Steve Reynolds

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.

Tonight Tim with Matt Mitchell (electric keys), Brandon Seabrook & Tim Angelo second set exploded when bass drum pedal broke. Mat & Randy were going to play a free duo piece / instead as the staff went to get a back up pedal, Mat says “one minute bass solo, Brandon!” Lopez destroyed the world in a minute. Drum/viola followed with the great men reaching levels unknown to this world. Final composed piece surpassed everything with Lucian on another level mixing inside piano & the keyboard unlike anyone I’ve seen. Wowza. it goes without saying that Randy Peterson is the greatest drummer I know. Can play more with one cymbal than most drummers can play with a whole kit. Stunning every fucking time. No groove like Randy’s. Deepest swing on the planet at tempos often slower than the thickest goo ever produced. Slow, slower and slowest. Adding Brandon Lopez to this trio has manifested in the most unique oblique group I know of. Mat strongest performance I’ve seen from him in a few years and there is no musician I see play live as often as Mat.

Second set I just got home from among the greatest sets of music I’ve ever seen. speechless

Berne plays at Lowlands in Brooklyn most Thursdays. This week with Matt Mitchell, Brandon Seabrook & Tim Angelo. I plan on being there. 3-4 feet away. I’ve seen Tim about 10 times this year at this tiny bar. He walks there from his home. He often brings high profile players like Michael Formanek (last week) and Chris Potter (the week before). Great to hear Potter solely on bass clarinet tearing it up. Oscar Noriega is often with him as well. Amazing clarinet player. I’ve seen David Torn there twice with him as well. Plus Ches Smith who is as incredible as Rainey is in a far different way. No CD’s yet with Belisle-Chi but there is download with Tim, Gregg & Rainey on Bandcamp with many of the songs they play live. I have not listened. Wooley’s Columbia Icefield has 2 releases. With Mary Halvorson, Susan Alcorn & Ryan Sawyer. They are both great. Mutual Aid Music 2 releases / single CD and 3 CD box. Very demanding music. tonight Mat Maneri’s Quartet with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the *great* Randy Peterson for 2 sets at Jazz Gallery in Manhattan. Saturday night Fred Frith with Zeena Parkins. Next Wednesday Fred with Nava Dunkelman and 2 other woman string players I’m unfamiliar with. Golden time for live music in New York. I’ve been going to 10-12 shows a month this past year. Glorious.

Just a thought If “Coming Down the Mountain” or “Dahabenzapple” came out today, it would still be as current as anything today. Both are now 30 years old. Still the greatest jazz recordings I know of. Seeing Mat Maneri again next week with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the *great* Randy Peterson

Tim Berne with Gregg Belisle-Chi, Michael Formanek & Jeff Davis Belisle-Chi is turning into a huge favorite. His growth this year playing most Thursdays with Tim has been great to experience as I’ve probably seen him on 8 or 9 of the gigs this year. Michael Formanek should be perfect for this music.

Amazing. I’ve listened to it 4-5 times over the last month.

Nate Wooley Mutual Aid Music with Matt Moran, gabby fluke-mogul and more at Roulette in Brooklyn

Tim’s band last night played a stunning 90 minute set. Potter on bass clarinet & Noriega on b-flat clarinet were both great. Berne has never played better than when I’ve seen him previously than he did last night. For years I didn’t see him often as his music has often frustrated me. I’ve seen him probably 8 to 10 times this year on his regular Thursday night gig. I’ve turned the corner. A number of brand new compositions mixed in with tunes he’s been playing this whole year. Segues, collective improv and burning hot solos from the horns & Belisle-Chi on guitar. Last night’s set would have made a great old school double LP live album.

Of course I understand that but I was never once hypnotized. Some dynamics would only add to that effect. But as I am wont to say to my friends, “they never made a statue for a critic!“ Two friends of mine are going to see them tonight in Philadelphia. I’m very curious to hear their reaction.

Last night Ben Vida with Yarn/Wire Natural Information Society both MUCH less impressive than I expected BV with Yarn/Wire almost all composed with vocals (with some fine harmonies) but 80% of the 50 minute set was singing NIS is just too static rhythmically (I knew this going in) but I hoped they would generate some real energy live and it never happened. Ari Brown, Jason Stein, Darius Jones & Josh Berman were all great but alas without any peaking by the static boring drummer, nothing truly exciting happened during the over long 85 minute set. Great venue (Pioneer Works) with a great sound system but please play the fucking drum kit!!! Drive the horn players, PLEASE!!!!! Impressive from some perspective I suppose but something like Tim Berne tonight with Greg Belisle-Chi, Oscar Noriega, Chis Potter, Eivand Opsik & Jeff Davis will be infinitely more invigorating to these ears.

Last night solo set from Brandon Lopez on double bass / first half of the 40 to 42 minute set sans bow, the second half exclusivity with it. OMG. trio set with Michael Attias on alto saxophone, Kenneth Jimenez on double bass & Randy Peterson on drums. Drum kit was ride cymbal, splash cymbal, snare, small tom, larger tom & bass drum. He could play the cymbals alone and carry a group. Attias was wonderful, young bassist was in a bad spot following Lopez but he held his own. 40-41 minute improvisation followed by a sublime 12-13 minute coda to the set. Randy Peterson remains the most unique and for my $$$, the best jazz drummer on the planet. I’ve been listening to him live and on record now for 25 years and every time I see him I’m stunned. No one plays remotely like him and I just wish more people would take some time to listen to this musical genius of the drum kit. Get Ready to Receive Yourself

Plus Michael Foster with Brandon Lopez & Joey Sullivan on 9/24. This trio is absolute fire!!!

Saw them last fall from far away in the Balcony of the 3,000 seat Kings theatre in Brooklyn. It was good. Last night on the rail. Spectacular. I was 20 feet from Stephen Malkmus. Back holding up / I’ve had bad back problems since June. Trying to go for the last of the 4 nights tomorrow night. Seeing Zoh Amba with Steve Gunn, Shahzad Ismaily & Jim White on Sunday 9/17. Saw the group in July. They were great. Also playing is a duo of Lee Renaldo & Booker Stardum. Trying to squeeze in Mat Maneri’s Quartet with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez & Randy Peterson on Saturday 9/16. Natural Information Society on 9/20 with guests Darius Jones & Ari Brown. Last saw Ari Brown on January 7, 1999 at The Velvet Lounge / the day Fred Hopkins died. Oteil & Friends at Capital Theatre on Saturday 9/23