Steve Reynolds

Schism on Monday night in Queens: Simon Hanes & Ana Abondolo on electric basses Jon Starks & Ches Smith on drums incendiary last night at Solar Myth in Philadelphia Columbia Icefield: Nate Wooley, Ava Mendoza, Susan Alcorn & Ryan Sawyer as great a 47-49 minutes as one could imagine. Wooley utilized Ron Miles compositional material to make a suite of music that is beyond my words. Ava has the best tone and is such a bright light & Susan is simply a genius on pedal steel. Wooley gives the players space but when he improvises, just stunning as always

Earlier Andrew Barker, Kyle Motl & John Dikeman 2 strong sets really catching fire during the 2nd set

60 minutes with segues about 6 of the recent batch of Berne compositions radically different than last week with Seabrook & Smith in place of Belisle-Chi & Rainey then ended with Okey>Castor Oil another 23-24 minutes of brilliance incredible mind blowing set. Brandon Seabrook is a genius. Hebert is maybe the best “jazz” bassist in NYC and Ches is on another planet. Not better than Rainey but the intensity is breathtaking with the floor shaking.

Tim Berne, Brandon Seabrook, John Hebert & Ches Smith At Lowlands in Brooklyn take off in about 20 minutes Better every time. Love the rotating ace musicians. They all walk here:) 5 feet from the *great* Ches Smith

It was great. McPhee strong on tenor. Dual tenor stuff was very exciting. Very deep listening by both saxophonists. Michael Foster towards the end played one if the best soprano saxophone improvisations I’ve ever seen young drums & bass of Joey Sullivan & John Moran shined with Moran really coming on towards the end. Joey better every time I see him.

I’ll be there tonight. Doors at 7:00? Show around 8:00?

Same here. I’ve seen her maybe 6-7 times. I like the “rock” group with Gunn et al. Great set at The Stone last summer. Gunn was great. Best other set was with gabby, Gunn & Ryan Sawyer. Michael Foster is a brilliant virtuoso with a genius level mind. Flaherty is on a whole other level. Clifford and I are of the same view (as it often appears to happen)

RIP Sir discovered jazz via the classics at 31 years old or so in 1991 or so discovered freer end of jazz in the mid to late 90’s discovering newer forms in greater levels of intensity via recordings and especially through live concerts on a very regular basis since 2009 or so. The pandemic was rough but this past 18 months I’ve been attending well over 10 shows a month and my mind continues to be affected like a young person’s mind. Open ears. I’m very uninterested in most of what I listened to in my younger years except for my rediscovery of The Grateful Dead circa 1967-78. Only Crimson, Can and some post punk stuff of my early years has any traction any longer for me. much more excited to listen to Michael Foster, Chuck Roth, Sandy Ewen, Brandon Lopez, Mat Maneri, Tim Berne, Gerald Cleaver, Nate Wooley, Dave Rempis, Webb Crawford and a multitude of others creating music in the moment. Thoroughly exciting and when I’m good mentally and spiritually as deep as when I first heard Starless or Suppers Ready. fwiw my discovery of classic jazz especially miles monk trane and the blue notes etc was also very exciting at the time. Thank Michael for that for sure. Seeing Evan Parker circa 1998 at the knitting factory & Joe Maneri with his quartet at around the same time was even more revelatory for me. I knew there was something happening at that moment that didn’t exist previously. Same stuff still appearing. Different new music connected however obliquely to miles monk trane et al

I can’t listen to him. So derivative.

Ordered

Recently over the past week or so: Mat Maneri Ash quartet with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez & Randy Peterson. Saw them twice over a 10 day span and now 6 times over the last 9-10 months. Best jazz group live I know of. Mat taking it to places unvisited by mere mortals. also a nice quartet with a local great young pedal steel guitarist which included Lopez & the fine young drummer Joey Sullivan at the same gig as the Maneri group Tony Malaby quartet with Angelica Sanchez, Mark Helias & Tom Rainey Michael Attias’ Renku with John Hebert & Satoshi Takeshi Ingrid Laubrock, Brandon Lopez & Tom Rainey tonight: Patricia Brennan, Noel Brennan with Ingrid Laubrock & Keisuke Matsuno All 3 of these saxophonists playing at a very high level but Ingrid on soprano especially on Sunday night took it to another level. That trio is incredible with the *great* Brandon Lopez as the linchpin. Rainey is, of course, one of the greatest drummers on the planet. Seeing him very often doesn’t dull his brilliance in any way. Almost new and fresh. Plus seeing him back to back nights from 5-8 feet always doesn’t hurt:)

Yeah Baby!! I’ll take the ride!! Amazing trio! I’ve seen them a couple of times last year. I saw Tom Rainey in two other trios this past weekend in Brooklyn. Berne is playing at a very high level.

Saw Archer in Philly. Strong set save for the less than inspiring drumming. Little power or dynamics. Rempis magnificent as per usual.

I will be there Michael Foster is an incredible saxophonist

Wish I took the drive!

It’s great when we can watch young musicians transform. I’m looking forward to seeing her play again. Surely in the next few months.

My favorite by far of those drummers is Ches Smith. AkLaff is still very good. I saw him with Marty Ehrlich last year. I thought Lesley Mok was OK on the 2 occasions I’ve seen her (once with the same Myra Melford group that you saw). Prieto is great as well.

Thanks. Maybe I will take a drive up tomorrow:)

I’ve seen a few Tamarindo sets with Malaby & Formanek where Nasheet was beyond belief. Back in 2017-18 I think at Cornelia Street Cafe. The most sustained powerhouse jazz drumming I’ve witnessed along with Gerry Hemingway when he torques it up. Randy Peterson & Tom Rainey have a different kind of power. Randy is the best of all of them, IMO. The level he is at over the last 9 months when he seen him maybe 6-7 times is just amazing.

Mat Maneri’s Quartet was off the chain last night. 2 full sets. Stunning. playing on 4/7 in Philly Nasheet Waits is insanely great especially when he elevates to an intensity one didn’t know existed. This happened earlier this year in a group with Darius Jones. Recently also saw him with Peter Evans & Brian Marsella. That night he played a sequence on brushes that was sublime and stunning.

Any idea who the musicians are in the orchestra?

Lots of great shows recently including Chris Cochrane’s dual ensembles, Ches Smith’s Laugh Ash tonight Mat Maneri’s Ash Quartet with Brandon Lopez, Lucian Ban & the *great* Randy Peterson tomorrow night Tim Berne’s Paraphrase with Drew Gress & the *great* Tom Rainey Friday a multiple ensemble gig including Lao Dan in duo with the *great* Chris Corsano to hear these 3 incredible drummers 3 nights in a row from within 10 feet is a dream turned into reality then it’s my wonderful life in retirement blessed to live where I live still,,,,, Coming Down the Mountain

Yes / Gregg is very very good by now. He was good early last year. Now he’s getting to a new level. Plus Tim & Tom are grand masters.

That Hemphill suite (if it’s the one I’ve heard them play twice) is very challenging but it sure paid off in the end. Glad you got to see the trio. I’m spoiled as they play most Thursdays in Brooklyn in various configurations. I’m especially grateful to be able to see the *great* Tom Rainey live so often with Berne and in many other groups.

Enjoy. I’ve seen the trio often plus with guests. I think they are incredible.