Steve Reynolds

See my comments on the live music thread the “Old Dogs” are destroying planets Larry Ochs still peaking at 74 so this week 2 or 3 more sets with the great saxophonist. He was sitting right behind me for Crispell, Dresser & Hemingway. Nice guy. Vladimir Tarasov 2 seats to my right. I’m so blessed to have witnessed these sets live. after this week back to the young guns. I’m sure some shows in Brooklyn with the scene changers then,,,, 2 sets late this month with the *great* Zoh Amba!! 7/28 & 7/29 both include Chris Corsano Next Friday 7/14 Jessica Pavone, Peter Evans, Brandon Lopez & Ryan Sawyer. Wowza plus 7/22 improv show at Roulette with various luminaries including Mary Halvorson, Cyro Baptista, Billy Martin, Kenny Wolleson, Ches Smith, John Zorn, Wendy Eisenberg & gabby fluke-mogul among others look out for Joanna Mattrey on violin, James McKain on tenor saxophone snd especially the amazing Chuck Roth on guitar. Don’t look her up:) the musical energy over here is burning hot.

Had a very bad back issue and was only able to attend the first 2 nights 1st night highlights: Joelle with Fred Moten & the septet was 40 minutes of genius. They rehearsed almost 30 hours over 3 days and pulled off the execution of a very complex score with intricate improvised sections and solos. Steve Swell, Mat Maneri & Fred Lonberg-Holm absolutely killed it. I’m still amazed at this. One time meeting. Hoping we get a recording of this down the road. Leandre was immense the whole night / the trio with Taborn & Maneri a bit better than the trio with Melford & Mitchell 2nd night highlights: Black Host delivered with Seabrook the highlight as well as Cooper-Moore. Darius Jones not high enough in the mix Rob Brown with Hilliard Greene & Jackson Krall incredibly great / old school free jazz vibrant and alive. Band explodes once Brown laid out. Hilliard especially great with the bow Patricia Nicholson ruined the Drake Alice Coltrane project with her incessant yelping and self promotional horseshit. Pathetic but it’s her festival. Her ego knows no bounds.

Crispell, Dresser & Hemingway delivered a 62 minute continuous set of Braxton’s music with an intensity & pure genius that no words can be found to describe what was played 3 hours ago. Best set of the last 9 months and I’ve seen at least 40 to 50 sets of jazz/free improv as this was on that level above and beyond. to see my heroes in the glass box theatre 10 feet away was another musical dream come true. They are all better than ever. Astounding.

Thank you ordered a bunch of SME & related recordings that I’ve been wanting to hear for a long time

Tonight saw Mark Dresser, Larry Ochs & Vladimir Tarasov “Jones Jones” Stunning 1 hour set. Uber restraint and genius level improvisation 3 pieces between 17 to 20 minutes then a stunning 3-4 minute coda. Short piece the only time Tarasov used standard drum sticks. Mallets & brushes with a couple of bells & a small tambourine used as only a master can. Ochs as brilliant as ever, Dresser among the best 3-4 bassists on the planet and Tarasov is still Tarasov. Blessed to see this very rare occurrence for the second time. If my back holds out I’ll see BassDrumBone tomorrow night (Helias, Hemingway & Anderson), then Crispell, Dresser & Hemingway Saturday night. next week 2 shows with Ochs. Trio with Nels Cline & Gerald Cleaver then a quintet with Trevor Dunn, Jason Hao Kwang, Fred Lonberg-Holm & Kate Gentile.

Very reliable source just confirmed this the granddaddy of them all 82 years old. Toured the world for 50 plus years. Influence beyond immense. there has never been a *sound* that comes close to Herr Brotzmann on the tenor this one hurts / along with Evan Parker, he is my most listened to reed player Plus the 2 shows of his Tentet in 2000 & 2002 remain the greatest sets of live music I’ve ever witnessed RIP, sir

Up as this happens this week day 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6 all have 2 or more can’t miss sets Day 1 6/13 has Joelle Leandre in 4 different ensembles & 6/14 has 3 can’t miss groups Day 2 6/14 has Gerald Cleaver’s incredible Black Host, Hamid Drake’s tribute to Alice Coltrane & Mark Dresser’s sextet probably rest on day 3 6/15 only other date up in the air for me is Friday night 6/16 day 4 but it will be tough to miss the augmented Space Station trio with William Parker, Ava Mendoza & Gerald Cleaver. plus the Matthew Shipp quartet should be very very good and Patricia Brennan is an amazing vibraphonist. Day 5 Saturday night has Joe McPhee duo with Dave Burrell and a Brandon Lopez led group with both Gerald Cleaver AND Tom Rainey on drums with Zeena Parkins, Mat Maneri and 2 others. Plus an opening set that includes the *great* Nava Dunkelman Day 6 has some intriguing early sets but I cannot miss a chance to see a band with Reggie Workman, Odean Pope, Jason Moran & Gerry Hemingway. Have no idea what will happen but what if?!?!

Darius Jones

Yotagarasu with Moriyama Satoh & Peter Brotzmann on Not Two records circa 2012 is one of the greatest Brotzmann sessions ever!

I see many shows with Kevin Reilly and his ears have always been very open. I’ve seen some recent improv shows with many unknown to me brilliant young musicians over the past few months. Wait til you hear some of these musicians. I heard a 22 year old double bassist last month in a trio with a brilliant pianist and an incredibly focused and fiery Ingrid Laubrock on tenor. 40 minutes of genius in my view. and I won’t name yet a 26 genius guitarist that I’ve seen 3 times until we get an official release. I’m not a fan of the solo stuff but much of that was due to the pandemic.

I’ve seen so many great shows over the past 2 to 3 months / probably 12 or so out of 18 to 20 have been fantastic tonight Tim Berne, Greg Belise-Chi and the *great* Tom Rainey this trio delivers

Received mine yesterday Also bought the AACM book by George Lewis

Congratulations, Clifford we will see you at Vision Festival I’m sure

Tonight Tim Berne, David Torn & Tom Rainey yeah baby

the first musician I thought of! Seeing Reggie on 6/18 last set of Vision Festival with an ensemble that includes Odean Pope & Gerry Hemingway. Fwiw lots of legends playing during the 27th year of the festival. Hopefully I’ll be there for 5 of the 6 nights.

Paul Dunmall not a jazz musician but Keith Rowe is a long time visual artist with much of his art on numerous AMM album covers as well as his own releases I noticed that Clifford had indeed mentioned Keith Rowe

Saw Lopez Trio in December 2019 / was in touching distance to any of the three. I’ve seen Brandon live many times and he’s still peaking. Cleaver still peaking through restraint. Still cannot believe I’m seeing the Gerald’s reconstituted awesome Black Host opening night 2 of Vision Fest. Lopez with Dezron Douglas on double bass in place of the great Pascal Niggenkemper. Think about it / Cooper-Moore, Darius Jones & Brandon Seabrook with Cleaver & the 2 bassists. 2010 & 2012 were 2 of the best live shows I’ve seen out of very many. Seeing Joelle with Maneri & Taborn on 6/13.

Love LOVE Matanzas / love the metallic rage from Basczkowski like the Eva Novoa trio of course the *great* Gerald Cleaver is the common element Like the Mezei 2 CD set but let’s see after a couple of more spins Here are some of what I really like of what’s new to me over the past few months. Some might have been released previously The Glass Triangle with Mette Rasmussen, Zeena Parkins & Ryan Sawyer / the new one Blue and Sun-Lights and the first one on relative pitch Nava Dunkelman & gabby fluke-mogul / Likht - on relative pitch Fata Morgana Ensemble Dedalus & Erik M / wowza also on relative pitch Crying in Space Mette with Flaherty etc also on relative pitch As far as November Albert Cirera, Olie Brice & Nicolas Field - Fundacja SLUCHAJ A Pride of Lions: No Questions No Answers on rogue art. McPhee & Lazro with 2 great bassists & Chad Taylor The Bright Awakening / 2012 show I was at with Paul Dunmall, Matt Shipp, Joe Morris & Cleaver. So incredible. Rogue art Judson Trio: Light & Dance Joelle with Mat Maneri & Gerald Cleaver / 2 CD set recorded right before the pandemic in France. Rogue Art More later

Last night James Brandon Lewis duo with Chad Taylor plus Thumbscrew with Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek & Tomas Fujiwara duo was a bit of a slog as JBL plays way too much Thumbscrew was incredible as always / restrained yet powerful and they play great little tunes. Plus Mary is GOD!

SO many of course but the two Peter Brotzmann Tentet shows at Tonic in 2000 & 2002 still top the list early days 1996 or so through 2003 here are a few off the top of my brain: DKV Trio 3/27/2001 10:00 set at Tonic Fred Anderson, Edward “Kidd” Jordan, William Parker & Hamid Drake at Vision Fest Evan Parker, Mark Dresser & Bobby Previte at Knitting Factory Evan Parker, Tim Berne, Drew Gress & Mark Sanders at Knitting Factory Tim Berne, Drew Gress & Tom Rainey at Vision Fest Joe Lovano with Mark Dresser & Gerry Hemingway at Knitting Factory Mat Maneri, Rob Brown & Hamid Drake at Vision Fest Instant Composers Pool at Tonic Frank Gratkowski with Michael Formanek & Gerry Hemingway at Jazz Gallery Marilyn Crispell, Barry Guy & Gerry Hemingway at Tonic Gerry Hemingway Quartet with Robin Eubanks (might have been Ray Anderson), Ellery Eskelin & Mark Dresser at Vision Fest Ellery Eskelin Trio with Andrea Parkins & Jim Black / the night at Tonic when they played 2 long sets. Eight Bold Souls at Hot House in Chicago Ari Brown @ The Velvet Lounge in Chicago on 1/7/1999 the day Fred Hopkins died Die Like a Dog at Tonic Evan Parker with Alexander von Schlippenbach & Paul Lytton at Tonic Andrew Hill Sextet at Knitting Factory Dave Holland Quintet at Knitting Factory David S Ware Quartet with Susie Ibarra at Vision Fest Paul Dunmall with Paul Rogers & Kevin Norton at Knitting Factory Cecil Taylor with Tony Oxley at Tonic and Joe Maneri’s Quartet 3 times with Mat & Randy Peterson. First time with Cecil McBee on bass, second with John Lockwood & the third with William Parker THEN the augmented group with Barre Phillips on bass plus Craig Taborn & Roy Campbell. The “Going to Church” mini-tour in 2002 at Tonic. Stunning abstract and overwhelming. Randy Peterson with nuclear bombs!!! maybe I do a list of the shows from 2008 or so until the present but too many. 9 shows last month alone and 2-3 were all-timers still,,,, Coming Down the Mountain

An amazing recording The Field with Alex joining Rodrigo in a quartet is incredible. On No Business

Sally Gates on guitar with Zoh Amba on tenor saxophone & Dan Weiss on drums @ The New School saw the young saxophonist on Tuesday night @ Zürcher Gallery with Gabby Fluke-Mogul, Steve Gunn & Ryan Sawyer. Mind blowing 50 minute improvised set. 6th live jazz show in April. Another planned for Saturday night.

Of the more recent recordings “In for a Penny In for a Pound” is beyond extraordinary

Can’t wait to hear this. I’ve become fairly obsessed with all the more recent Threadgill recordings but especially the Zooid band.

Oh no will never forget seeing Turbine @ Zurcher Gallery circa 2017. Harrison sang “Sweet Low Sweet Chariot” to close the first set. I was also blessed to see 8 Bold Souls in maybe 1998 @ Hot House. another loss for Ulrich RIP, sir