoln) finally get near the little room by 7:45 or so - this from leaving my job @ 4:50....and then no fucking spot to park and finally @ 8:05 or so - we get a spot west of Avenue A so we walk - Travis stops for slice so we can use the boys room and then I rush in within 20 seconds of the first note. Travis promply gets thrown out with his pizza slice (LOL) and returns a minute later - was it good eating that fast, pal? first 20 minute improvisation is nothing short of spectacular after a slow start - end with Peterson's big cymbal spinning off it's axis the end the piece when I thought the cymbal noise and high pitched viola was gonna take this to other unknown areas of sound (and they had aleady done that). During the piece Mat seemed eager to hear Randy alone and we all did - and I was gonna scream but I held back - more to follows. Second peice - Mat says a balld - and they did - as slow as slow as the great non-tempo slow peices on Coming Down the Mountain - a high instensity ending and on the the third piece after the Vibe mallet breaks. Mat tells Randy to play that groove thing - and not what you would expect but I heard more shit from these musicians (we will talk abouty who in a bit) that I have never heard before - great bass groove - Mat all over the viola and the bass bridge explodes and the first set is over a bit less than 50 minutes after they started - after Randy takes another solo and the trio tries to conjure upa bit of something without the busted bass - but it is a letdown that we didn't hear what might have been another (or the best?!?) 10 minutes of the set. second set: Mat Maneri (viola) Lucian Ban (piano) John Herbert (bass) Gerald Gleaver (drums) - oops distrurbance of some kind outside before the second set and Gerald Cleaver (who was at the soundcheck) was excused and to my excitement I know I will hear Peterson once more - this time the band has music stands so it will be a few of Mat Maneri's tunes - mostly mid to non-tempo with one great one (second of the set) - nice to hear the fine pianist for the first time - and as usual the bassist in a Maneri band is fine, but to my ears - neither one of the 2 got near the middle of the music - but that gets me to the point of the matter, the bottom fucking line...... Last time I saw either of them was on November 13th, 2002 @ Tonic with Joe Maneri, Craig Taborn, Roy Campbell and Michael Formanek. the last time I saw Joe Maneri play and it was quite the set......I just read Sergio's comments on the quartet show in DC....wow. TODAY - Mat Maneri and Randy Peterson are 8+ years better than they were then - Mat his usual (but unusual combination of abstraction, missed ideas and pure fucking brilliance that cannot be touched byt most any other musician alive - some moments/passages last night that are beyond impossible. and then for the *great* Randy Peterson - was he this great? was he ahead of his day - I hear grooves today - more power, precision and a prescence. best performance on the drums for me in years by anyone FUCKING ATOM BOMBS - most snare, bass drum and his big cymbals - the bass drum accents are off the hook - and when Mat called for "Me and Randy" once or twice, I yearned for the whole set - magical interplay and listening by both.... 52 or 53 minutes in - it's over the 20 or 30 are sitting (more than the 15 or 18 for the first set) - Mat is out for a smoke and we are off....and he now looks like Joe - and as he said before the second set - my father said that music is about love, and it was love again for me.... sustain, baby

good shows - I should be at the 10/12 show: The Stone NYC 10/11 Tuesday (KR) 8 pm Mat Maneri, Kris Davis, Ingrid Laubrock Mat Maneri (viola) Kris Davis (piano) Ingrid Laubrock (sax) 10 pm Mat Maneri, Ed Schuller, Randy Peterson Mat Maneri (viola) Ed Schuller (bass) Randy Peterson (drums) 10/12 Wednesday (MJ) 8 pm Mat Maneri, Matt Moran, Garth Stevenson, Randy Peterson Mat Maneri (viola) Matt Moran (vibes) Garth Stevenson (bass) Randy Peterson (drums) 10 pm Mat Maneri, Lucian Ban, John Herbert, Gerald Gleaver Mat Maneri (viola) Lucian Ban (piano) John Herbert (bass) Gerald Gleaver (drums)

jhoots: Where and who is in the band?

Leeway: You may have liked Gilchrest in the first set as it was really free and especially inspired the second half of the set. And Darius really really really let it rip, so you would have enjoyed that!

results of the show... We arrive early first in line @ 7:20 with my friend Travis plus another expected friend the charming, obnoxious and somehow lovable "Big" Ronnie a big music fan who has seen a few jazz shows in his time, but nothing that would be considered free or out or avant-garde. And I am not sure really what to expect being that I have never heard the pianist ever before but knowing he is associated with David Murray I expected a melodic player with connections to the traditions inside, outside and all around. So we get the front row - me closest to the drum kit with the only drawback is that the piano is faced so no one except Gilchrest can see the keys. So a very slender guy with ahuge smile comes out and introduces the band - and the music sheets seen earlier are off to the right on the horn player's stands which are obviously not in use for the first set. introductions - the *great* Michael Formanek and the *legendary* Andrew Cyrille...mayeb I like this guy.... set starts slow with the trio finding their place, it seemed clear to me that they would be improvising for the set and it was to be - Cyrille on sticks the whole set - Formanek switching occasionally to the bow - a coupld of solos - with Cyrille fascinating me whather I was looking or not - sometimes it is hard to believe that he is playing what he is with so little movement - and with seemingly such a simple approach - and he never hit the cow bell once - and then about 35 to 40 minutes in we get Lafayette Gilchest alone - and the playing had become less sweet - toards the beginning I was feeling somehat uneasy with might be considered a bit of overly romantic stylings lacking the edge that I like in freeish pianists. Somehow the solo section focused his playing for me and the band came out of it more grooving than ever - and his left hand now seemed to be playing an related yet unrelated line and Cyrille finally solos and it is maybe a minute of total fucking genius, the band closes and a few of us roared (out of the 40 or 50 there). Strong set with an uplifting final third. The new guy (Big Ronnie) liked it - loved seeing a drummer so close and we awaited the second set.... Darius Jones sitting in the back as we were agin in the front row save for Ronnie who is in his normal spot in life - in the back of the room spreading out if you will. taking it a bit to the extreme was making the decision to sit in this front row - I am one sest closer the great drummer - maybe 5 feet away - and when Jones and Swell pmove the music stands they are literally 2 feet away from Travis and I - a suite is announced for a lost mentor - which would eb 4 movements - I am concerned as it sounds like 2 much - the crowd doesn't build by the time they start @ 10:15 - later Ronnie counted 16 or 18 as thwe whole crowd and 1 was the driver with Bernard Lyons - who just then learned was there - nice to meet you Sir! - so there were only a few ready to listen - the temp starts slower than mid-tempo - never my favorite and if you told me that would eb it or slower for the rest of the 1 hour performance I would have SWORN to all hell that I would nto have liked it, maybe would have hated and maybe would have wanted to leave the room. Cyrille plays it straight, the horns state the first theme which is OK but has a bit of clunkiness in it - so then the trombonist solos and it nice high energy stuff with the confines of the composition (which is what I was thinking at the time - I just want hear these 2 guys GO!!) and Darius comes in and takes his tune and again it is nice - then the theme comes back with the pianist impressing as the first movement moved on - then the horns take for me an unexpected solos with (especially Swell) backing and complimenting the primary soloist. They take it up and OUT. Very exiting and by 20 minutes all the insane concerns I had were gone - the middle 2 movements were fine with some of the slower and softer passages exposing the brilliance of this pianist with the name of Lafayette Gilchrest - is this a prodigy who wallowed in obscurity only to be discovered a few years back by someone (the lady who this suite was written for) who introduced him to David Murray? And was this his first NYC concert? (I know they were driving home after the show and had arrived earlier in the day - no money there of course...) then they seemed to stop unexpectedly right before 11:00 - and he introduced the 4the movement - from Ashes to Cosmos, I think earlier he said it was Ashes to Atmosphere - and then they play another bluesly slower tempo - and this time Cyrille plays it louder, Gilchrest played all of differently and then Darius Jones does his best Johnny Hodges meets Jimmy Lyons meets out of this FUCKING world - and the hear it 3 feet from my brain...wowee zowee - can I steal that line Mr. Malkmus??? - and THEN - with slide again either going to hit the floor, Travis head or knees or again the floor, Steve Swell takes the most intense trombone solo the world has yet experienced - when in the forest?!?!) and the guys to my right are goinf NUTS - and Swell shoudl ahve had a fucking heart attack - and then that ends and Gilchrest takes the most gorgeous solo of the night and Darius Jones is yelping and screamin a bit - you do NOT see this - and then it ends after the last theme and then the leader closes with an unaccompanied piece of brilliance and the small crowd is overcome and gives a standing ovation - the band is smiling - Mr. Cyrilled is beaming and Lafayette Gilchrest is very happy that a few of us heard who is is and he is clearly very happy he had those 4 great, great musicians with him for the occasion. and Big Ronnie's musical perspective is changed forever...thanks for coming quiet no music on the way home - maybe later today or this week - lordy lordy very inside traditional music played my masters who simply play music - yeah a bit over the top by the horn players - but thank jah there are some willing to give it all they have as they obviously love this music and love the composer/pianist who had a rare chance to play his music with these musicians. blood and guts, baby

Tomorrow Night at The Stone, NYC 10/2 Sunday (DDT) 8 pm Lafayette Gilchrist Lafayette Gilchrist (piano) Michael Formanek (double bass) Andrew Cyrille (drums) 10 pm Lafayette Gilchrist Lafayette Gilchrist (piano) Steve Swell (trombone) Darius Jones (alto sax) Michael Formanek (double bass) Andrew Cyrille (drums) to see these guys - especially the *great* Andrew Cyrille from 10 feet away is going to be something else. peace and blessings

Sanchez on piano Tony Malaby - tenor and soprano saxophones Marc Ducret - guitar Drew Gress - bass Tom Rainey - drums apparently all of the leader's tunes - a few ended up being somewhat memorable but this listener went in cold not knowing a thing about her. She was fine but understated throughout as was Gress. Quite a bit of space was given to unaccompanied piano, sax and guitar - maybe up to 15 to 17 minutes of the 70 minute set. Ducet blew out the two rows behind me about half way through and then he took off from there - intensity and even subtle all at once - and the sections of the trio of Rainey-Gress with either Ducret or Malaby on tenor were close to stunning, stunning with parts of the passages beyond all of anything I expected. As great as Rainey always is and was tonight and as wonderful a guitarist as Ducret is, the man of the night was who I now confirm as the *great* Tony Malaby. The arms were goin' and the man was roaring, squeaking and bringing every ounce of energy and tension that the tenor saxophone was capable of. Then he played the solo piece or section - and it was like Mats and Evan with a post bop sensibility - but I thought I was one of the few in the crowd that really really loved it - maybe I am mistaken - but not as much feedback energy wise from the crowd as I would expect. and THEN - the guitarist and saxophonist opened the last tune with a duet section that was beyond my capability to describe (as is most of this stuff) with Rainey eventually joining with his right hand in place of a drum stick and the left with a drum stick - developed what could be patented Rainey groove (but of course unlike the others he played earlier - slower less than mid tempo - almost a dirge but not quite - loping somewhat like a power balld as the whole band extended the tune another 7 or 8 minutes to a fine close. had to go - wife was tired - I yearned for the second set but it was not to be. not sure the band is great - maybe it could be - but the featured guys are that - great great jazz musicians who make a mockery of the idea that this music is out of ideas and energy. I guess I gotta see the trio of Malaby-Helias-Rainey as everytime I see Malaby he seems to be a better player or maybe it is me. This night he was on fire - all I needed was another hour, I guess I gotta let that go. peace and blessings as always

Mario Pavone Sextet @ Cornelia Street -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9:00PM & 10:30PM MARIO PAVONE: ARC SUITE MUSIC Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Dave Ballou, cornet; Craig Taborn, piano; Michael Pavone, guitar; Matt Wilson, drums; Mario Pavone, bass, compositions All except Michael Pavone who was replaced by.... A guy walks up to the stage and we noticed a second tenor saxophone and since we didn't see Dave Ballou the thought was that there may be a second saxophone in place of the trumpet. Well Dave showed up and there was no guitarist. I asked the guy at the next table if he recognized the guy and the answer was not a clue and the guy I asked was a known supsect who attends many fo these shows - I find out later huis name if Felipe (sp?) and I kept forgetting his last name and his son ended up being the only table close to our side of the tiny stage than us. I still don't remember his last name - to cut to what is important/ First two tunes are OK with the band trying to settle in as they have never played these tunes before - I think maybe Taborn and the aforementioned saxophonist were very unfamiliar with the charts - and new saxophone guy (who is probably 50 something!) takes a nice freeish energy solo during one of those tunes and it works nicely - by the third track which I think is called Poles the band starts hitting it's mark - ensemble is tighter and the horns and especially the pianist is playing nicely within the confines of what are sometimes a bit cumbersome compositions. They played a great softer piece towards the middle of the first set and Matt Wilson unique non-traditional seemingly non-swign style starts to fit the band. Malaby played a few nice things - especially on soprano during the quieter piece. The the NSG (new saxophone guy) takes what intially seems like a free jazz solo that may be out of contect but he gets Wilson and Taborn really going as well as the wonderous Dave Ballou - the band fucking is ignited. great end to the first set - can't wait for more second set starts slowly with a simple tune that features Ballou on a nice solo - my wife's interest is ti a cornet or a trumpet? short and fat or long and thin - Dave confirmed TRUMPET - no EAR TRUMPET needed for my wife.... Next tune is another slower subdued thing that feature what I now know to call the *great* Craif Taborn on piano - only drawback is that no one can see the keys as the piano is facing the audience - we simply see his face but we hear an incredible mind numbing solo. Then they play the tune of the night - might have been 20-25 minutes (more?) with a dicey head that is a bit out of Pavone's compositional box so to speak - the band enjoys it immensely and as he is not wont to do - all the band members play solos (with great band interplay by horns, bass and drums throughout - starting with the NSG - and now he takes it to a whole new fucking level - jumping around and screaming through the horn - he is all over it and he gets the other horn players to break their poker faces and he gets Matt Wilson to really crank up the energy - Ballou comes in the play together and then Dave takes off - steaming and precise - and then Malaby *finally* for me plays a the kind of tenor saxophone solo that I have waiting to hear from him live - dissonant, melodic and tension filled with everything going on within the strucjture of the tunes that one could want of hear from a tenor saxophonists - in my mind it actually reminded me of Evan Parker playing within a melodic structure as the tension was biting and extreme and the power was supremely evident - I guess the NSG inspired him - wow. great little short tune to end the set and they were done after 45 minutes for the second set. great atmosphere and a great night of music. Dancer's Tales, baby

I think the later Waldron sound is *much* more unique as compared to the pre-sabbatical sound. The 80's and 90's material is the strongest to my ears - especially the material with Betsch, Schuller and Pepper.

I know, that is why I took the day off on Wed - I drive in from Jersey so if I work I would never get there in time to sit where I want to sit! enjoy tonight - back to work today. fwiw - the new Ware CD sounds good on my first spin