Steve Reynolds

Pay attention to Steve Coleman? To what extent? Instead of? Seems to me I can think of numerous less discussed musicians who deserve a whole bunch of attention. For NYC musicians. I start with Mat Maneri. Kris Davis. Taylor Ho Bynum. Mary Halvorsen. Tony Malaby. Ingrid Laubrock. Mark Helias. Tom Rainey. Gerald Cleaver. Sylvie Courvoisier. Mark Dresser. ETC. Next, we can let the Chicago home boys start a nice list of wall shakers.... Should I demand you start paying attention to them, Jim? Since when is Steve Coleman some kind of iconic master innovator/improvisor that demans to be heard? Now I will demand you start paying attention to Mark Sanders and John Edwards. Well no I won't but maybe my point is being made. Why is Steve Coleman so special that I must NOT sleep on him, but Mat Maneri is OK to ignore?!?!?

I dunno One thing I'll do is get the latest Steve Coleman disc that many here that I highly respect are raving about. I am intrigued that you all really like Steve Coleman so much. My experience is very limited although my listening efforts of 15 years ago were pretty thorough yet fruitless..... I did see him play a short solo set @ Anthony Braxton's 65th birthday celebration concert @ Le Poisson Rouge a few years back and was thoroughly underwhelmed. I was thinking "in this spot - and that is all you got?!?!?" I mean a little bit later, John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Marlilyn Crispell, Mark Dresser & Gerry Hemingway blew the roof off the place - so I was again not prompted to investigate further despite all the fancy stuff that's been written about him over the years One more shot forthcoming As far as Iyer, Finlaysen and some of the others in the circle, they all have struck me as one rung below the dudes and dudettes of similar generations who make the walls shake.

Why anyone needs validation by the jazz mainstream is beyond me Nate should know the reason he is playing at The Village Vanguard is that the club has finally started booking some bands other than pure mainstream musicians. Nothing to do with 'validation by the jazz mainstream' whatever the hell that means.

You got that right Steve, can I get you a ticket? I wish. One Day I get there... At least I have ICP next Thursday with special guests Marcus Rojas & Mary Halvorsen!!! Plus I get great American improvisors as regular as I need - a couple of weeks l should get to see Vinny Golia with Max Johnson and the always great Tom Rainey!!! Then Gerry Hemingway at The Stone for a week end of July/beginning of August!!! Plus word is that they will have a better working air conditioner!!! As my pal Maurice said the other night, he will believe it when he *FEELS* it!!!

Am I reading this correctly that Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, John Edwards and Tony Bianco are playing at The Vortex on May 21st?!?!? If so, if there is any way to move the trip up one day.......

I told Tom Rainey after the two sets that I need to wait at least a week to listen to the new disc. I have to let what I just heard from 8 feet away sink in. The band is perfectly balanced, full of twists and turns and doesn't rely on their brilliant technique to show off. Cerebral yet powerful. Plus they don't take themselves too serious. No arrogancd or pretentious in anything they play. I'm they do wonder why more people don't listen as they are as accesable as any so-called avant-garde jazz trio I know. One reason might be that they get into a good place and the easy crowd pleasing way would be to milk it as far as it goes. They never stay in a groove or a mode too long - they are always looking for the next unexpected invention. No 7 or 10 minute solos over rhythm with this group. Helias was playing an awesome fast bass line with Rainey at one point and it would have been great if they played it for 30 minutes with Malaby coming in with a roaring free bop tenor - but this trio is way more than that. Way more than that. People got ears - maybe they might listen.... I've now heard the band play most or all of the new Helias compositions twice over 4 sets (last night and last December). The band was on a higher level last night. They extended the shortish tunes (they range from 3 to 6 minutes or so on the disc) or they meld them into others. They only played 2-3 older compositions each night. Rainey was roaring last night and my guy Malaby is playing the soprano better than he ever has. There were a few passages that I could barely believe what I heard. As has been said previously this is the first recording or shows with Open Loose to feature Tony on the straight horn as well as the tenor. He probably played soprano about 35-40% of the two sets. Fwiw, my wife said this band is as good as it gets:) Reason being for her is that they combine great tunes and groove with the best saxophonist in the world:) at least by far her favorite!!!

Btw John Carter is brilliant throughout.

I will be buying the former the best way possible - at the show tomorrow night! What I also like very much is David is seeing Evan Parker tomorrow night and I'm see Tony Malaby who's tenor playing to me is kinda like EP with a groove!!

First spin - nice record BUT.... Compared to Flight for Four, the sound (remaster quality??) isn't anywhere as good and I think the two basses lessen the groove. The session never gets to those rare heights that 2 or 3 of the 5 tunes on the International Phonograph re-issue hits. Everything here is less pronounced, less exciting and less captivating to me as a listener. I wonder loudly how much of this bad to do with the session or the remastering. Glad I have it but I wish Jonathan could have handled the reissue.

For me, I would buy any of Sam Rivers trio sessions that I've never heard - especially if they ever got the wonderful International Phonograph treatment. I prefer the trio with Holland and Altschul but those trio records with Joe Daley & Warren Smith look real tempting as well.

There is where I'm at. I would like to see some of these great musicians but I'm spoiled as far as my preferred listening experiences. After seeing Evan Parker from the front row at The Stone where I could have touched his tenor saxophone sitting on the table while he was playing his soprano, it is hard to even get excited about hearing even Gerry Hemingway with Marilyn Crispell or Joelle Leandre with Mat Maneri & Gerald Cleaver when the sound of those great drummers might be lost to the height of the church. Plus I'll see Hemingway later in the month @ The Stone from ten feet away (if I choose to put up with the dreaded heat - but at least I know the actual sound experience will be mind blowing). I love Malaby (real shock!!) and I'm grateful that the Vision Festival is featuring him this year leading one of his ensembles - but honestly it is SO MUCH BETTER to see him @ Cornelia Street Cafe - which I'm doing again this weekend with Open Loose. Sure I would LOVE to see / hear Roscoe Mitchell's band and that would be the primary reason I would go on Tuesday just as seeing Leandre with Maneri on Saturday would be my reason for going that night.

I wanted to go. Too bad no Cooper-Moore Brandon Seabrook is a bad ass. Darius Jones can really bring it as well.

Very concerned that the space will not work well Many of Leeway's concerns are echoed here. Need chairs. If not, it will be a disaster. I do not like the sound in the huge church hall. It works for some of the music, I guess - but not the type of space I look to hear my favorite music live. Sound of the drummers is lost to the high ceiling. Plus I imagine it will be hot outside - what about inside? Anyone know?!?!? Too bad they moved from Roulette. I love that room. Good to see that both of my favorite local NYC guys are playing Saturday night. I think I make it for Tuesday and Saturday despite my concerns.

I hope you get to see them, Uli They can be awe inspiring. One of their earliest shows was one if the greatest two sets of music this boy has ever experienced. Cleaver really grooves with this band. The connection between Seabrook and the *great* Cooper-Moore is inexplicable.

Today's Birthday gift order: Brotzmann - Edwards - Noble: Soul Food John Carter/Bobby Bradford Quartet: Self Determination Music Takase/Schlippenbach: So Long Eric Pino Minafra: Sudori (to replace my long lost CD - desert island recording Amon Duul II: Yeti Whammies volume 1& 2 Italian Instabile Orchestra: London Hymns Dunmall - Rogers - Norton: Go Forth Duck Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit: For the Blue Notes

Same situation here

8:00 Otomo Yoshihide/Sachiko M 10:00 above plus special guest @ The Stone

2 days in April with Kidd Jordan, WP & HD includes maybe the best recorded Fred Anderson solo EVER "hidden" within these 2 amazing discs. On eremite - recorded live 1999 When you get the recording, let me know if you find the solo:) Yes - Blue Winter is a great recording with Anderson in more relaxed later form. Drake and Parker are sublime and the actual recording is as good as recorded jazz gets. Recorded December 2004.

I LOVE that trio. Wondering if they played free improvisations or some of Ches' wonderful compositions. It was all composed music. I have yet to be completely won over by Smith, but I did enjoy this more than I did These Arches. The compositions for this trio worked better for me. This was my first time hearing Maneri live. He seems to be having equipment difficulties during the second set. He was using a borrowed viola and the clip he uses for the amplification did not fit properly. In any event, he was impressive. Taborn as always was fabulous. Enjoyable night out. This is a much more open and free group than These Arches (I now remembered that you didn't really like that band - which is understandable as they are certainly not for all tastes - It took me about 30 minutes into their first set last year to get past the rigidity of the compositions) Taborn in this trio is fabulous and I'm very gratified that you were able to see Mat Maneri for the first time. I've been to a couple of sets where he had similar equipment issues with his OWN viola. When it is hooked up correctly it sure pays off!!!

The opening notes of Steve Potts's magical solo on "Blinks" from "Blinks"

Even though I probably see the trio a couple of times a year for the last few, I'm always fired up to see the long standing trio. Telepathic is one of those overused descriptors but it fits this band. April 25th @ Cornelia Street after they return back from their little tour. My guess is Malaby played a bit if soprano along with the tenor. First time any of Helias' compositions for this band called for Tony to play soprano are a few on the new recording. My first impression of the new music via seeing them in December was very positive. Also looking forward to picking up the new CD on Intakt at the upcoming show.

If I ever get to Wilmington, NC I will make it a point to visit

I LOVE that trio. Wondering if they played free improvisations or some of Ches' wonderful compositions.

Although I don't order often and the location is a bit hard to get to and/or find parking, they have always been very good to me all the way back to their older locations. As far as stock, there is no jazz or improvisation actual store that I know of on the East Coast that is in any way comparable to what they offer. I have no knowledge of any of the above. I'm trying to make a visit to the store next Tuesday (if I can escape work early) before going to The Stone that night.

I'm not shocked it was Lake's first vanguard appearance Only over the past 3-4 years have they booked any bands with a connection to free/avant garde jazz. The only exception were some of Paul Motian's more outside leaning groups. It took 25 years for the "mainstream" to include another great I've seen Trio 3 a number of times and they have always delivered. Andrew Cyrille remains one of the great drummers in this music.