Steve Reynolds

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

Nice to see you love the Rempis, Wooley, Niggenkemper, Corsano disc, Clifford. One of my new favorites. the new 2 CD Steve Swell disc on Not Two fits the bill for brand new very successful free improvisation with various ensembles (despite the inclusion of one jazz tune on disc 1)

Big ommisions: two of the four Gerry Hemingway sets were among the best 4 or 5 sets of the year: Hemingway with Anthony Coleman & Marty Ehrlich - best saxophone/clarinet playing I heard this past year BassDrumBone - with Mark Helias & Ray Anderson. Rollicking, burning fun. perusing the other shows I attended to see if there were any other notable ommisions

1) The Turbine w/Steve Swell added for the second set. Harrison Bankhead, Bejamin Duboc, Ramon Lopez and Hamid Drake 2) Tony Malaby Apparitions - the set with 3 bassists 3) Nate Wooley - both quartet sets with Paul Lytton 4) Ideal Bread 5) Two Miles a Day - quartet with Jacob Saks, Eivand Opsik, Mat Maneri & Billy Mintz 6) Lucien Ban/Mat Maneri Quintet 7) Malaby/Levin/Maneri 8) Tamarindo 9) Dragonfly Breath more later but these shows were hot

Spontaneous Music Ensemble John Stevens' collective - my favorite is the last recording: A New Distance from right before his death in 1994 with a youngish John Butcher my ultimate suggestions for this music are the 2 Mad Dogs boxes on not two records. 9 discs total with all members of the Barry Guy New Orchestra in different combinations. Best sounding CDs I own and my overall favorite releases of the last 3-4 years. Tarfala, baby!!

So many great ones. I like your question, Scott What or are there any no brainer classics? I have a few of the above. Those are skewed more towards older music. I love "Nipples" and a couple of the others. Add Topography of the Lungs to that group for sure. for me I think some of the more recent EP recordings are more technically accomplished and you have one of the great ones: 50th Birthday Concert with both seminal trios. more recent awe inspiring recordings: Ghostly Thoughts : Dunmall, Adams & Sanders The Two Seasons: EP with John Edwards & Sanders - 2 CD set on emanem from 1999. Very intense almost all tenor with kick-ass performances by the bass/drum monster duo. Decoy plus Joe McPhee - either of the two CDs - Alexander Hawkins on B3 with Edwards and Steve Noble on drums. McPhee is awesome on both

Holiday order placed today - whittled it down to the following. I hated leaving off a couple of Rodrigo Amado discs (waiting on the new Not Two recording "This is Our Language" to come down in price by a few $$$) plus I again put off an expensive used copy of Ken Vandermark's Territory Band's "A New Horse for The White House". I still really want to hear that set of studio and live versions of KV large band compositions - the previous recording, "Company Switch" is very very good. But $40 for a 2 CD set is still a bit too much. What I did order is: Peter Brotzmann: 3 Nights in Oslo - 5 CD set John Butcher-Torsten Muller-Dylan Van Der Schyff: The White Spot (the other disc by this trio is phenomenal) Duke Ellington: Blues in Orbit Tomeka Reid Quartet including Mary Halvorson (on Thirsty Ear) Globe Unity Orchestra: 40 Years Evan Parker Steve Beresford John Edwards Louis Moholo-Moholo: Naan Tso Assif Tsahar: Deals and Ideals with Peter Kowald & Rashied Ali Fire Orchestra: Enter and Exit (figured get 'em both!!) David S Ware: Birth of a Being - recent reissue on AUM of the formerly rare Hat Hut LP

Don't miss Flight for Four. Always stunned by the sound and performance every time I listen. The sound compared to the recent re-issue of Self Determination Music (very unfortunately on a different label) is on another level. All props to International Phonograph. Whatever Jonathan does, he does it as good as anyone else. The only recordings of that era that compare sound wise are Nessa recordings. Plus as I've mentioned before as much as I adore Carter's clarinet, I am stunned by his earlier saxophone playing.

Larry - I think you are about to capsize the thread once more! fwiw, it's very understandable to me that some couldn't possibly imagine that Paul Lytton (among others) is an incredible accomplished musician There is no doubt that if listeners listen to similar easy to grasp melodic music on a regular basis for a very long time, whether it be jazz, blues, pop, rock or whatever, then that what some avant-grade musicians play will sound off putting and extreme. First time I heard Evan Parker on soprano was foreign sounding and extreme, but I had the patience and the interest and inquisitive nature to know that he was very accomplished in what he was playing. Whether I would be interested in listening further was unknown but I had already heard Ornette, Cecil and then guys like Oliver Lake, David Murray, David S Ware and many others. Damn first time I heard Dear Mr. Fantasy or Jimi Hendrix when I was 13 or 14, it sounded foreign and grating. All I had heard was top 40 or the Boston Pops on my mother's phonograph!! If I shut it down then, I never would have even liked Steely Dan or Traffic, let alone Paul Dunmall or Herr Peter Brotzmann I wasn't turned off by Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp or Ascension. Once I was accustomed to saxophones that didn't sound like Stan Getz or basses that didn't sound like Oscar Pettiford and once I *heard* Sunny Murray, I could hear Paul Lovens, Mark Sanders, and the *great* Paul Lytton. Seeing Lytton this fall with Wooley in two quartets was breathtaking. Sure not music for all ears, but no one who would hear those quarters with any sort of open mind, live in person, would question their musical acumen, whether they liked the music or not.