Steve Reynolds

The major or one major difference between the live concert I viewed from a musical perspective of the Kamasi Washington concert and the concerts I attend on a regular basis (besides the size of the crowd/venue) is that at the beginning of a concert that is quite 'avant-garde' or not something ears other than those into that sort of thing, there is a severe adjustment period for the ears, mind and heart that the vast majority of listeners can't or won't adjust to. This aspect of the music I love and prefer over all other musical forms (even other musics I love like rock, Dead, classic jazz, etc.) keeps it very marginalized / but this is what the music is. It is an aspect and result of truly dynamic improvised music. The Kamasi Washington music is melodic and grooved out right from the start. The "outsidish" playing comes within time based grooves and long portions of modal playing over these easy to listen to grooves. what I do wonder is what else will he do? And is his tenor solo *always* last and does it always end with a fanfare and screaming exalted end of show playing?

Watched a few of the videos. The music is alive and all the young guys love what they are playing. Good for them. Good for the music. Kamasi plays a nice pliable tenor that emotes like the dudes did back in the day which is much more refreshing than the straight laced guys who refuse to emote and keep it all between the lines. for me I'm just not that into the modal thing with the McCoyish long piano solos with that bass from back in the day. At some point I was but for whatever reason(s) I've personally much more interested in detailed improv jazz that uses or maybe doesn't depend on straight grooves or melodies. Not saying this as a value judgement but just that it is what cranks my wheel. Again this stuff - especially the 22 minute live piece with the full orchestra and singers is quite exciting and filled with an energy we've NEVER heard from the famous state sponsored organization of stultified "jazz". again - good for the band, the crowd who is loving it - and good for Mr. Washington. Since they are so obviously genuine, nothing but good comes from this. I have no doubt that some of the people who have "discovered" jazz via Kamasi Washington would like or love either/and/or the music that inspired him or current more aggressive freerer jazz. I believe that many of these people grooving to this stuff would get off on David S Ware's best performances or Hamid Drake with whoever or even musics that don't always hit the pocket and groove so quickly as this stuff does.

On my list to pick up as it is available for a fair price. Plus I love that it is early 1973 and has a version of "Here Comes Sunshine" which must be right about when they first played it as I don't believe Wake of the Flood had not even been release at that point. It's a great tune that they only performed live for a very short period of time. The two live versions I have from later in 1973 are both fantastic and the tune opens up for a great mid tempo improvisation.

$30.00 for Long Story Short is a steal. Musical combinations are found within these 5 discs not to be found anywhere else!

I work for Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. right across the street from the Alcoa plant. Not sure which plant is larger, but I think with all the expansions which continue, the Formosa plant is now one of the larger chemical operations in the country. The portion I'm associated with (PVC production) is large on a relative scale to other PVC plants but tiny relative to all the other various production plants within the enormous petrochemical complex. ps - with Vinyl records making a relative comeback, I sometimes feel guilty I own no turntable or any vinyl records

Victoria is close to Point Comfort, TX - the very small town that is the home to the largest Manufacturing plant of the company I work for. I visit ~ once a year. The idea and reality that Marilyn Crispell is playing in Victoria, TX is pretty mind boggling.

Been wanting to hear Karyobin for many years. Very glad to hear this news.

A pleasure to keep an eye on part of Billy's assorted drums while he brings the rest down stairs. No matter I just saw them, spine tingling for me to know Billy Mintz and Randy Peterson are setting up together on that little 'stage' they start early at about 8:50. When the volume decreases at about 10 minutes in a buzzing from a speaker (only Formanek has any wires) persist unbeknownst to the band. Thank whatever forces it stops at about 20 minutes as I thought that was what had the group stuck in mud or even quicksand. It was getting rough - as is the group's method or modus operandi both horns play in some sort of combination throughout a majority of the time and nothing was happening. Buzzing stops, band accelerates into the fucking maelstrom. 45 minutes in, I'm screaming. They somehow play another quarter hour with little let down. Randy sweating hard, Billy just keeps in cool and sweet except when they really go, they create the most unimaginable groove ever born to mankind. Never heard it so deep as last night. Second set is 65-70 minutes straight - better, meaner, more intense. Only a few passages finding their way. This should be the record. Finishes with Tony on soprano - his range last night as broad as it's ever been and his best playing in at least 14 months - since Adobe Trio fall of 2014. He's become sui generis - the growth and technique and sound is on another level from any of the other saxophonists I've seen over the past few years outside of Evan Parker. Really over the fucking top if one's ears are truly open. Not an easy listen, this band. No band I know has a rougher time getting to the spot than this one as it is thoroughly abstract lacking all song form, yet they are jazz all the way.

Cornelia Street Cafe tonight: Tony Malaby's Apparitions with Ben Gerstein, Michael Formanek, Billy Mintz and the *great* Randy Peterson as otherworldly as this band was a few months back, me thinks they might be taking to even another plane of somewhere tonight. I'm very blessed to be able see this band up close and personal one more time tonight. NOT for the faint of heart and definately NOT for the naysayers among you. Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

Extended Duos - 7 CD box KV/PNL + other luminaries Audio One - half of Chicago large ensemble live recording I could not pass up Po Music large group on okkadisk I've been pining for KV Resonance Ensemble: ARC

@ The Stone tonight: 8:00: Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee & Mat Maneri 10:00: Ken Vandermark, Ned Rothenberg, Havard Wiik & Tom Rainey good run of shows for KVs residency but I thought this was the one night for me

Despite the awful news, thanks for confirming this Mr. Kimbrough For me maybe the greatest pianist of the past 50 years despite the existence of Cecil Taylor. My biggest regret is not being able to see him live. The trio recording Not Two, Not One with Bley, Peacock and Motian is so great I sometimes had a hard time over the past 10 years listening to any other pianists in the classic piano trio format. At one time, I was listening to Paul Bley & Mal Waldron as far as post bop pianists, and no one else seemed to compare.

Thanks much for the comments, Larry Laubrock did start out as a bebop/changes style player. Our own Bev is more familiar with her earlier playing. What you found attractive about her playing is some sort of restraint. I find that her precision and clearly controlled playing creates it's own intensity, tension and energy. I often think that some of the best improvisation results from a focus within the music eschewing the "no holds barred" sort of free jazz that was much more common years back. In fact this type/sort of restrained or even much more playing is at the heart of my interest in SME, AMM and other non-jazz improvising that is of great interest to me (and others). Larry - you put a little finger on what might be driving my curiosity about what makes the trio of Rainey/Halvorson/Laubrock so fascinating - it really is jazz based and it is compositionally and even melodically centered - far different than the above smaller form improvisers where melody doesn't really exist in much of that music. Plus despite the seeming restraint and diamond like focus, things still get really hairy and loud at times but it comes from an organic place at most times and seems not to fit into that planned build sort of thing that was discussed on another thread recently.

Hal way through the second set after the awe inspiring second piece, Rainey grabs the microphone and says "I love this band" not a post mortem per se, but I think all three know they were really on for that second set.

Deserves it's own thread for sure. Not sure anyone is capable of describing what they do - certainly a trained musicians or even simply an experienced listener like me can try and I will try to give just a little bit of my experience from the other night. first set starts slow first 15 to 18 minute improvisation has the trio in full warm up mode. Nice playing with Ingrid on tenor finds me wanting to hear something to get my sensors going. Nothing happening despite crisp typical Rainey drumming sticks only but I'm dying just a bit inside thinking this is all it is tonight. Second piece ends or climaxes in a strong tenor-drum duet with some real intensity with the guitar being heard but not yet felt in the way it usually does for me with Mary. They continue with Ingrid on soprano with the guitar finding its place in the music but the intensity falters. They close with a very intense 5 minute jam which has Halvorson guitar at peak level of intensity with Rainey cranking it up like I like it. Second set starts at 10:15. By the second piece with Laubrock grabbing the soprano with the tenor still locked in, the trio played as intuitive expressive and maybe most importantly as cliche free and fresh improv as I've heard this past year. Between 10:30 and a bit past 11:00, I'm in musical nirvana. The combined power of the two woman is mind numbing. Mary Halvorson, for me, is the most exciting guitarist alive and I was blessed to be 5 feet away. Ingrid Laubrock IS the real deal. Maybe a visit by some to see this trio in person is the antidote to some sort of misconception. And Tom Rainey leads it, they rock out, almost swing, eschew the norm and create magic. yes - NO musical descriptions - only how it made me feel - very very grateful to hear GIANTS who walk this earth up close and personal. Would love a technically advanced kinda dude one day describe how they create instant song form and apparently use compositional ideas to improvise like they do but for now I will settle for the idea of just a little genius at work in all three. Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

Re-read these and I guess Hamid is again my wife's favorite drummer.... just trying gather some thoughts about last night

Maybe I'll have a report at some point this weekend regarding the two sets last night maybe even including a comment of two regarding Ms. Laubrock. I will say that I'm glad that I again stayed for the second set despite some mixed emotions/thoughts about the first set.

Now about 75 to 90 minutes away from Rainey, Laubrock & Halvorson kind of amazed I made it to the show tonight

Looks like I'm going to my first of the annual 12/30 Cornelia Street Cafe shows that have featured the great Tom Rainey Trio for maybe 6 years or so. Very difficult for me to make a show at the end of the month during the week, let alone the second to last day of the year, but it sure looks like I'm gonna make it tomorrow for Rainey with Ingrid Laubrock and the wonderous Mary Halvorson. I've seen the trio three times, I think, and they've been very good all the way to astounding. I try to keep my expectations in check but I know when I'm a few feet from this intimate yet sometimes explosive trio, I'm just a little bit fired up. Always a Pleasure

Was it just a duo, Larry? I will give the guy another chance. I don't know if you recall my comments regarding a trio concert (2 sets) with Irabagon, Mary Halvorson & Nasheet Waits. Something to the effect of makes lots of sound, fingers move fast, makes fancy sounds but my wife said afterward that it should have been a guitar/drum duet with the above two great musicians.

Rumbling is tremendous. Smaller group playing tunes. Their output runs from free improvisations to compositions by various musicians in and out of the band. Unlike some others, I've never warmed to the 67-70 disc. I'd rather you tube some of those awesome videos and watch the fucking maelstrom. Nothing ever like the early shows with these monster radical dudes. Watch all but really watch Bennink & Brotzmann. Baden Baden is very good and again song based, but alas, I've never heard Pearls and will not until it ever it comes out on CD - I'm not a download person. I will be ordering the 2002 & 2006 recordings early next year (the 2002 disc was back-ordered on my recent order).

Same here plus many on the list I don't have that I will get

I want the Agusti Fernandez box very badly

Too many to count but maybe the following might be most lasting: two Conference Call 2 CD sets on Not Two introducing me to Gebhard Ullman and reintroducing me to Michael Jefry Stevens a few real good fairly recent Brotzmann small group records / especially The Damage is Done. Rodrigo Amado's The Flame Alphabet which has me loving and buying a few other recordings by the great saxophonist. Nate Wooley's Battle Pieces - drummer less jazz based improv not really my sweet spot but this one is something else. Steve Swell's Kanreki which is *the* release of the year for me. Astounding from start to finish. Only complaint is that at least 4 of those ensembles could make great enough music to release 2 CDs each.

One last one (thanks Larry) ICP @ Roulette playing all Misha Mengelberg compositions. Special guests were Mary Halvorsen and Marcus Rojas. Highlighted musicians for me this time were Rojas, Baars and as always, the *great* Han Bennink