Steve Reynolds

Ellery Eskelin Trio @ Cornelia St Cafe Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone Gary Versace: organ Nasheet Waits: drums @ Cornelia Street Cafe sitting about 5 feet from the bass drum and 6 feet from the bell of Ellery Eskelin's horn wanted to stay for the second set but my wife was a little tired - but she thinks the band would sell millions if anyone ever heard them - and she watches American Idol.... she is in love with Nasheet Waits and told him on the way out that he is greatest drummer she ever heard she might be close - at least last night... best organ trio alive today - maybe the best ever??!!?? slow start followed by what was I think was Bemsha Swing or Bye-A but my Monk listening and song recognition is way out of shape - but whatever it was the next 10 - 12 minutes exposed a band that is without peers in what they do - and I think Ellery told me afterwards that this was the first set they played - or maybe one of the first times they played - Ellery looked to have a set list of about 15 tunes on a scrap paper on the floor and I don't think Gary Versace had anything in front of him as they tore through the music. What might have been Body and Soul or another old warhorse (I can't to this day tell an old ballad from another but that's my ears or lack of them from that respect) was next without a break and it was a slight letdown from the first half of the first half of the set (the set was two 31 to 32 minute sections). Then then then..... then they went into something else and something else mostly groove based where they all took the music to dramatic heights with Ellery & Gary playing at a very high technical level without an ounce of flash - when the organ and drums combines at times it was more than incendiary and made one think this music had just been invented when in most respects it was of forms that have existed for decades. The last groove based portion was very powerful and I was transfixed and as inspired as I have been for quite some time. who is that man on the organ!!!!!??????? holy shit! can I say lordy lordy?? As we left I told Ellery that it was the greatest organ trio on par with Larry Young's Unity band (yes I know that was a quartet) but what the hell - a damn great band and damn fine night out for the both of us. picked up the last Eskelin-Parkins-Black CD on hatology and damn does that bring back some great memories - can't wait to hear the classi trio and I hope they play somewhere here in NYC next year.... but for now over and out... One Great Night, baby

The Fall: Our Future Your Clutter

liking Rocking on the Rhein - great sound and the piano sounds wonderful I often like the band with just the 1 drummer still not liking the 1989 sets as much as a couple of friends - Without a Net and the new 3 CD and DVD from JFK - Myland is just too busy and the band sometimes noodles... for me I like the Hartford 1977 (with a great Terrapin) and the dicks picks from March 24, 1973 as much as anything I have

I'm sure Hank had to play to because he was caught in the grips of addiction for what was probably a very long time. I think the last thing he was doing with the money is paying hospital bills - this would be too much to ask for someone who probably was looking of a few bucks to get straight. There wasn't much help for addicts in the 50's through the 70's for guys like him. For me I know quite a few survivors (not jazz musicians - but guys from the streets of NY & New Jersey from the 60's & 70's) and I will see a few of them @ 10:00 A.M. this morning - I know one guy who knew Jackie McLean and a few others. A sad ending to fine legacy - that as many escaped from it or got help is the real story for me. I believe that a former member of another bbs used to see Hank on the stress and it inspired him to find out and fall in love with this music. RIP, Hank and Sonny and Art and the rest of the fallen heroes the love I have for these guys is more special because of what has happened to me - I fell in love with all of them when my addiction took off and the love I have for them is increased tenfold since I was able to surrender and find a new way of life almost 6 years ago. peace and blessings Lost Life, RIP when at the end of the road....

thanks, BFrank will be seeing Threadgill's Zooid on Nov 13th @ Roulette in NYC

the disease of addiction is a liar and thief thanks for posting this - bittersweet to hear it

looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Zooid, BFrank as I have the band on my upcoming events calendar....

allen - btw - I saw darius Jones last year with a poorish band but he was terrific maybe no Thomas Chapin but wonderful nonetheless

Vitamin C - Can

Brotzmann Tentet + 2: Stone Water

denial is a bitch especially with the girl peace and blessings

I saw Mark Sanders in NYC with Evan Parker, Drew Gress and Tim Berne in May 2001 2 sets knitting factory main space 2nd set through the roof!!! - Sanders is one of my favorite 3 or 4 drummers - along with Drake, Bennink, Lovens, Cyrille, Hemingway, etc ask him about the trip - I think he was touring with Jah Wobble if I recollect

Tony Malaby quartet & 9 or 10 piece band on Sunday Tom Rainey drumming with the bigger band and Nasheet Waits with the quartet @ cornelia street cafe - NYC

Alexander - I would love to see Alex Ward come to NYC one day with Mark Sanders and Simon H Fell - plus you of course havn't kept up as much recently with newer recordings but I have a great CD on red toucan that explodes out of the player

John Carter Pee Wee Russell Jimmy Hamilton Marty Ehrlich - when i saw him live last year with Bobby Bradford he tore the roof off when he picked up the stick Joe Maneri - seeing him live 5 or 6 times puts much of this in perspective Eric Dolphy - not often did he play the b-flat but when he did...

please - too busy on the horn? didn't play well in the upper echelons of the horn?? try the track A Drunken Monkey on Menagerie Dreams - it is a study of restraint and power. Sky Piece is filled with restrained yet powerful alto and flute throughout the record.

was Thomas Chapin mentioned anywhere here? I love many alto players especially Dolphy, Lyons, Lake, Mclean and many of the others Thomas Chapin was as great as any of them Sky Piece, baby and never forget Joe Maneri who is more known for the tenor - but he may have been even more expressive on the alto saxophone. oh - yes on the post above mine but it is worrisome that so many other truly lesser talants are mentioned more often add Julius Hemphill & Michael Moore to the top tier players for me

I have a great trio disc with Mark Dresser & Jim Black - on DIW

The Tri-Centric Foundation, and co-producers Darmstadt Institute, are proud to announce the performance schedule for "Tri Centric Modeling: Past, Present and Future," a two-night benefit concert event celebrating the legacy of esteemed saxophonist/composer/educator Anthony Braxton in honor of his 65th birthday. Proceeds from these performances will benefit the Tri-Centric Foundation, a newly revived not-for-profit organization dedicated to realizing Braxton's most ambitious projects, documenting and distributing his writings and recordings online, and inspiring younger generations of creative artists to pursue their own visions with the kind of idealism and integrity he has demonstrated throughout his long and distinguished career. Friday, June 18th at (Le) Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Street in New York, NY Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance; $45 day of the show VIP tickets (priority seating, autographed CD and access to private Braxton workshop) are $180 http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1240 6:00 :: Invocation by Matt Welch 6:15 :: Steve Coleman & Jonathan Finlayson 6:45 :: Richard Teitelbaum 7:15 :: Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings 7:50 :: John Zorn/Dave Douglas/Brad Jones/Gerry Hemingway 8:25 :: Marilyn Crispell/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway 9:00 :: Anthony Braxton 12+1tet Saturday, June 19th at ISSUE Project Room 232 3rd Street in Brooklyn, NY Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 day of the show http://issueprojectroom.org/2010/04/20/braxton-at-65/ 6:15 :: Excerpt from Trillium E 6:45 :: Andrew Raffo Dewar Interactions Quartet East 7:15 :: Taylor Ho Bynum & SpiderMonkey 5 7:45 :: Excerpt from Trillium E 8:30 :: James Fei & Chris Jonas 9:00 :: Tyshawn Sorey Quartet 9:30 :: Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone

the great Waldron discs from The Utopia with Jim Pepper from 1986 plus the phenomenal recording Mal, Verve, Black & Blue with Nicolas Simion on tenor from 1993 or so amazing that these recordings are rarely mentioned

The *great* Papa Joe Maneri

I disagree, Chuck but the other guy, maybe the most important saxophonist, IMO, of the past 25 years is the late, great Joe Maneri if not - who are the guys, Chuck?

in my mind since Roscoe and then Evan took circular breathing to new places many years ago - the microtonal or smaller sounds created by guys like Jon Butcher or Urs Leimgruber or Bhob Rainey may be the most innovative things done with the saxophone. but I would add Mats Gustaffson as one who incorporates massive techniques in some or all of these areas. But I do believe the bass has undergone the most profound of changed sound and place in the music in the hands of the masters of this sort of improvisation playing aand dd Simon H Fell to my list

and granted the innovations of Blanton, Mingus, Pettiford et al were more profound - but there was little to build on my point may be that of all the 'jazz instruments' the upright bass is the one where the most radical and technically advanced innovations have happened over the past 40 years.

they never took the bass to the same places different music 50 -75 years ago Allen - have you seen these guys play live? I'm speaking of any of the guys/ladies I mentioned? They play the bass in a manner unknown to nay of the players mentioned - even Richard Davis or even the *great* Dave Holland. or listen to Parker-Guy-Lytton - At The Vortex and get an idea. the technique and diversity is way beyond traditional playing of the upright bass.