Steve Reynolds

I believe I’ll be at the Jazz Gallery this spring at full capacity. Missed Henry Threadgill this month as I just didn’t feel like it’s the right time. I think the evidence of the lesser severity is clear. What is not known if it’s 30 or 50 or even 70 to 90% less severe. Vaccinated and vaccinated & boosted people are still simply not ending up in hospitals at anything other than very very old or immunocompromised. That was mostly the case with delta. With omicron it will be even less / how much less as a percentage of cases is the question. Check the numbers in England 10 days from now and here in the States in a month.

I’m very optimistic that Omicron being so contagious is the way out. So many people are going to get covid that I believe the cases in England and then 4-5 weeks later in the US will drop very sharply. Maybe by mid and then late January or early February in the US. I’ll check back here in a couple of months and hopefully I’m correct. plus all evidence is that omicron is multiples less deadly. Within 2 weeks we will know pretty much how much less deadly as the hospitalization and death numbers come in from Great Britain. Seems to me especially a huge percentage of young people who are unvaxxed will get it and therefore immunity for some period of time. Huge case numbers will happen in the states - probably 400 to 500K per day by mid January (reported - actual according to experts probably at least 3-4 times that - especially since the asymptomatic cases of young people and fully vaxxed/boosted is very very high as a percentage)

Either as low as 10-12% or possibly as high as 25-30% for a non KF-94 or non KN95 or N95. but they also help protect the mask wearer to some extent as well. non KF94 or non KN95 or N95 mask wearing somewhere 10 times less effective than vaccination. Fwiw there is a pro-mask anti-vaxx slice of society that I discovered at an urban area recovery meeting a few months back. True insanity that.

I will say this. Even though many people in this country are fully vaxxed and not yet boostered and most are now beyond the 6 months time frame since their second shots, the rate of hospitalization of those people is still TEN times less per 100,000 people than unvaxxed and death rates are far lower than that. The power and effectiveness of the Pfizer & Moderna two shot regimen is still being undervalued. Really up until this point here in the US it’s very VERY rare for a fully vaccinated (without a booster) to end up in an ICU unless they are very old or immunocompromised. Why the argument that vaxxed and unvaxxed should be treated the same way is foolish, IMO.

The statement that the Pfizer booster is only good for 2 months simply isn’t true. All evidence is that the Pfizer & Moderna boosters are expected to provide a strong effect against covid (including Omicron) for upwards of 8 months or more.

Kevin - there are so many more activities that are more dangerous than Covid is to children - 24 deaths over a 16 month plus period is a tiny number. Swimming is exponentially more dangerous. So is putting a child in a driving car. There is no middle ground if this is the response to my thoughtful post. I think the data you shared proved a point.

The only overreach is asking young children (5-11) to be vaccinated to enter public places. Especially since the vaccine for those young children isn’t even fully approved yet. And even though it does reduce spread it isn’t clear how much - and children of that age are not that susceptible in any significant way to serious illness everything else is common sense - and this is from someone who is no liberal. I’m all for freedom but public health supersedes it. But lockdowns when vaccines almost eliminate any chance of serious illness or death is another kind of insanity. So there is a middle ground.

All understood. Hopeful that getting omicron creates some immunity versus delta. Most experts believe it will. I do believe there is more evidence than not that omicron on an individual basis is much less dangerous than previous strains. The obvious issue will be the massive amount of cases that will happen worldwide over the next few months. Big hope/dream is the long awaited turn towards herd immunity/endemic result.

And the VAST majority of those deaths will continue to be unvaccinated people. Or very old or immunocompromised. We will know within 7-10 days based on England’s situation of Omicron is indeed 75 to 90% less dangerous than delta which is what the most hopeful data indicates on what we know right now.

The 72 & 73 shows sound MUCH better. The November Austin TX show issued on Road Trips also sounds much better. Phil’s bass just doesn’t come through like it should on the 71 shows. Rest assured Phil Lesh sounds incredible on all 5 shows from 72 & 73. Tremendous performances and great sound via Bear (72) & Kidd (73).

Was just listening to this quartet yesterday. Love when Baker plays his synths/electronics. Maybe my favorite Rempis group along with the quartet with Wooley, Niggenkemper & Corsano. Two very different groups. Rempis plays only with the best. enjoy the show, Chuck

Flow Generations Quartet Oliver with Joe Fonda on bass Michael Jefry Stevens on piano Emil Gross on drums recorded live on 10/30/2015 in Germany having truly amazing musicians like Stevens & Fonda with a good young drummer elevate this one - plus a great recording. Tunes by Lake (2), Stevens (3) & Fonda (2) Not Two records

Trio 3 Live in Wiilsau is awesome from early in their time as a band - 1992 I believe. Later Trio 3 recordings can be hit or miss. Oliver has really one kind of mode of playing and he’s certainly not as fluent as Arthur Blythe nor as subtle as Henry Threadgill. But that one thing can be energetic and powerful when it works. A couple of the Trio 3 shows that I’ve seen were pretty damn good but usually Andrew was the driving force in concert with the somewhat simple understated playing by the great Reggie Workman. Helluva groove they can get to - plus some of the tunes are really good and often unique (especially the drummer’s compositions)

My wife and I received our Pfizer boosters in late September 6 months and 3 days after our 2nd shots.

Today I don’t listen to that much jazz from the mid 50’s to early 60’s (golden age for many) but when I do it’s often Hank Mobley. I love all of it - especially sessions like this one.

Last night Phil Lesh & Friends at Capital Theatre in Port Chester, NY 2 great sets - 2 hours & 45 minutes of music. Very emotional to be back seeing Phil live in person. He will be 82 on 3/15/2022. He’s playing very well and the group with him (10/29, 10/30 & tonight) is wonderful. Great singers and guitarists complimenting the legend. Especially his son Grahame and the 2 featured singers Nicki Blum & M. T. Taylor. Nicki singing lead on the encore “Brokedown Palace” was spectacular. Then again with the Hunter/Garcia songbook it’s hard to go wrong. As usual Phil played many of the great Dead classics that Jerry sang. Deal, Bird Song, Uncle John’s Band, Eyes of the World, Dupree’s Diamond Blues & Shakedown Street were all played last night.

Glad Larry mentioned Wierbos. Long time favorite with ICP and as a member of Available Jelly and Gerry Hemingway’s great European 90’s Quintet. I’m a big listener to many listed above but Jeb Bishop stands out. Small groups and as a member of the great Brotzmann Tentet. Ray Anderson is less visible the past 5-10 years but some of the live shows I’ve seen with him over the past 20 years were incredible. For current NYC based players Ben Gerstein is at the top of my list. Very unique player. I miss the shows badly to see guys like Swell, Gerstein & Ray.

Maybe correct - personally much more interested in long form group (small or large) improvisation. In other words, can the band create for an hour or even more at a time? If they incorporate some notated materials (like Tyshawn Sorey’s Pillars) that’s great as well.

Seconds on John Carter - listened to “Fields” the other day seems Iverson needs to prove he is “in the know”. To my ears and eyes he’s another guy stuck in the historical “narrative”. I know he’s not American but I give you Agusti Fernandez for long form composition and group collective improvisation. Ethan would be surprised to know he exists, I think - and he plays the same piano Iverson plays except far better.

He sure likes to talk a lot

Matt Mitchell & Kate Gentile: Snarkhorse 6 CD set with various wonderful musicians such as Ben Gerstein, Brandon Seabrook, Kim Cass & Mat Maneri I saw a version of this group in 2019 and they were incredible said to be all “1 bar” compositions / I’ve listened to the first 2 discs and if you like Mitchell’s previous group recordings you will love this stuff. Lots of grist on the mill.

I welcome the vaccine requirements. The masking not so much. I’m vaccinated plus a booster shot 3 weeks ago so I’m feeling secure and safe wherever I go.

Very glad you are experiencing live music. The rollout back to live here in NYC for this sort of music is very slow with too many restrictions, IMO. I miss this music madly.

Add Relative Pitch. Maybe almost as many woman as men! So many creative forces!!

Mujician: 10 10 10 - last recorded concert from 10/10/2010 Judson Trio with Joelle Leandre, Mat Maneri & Gerald Cleaver 2 CD set “Light and Dance” on Rogue Art. Disc 1 live & Disc 2 recorded in studio / in France January 2020 right before the pandemic changed the world. former sounds good but maybe a bit down from their peak in the mid to late 90’s latter is incredible - lots of mesmerizing subtle abstract improvising care of three of the greatest living improvisors