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Steve Reynolds

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  2. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    20 hours ago, mjazzg said:

    Whoa! Saw them several times way back when. Hope they still cut it

    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

  4. RIP Charles Gayle (1939-2023)

    in Artists

    Posted

    Set two / has to heard to be believed. But it’s not an easy listen. Gayle isn’t easy music. 

    Ending of the first long 33 minute section with Charles screaming while on piano is an all-time moment. The audience is stunned. What Edwards plays earlier in the piece is beyond impossible and stunningly brilliant. Then it almost turns boppish for a bit.
    The second closing piece starts as a free ballad with Gayle’s piano growing on me. Edwards again is mesmerizing. From bow to fingers (and he’s recorded so well here). No one plays the bass like this. Peaking madly at 7-8 minutes in. Beautiful. 

    Almost a waltz as they near the end. Then it’s not. 
     

    Charles speaks. “It is YOU who makes this music” “Without YOU this couldn’t happen”

    ”YOU pushed me to the edge” 

     

    RIP to a very special soul


     

     

  5. RIP Charles Gayle (1939-2023)

    in Artists

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    Seasons Changing might be the last Gayle album / certainly a great moment in time / for sure a major event that in different musical environment might be now be receiving plaudits. 

    But as always with *this* music, it’s ignored and simply not even commented upon. It never was.

    2 CD set recorded live on November 15, 2017 at Cafe Oto with the *great* John Edwards and the equally incredible Mark Sanders. Both are among the greatest ever on their respective instruments. 

    disc one has Gayle starting on alto saxophone / three performances although playing as a 43 minute set. 22 minutes on alto, then a blistering 12 minute piece with Gayle playing alto with a faculty that belies his age. His playing is often coarse and even difficult.
    Then Charles on piano with Edwards on the bow. Still hard to have a commentary on his piano explorations. But it sure gets gorgeous a few minutes in which is a surprise. An elegy to something.

    The bass/drum tandem drives the music fiercely as this duo is wont to do in the right circumstances. Fantastic yet raw recording as well. 

    comments on set two later as I’m revisiting it now.

  15. Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread

    in New Releases

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    577 records

    New Playfield as with all volumes get repeated listens 

    CollapseUnCollapse with Mark Sanders, Chris Mapp & Andrew Woodhead

    Fathom with John Butcher, Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash & Steve Noble

    Secret Handshake with Danger volume 2

    Towards the Flame with Robert Mitchell, Neil Charles & Mark Sanders / incredible 

    All the new Matchless recordings will be played often. Prevost full power at 80. Duo with Rowe (AMM) from July 2022 at Cafe Oto is priceless. The previous 3 CD box with Rowe, Tilbury & Prevost is extraordinary. Then again I’m an AMM fanatic and a true believer in all things Keith Rowe.

    most of the newish erstwhile recordings will be played often. Big fan of Vanessa Rossetto. Can’t listen enough as well as Graham Lambkin. 
     

    aerophonic

    Harvesters with Rempis’ double drummer quartet

    Earscratcher with Lonberg-Holm, Harnik & Daisy

    Scylla with Ra, Baker & Abrams

     

     

  16. Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread

    in New Releases

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    Let’s try - post pandemic recordings and especially live shows the best I’ve ever experienced over the last 12 months. 

    The McPhee/Knuffke recording on Fundacja is the best free jazz record I’ve heard in a few years. Long which usually is tough but I find myself playing it often. Jay Rosen is stunning on this recording as is Michael Bisio. Impossible to put words to how great this session was & is. 78 minute / like a classic double LP. Plus one MUST hear Buffalos. MUST. 

    quartet with Ivo Perelman & Ray Anderson - 2 CD set surprised me with it’s freshness. Again older school free jazz but I cannot get enough also Fundacja 

    Matanzas on Relative Pitch with Steve Baczkowski, Brandon Lopez & Gerald Cleaver - astounding 

    Red Planet / quartet on Relative Pitch 2 saxes & 2 drummers Marco Colonna & Edoardo Marraffa on saxophones. As good an interplay as I saw Saturday night with James McKain on tenor & Signe Emmeluth on alto with Brandon Lopez & Sofia Borges. Maybe THAT set will show up on CD as it was professionally recorded. Fwiw NOBODY here in New York is playing bass on the level of Brandon Lopez. Committed. 

    Likht - duo with gabby fluke-mogul & Nava Dunkelman / again on Relative Pitch / can’t get enough of this 

    Crying in space / Mette with Flaherty in a quartet with Corsano / burning - again relative pitch 

    more later from other labels!!

    wait until we hear the Chuck Roth recordings!!!!

  17. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    Last night

    Tim Berne with Greg Belisle-Chi, Tom Rainey & Aurora Nealand

    Aurora on accordion & clarinet on one song

    extraordinary set. Best of the Berne Thursday night shows I’ve seen this year. (The Sun of Goldfinger night with David Torn & Ches Smith excluded as that is another level shit / that night was like fucking Can peaking).
     

    first 42-43 minutes 3-4 Berne compositions segued / stunning power & imagination. As great as Rainey usually is, last night he was beyond that. And the accordion / my jah is she incredible.
    Belisle-Chi is a great guitarist who is so attuned to Berne’s music. Such a pleasure to see these Berne shows once or twice a month this year. Plus Berne is playing at a peak level these days. I’ve never heard these pieces before. Last 12 minute composition/performance pure genius on many levels. 

  18. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    Lucian Ban Tuba Project 

    with 

    Alex Harding on baritone saxophone

    Mat Maneri on viola 

    Bob Stewart on tuba

    Brandon Lewis on drums 

    incredible

    6 hours ago, colinmce said:

    Great performance by Joe McPhee, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, and Stefan Gonzalez in Dallas last night. Joe was as spry and lively as ever, playing as inimitably as ever. Truly a gift to share the room with him. 

    SO glad you got to experience Joe McPhee live. My guess is tenor & pocket trumpet?

  22. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

    That's interesting, I've thought that Reid's compositions have stood out right from the beginning. Her Hairy Who album was 2012.

    Just now, Steve Reynolds said:

    Oh I agree. I’m talking about other “composers” who might be served better by improvising more. Not a popular opinion but I’d rather hear Ingrid *play* than some of her more stately compositions. Also would rather hear Kris Davis with Borderline trio doing long form improv than some of her compositionally based music. Sometimes it’s just too academic or studied for my taste. Mary sometimes as well. 
     

     

  23. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    The Tomeka Reid quartet set was stunning. I had the “Mary” seat 7 feet from her without the music stand blocking my view. Not meaning to compare but as great as Mary was (and is), Tomeka’s improvisational and melodic gifts are from another planet. From small form crunchy improv to melodic soloing I’m not sure she can be matched. Stunning performance. Plus I’m usually not easily impressed with current compositions by most / but Tomeka’s newest (premiered last night - and they are recording today in the studio) are even better than the compositions premiered this past spring. Or what’s on the 2 recordings. 3 extended pieces totaling ~53 - 54 minutes or so. 

  24. What live music are you going to see tonight?

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted · Edited by Steve Reynolds

    10 hours ago, mjazzg said:

    That's a great combination, hope you enjoy it

    Not really my thing but it wonderful. Started with a stately theme (was a Muhal composition) veered to mostly quiet but often arresting improvisation dialogue and ended with another piece of written music. 55 minutes of continuous music. As always I was very close to the musicians. No amplification used.    

    Very impressed with Hawkins. Great touch with stunning use of dynamics He’s was very friendly and spent much time after speaking with a number of us. His first NYC appearance. 

    will see Tomeka Saturday night with her quartet with Mary, Jason Roebke & Tomas Fujiwara. Missing gabby fluke-mogul who is playing with a trio in Brooklyn. Tough decisions. I’m missing Matana Roberts with Brandon Lopez & Fujiwara tonight as I have a commitment. 
     

    Glorious time for live music in NYC just in time for my 8/31 retirement:)

    10 hours ago, mjazzg said:
    10 hours ago, mjazzg said:

     

     

    10 hours ago, mjazzg said:
    10 hours ago, mjazzg said:
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