Steve Reynolds

Thanks, Ulrich

Quite a trip! We almost headed over to Cornelia Street for that Ben Allison band as we took my brother and sister-in-law to Katz's for a special NY experience. I was intrigued by that band as I like Seabrook and I was wanting to know what two guitarists would sound like in a quartet in one of my favorite small rooms. Very glad you enjoyed your trip. You show great energy and passion in attending so much live music over a short period of time. I wish I had more energy and time to see more live music Next show - Tamarindo this Saturday at Cornelia Street Cafe

About 50 years ago saw Reggie Workman with The Jazz Messengers and was knocked out by him. Amazing that I saw Reggie last summer and he is still great. I think he's had a good run so far

John Lindberg is a great bassist. He is especially brilliant with the bow - which is very much a prerequisite for me when listening to post bop or free/avant-garde bassists. It has always been my premise that advancements of the techniques and approaches on the bass has been more prevalent than on other instruments Jump Up with Jimmy Lyons and Sunny Murray shows he was a great bassist at a very young age.

Live - Barry Guy and Paul Rogers were beyond anything I could have imagined from listening to the recordings Rogers with Paul Dunmall & Kevin Norton @ The knitting factory maybe in 2001 with his custom bass still the best performance on the bass I've ever witnessed live.

Big Band and Quartet is essential - especially due to the debut of the wonderful Oska T along with a great version of Four in One with a superb arrangement and execution by the large ensemble. The only regret many of us have is that Steve Lacy (famously or infamously now!) only plays in the ensemble.

My absolute favorite of the late 70's, 80's & 90's for what he played with Air and especially those records with David Murray One of the guys I really regret not being able to see live. The day he died was the same day I walked into the Velvet Lounge for the first of two visits when it was on Indiana Avenue. Ari Brown, among others, played that night and I'll never forget that Fred Anderson made sure in the midst of quite the snowstorm that my friend and I were able to get a taxi back to the hotel. I knew what I already knew from hearing that sound on record that he was the real deal Off topic - but my second time at the Velvet Lounge was with a friend who posts here - and got to see the great tenorman play at his home base

John Edwards is one of the 3 or 4 musicians that I have not had the opportunity to see live that I would love to see live. I love most of the bassists on your list. My preference is towards the Peter Kowald influenced or free improvisation area when it comes to bassists. I love the NY avant-garde scene - Mark Dresser, John Hebert, William Parker, Mark Helias, Max Johnson, Trevor Dunn, Ed Schuller, Michael Formanek, etc. - all wonderful players with Dresser & Helias at the top of the local list for me. However - when it comes to current bassists, my list is John Edwards, Barry Guy and Paul Rogers. Intense brilliant improvisors who have taken the limits of the instrument to new levels

Just a not so subtle way for some to express their political angst on a board which has smartly (IMO) banned political discussion I don't live in that world either.

Choose the prime great shit Recent examples: Mad Dogs - 5 CDs culled from a number of nights of the members of the Barry Guy New Orchestra William Parker - Wood Flute Songs - very small amounts of non essential music among the 8 discs

Wickets by Steve Lacy Four from Morning Joy - recorded 11/19/86 With that incendiary Steve Potts alto solo followed by a sublime Lacy indescribable excursion on his horn. 16 minutes of perfection Maybe someone somewhere will try to duplicate it! I wonder who would play *those* saxophone solos?!?!?

I listened to it last night. It's very sparse and introspective overall, going to take some concentrated listening... I preferred Koan to Oblique so that whets my appetite to hear it's sparse His concert drumming has been anything but sparse lately, seeming to follow an entirely different trajectory. But it was the sparse, minimalist music that Tyshawn mostly made himself known to the listening public. I would be most interested to see Tyshawn play piano in concert. He was fantastic on the piano in a duo with Fay Victor I felt bad for her when she went over to the piano bench *after* Sorey returned to his drum kit. It actually took him a few minutes before he struck the actual keys - but as with his drumming he is grooving and swinging long before we hear it.

Anyone know if it includes some of the last performances with Misha?

Nice post. Yes I saw some reference(s) above claiming that some question the "rite to play" or "rite to perform" this or "45 minutes of cacophony" as if there is someone saying they should NOT play or record what they want to record or perform. They or others may get grief for recording this. Certainly many here who might refer to or describe an incredible 45 minute free improvisation as "45 minutes of cacophony" has an axe or many axes to grind regarding music they don't like. So a passive aggressive insult works better for some, I gather And NO, I will keep up my enthusiasm for current day improvisation being recorded and played live by modern day master musicians/improvisors. And no one is negating anyone's "rite" to not be moved by avant-garde forms of jazz, but calling it negative inaccurate names is simply an ignorant half-assed put down.

I will buy it just to hear it. I would rather hear them play the 5 tunes live in order with a second saxophonist playing the alto or tenor (whichever horn Irabagon wouldn't play). To hear Peter Evans take the music on on the spot would be much more exciting. Of course he is now no longer in the band - plus I doubt they ever intended to play it live one take. I've (surprisingly I guess) never heard the band on record or in person although I've heard Evans and Irabagon live and on records. Both horn players are very talented and have a very wide range of abilities.

Thanks for the comments. I'm *still* irritated I couldn't get to the Friday night set.

Irritated I couldn't go see Open Loose last night Still!!!

I'm going to listen/watch later I'm going to try to see this quintet next time they play as I love Peck/Gerstein and Rainey is always interesting on drums.

I loved this. My wife used to be scared by the Cecil Taylor when I might play the "band" sections of One To Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye somewhat loud through the speakers. She would hear Keith Rowe with Burkhard Beins and think of trash compactors until the Son of a Preacherman shortwave captures appear through the metallic onslaught. So over the years she's heard a bit of a wide range of in, out and in between. So about 5 years ago, she decides to come along to a live show. I choose carefully as she was very wary of the squeaky, screaming cacophonous saxophones. Afraid of the tenor, I guess. So I chose a tenor (!!!) with organ and drums which was Ellery Eskelin with Gary Versace and Nasheet Waits She wasn't initially thrilled with the tenor live either, bit after the second set, she told Nasheet he should be on Leno! She still doesn't love the records, but she loves drummers, pianists (Cooper-Moore and Craig Taborn amaze her - and now Lucien Ban joins her top shelf list) - she likes trumpet and trombone - she loves Ben Gerstein and loved Ray Anderson the two times she's seen him live. What about the screaming tenor? Two musicians turned her around: Tony Malaby despite his sometimes supposed severe approach as she's stayed for enough second sets to adapt her ears and allow a seemingly foreign or obtuse approach to become somewhere closer to normal. After the nth time seeing him in different bands, she hears something besides the supposed severe approach. She thinks he's the greatest. She's more bullish on Tony than I am as far as seeing him live. She's mad that Open Loose is playing tomorrow night and we have a birthday party to go to instead. And the other is Edward "Kidd" Jordan who she has seen twice and she heard heart, soul and energy and she never complained that he was too much. And is there any tenor player as MUCH as Kidd?!?! So not converted, but it does show that the most avant-garde music is great LIVE if the music/musicians are actually great.

For many years, I've said with the *great* Don Van Vliet not enshrined nor seemingly ever even considered, the place doesn't exist to me. I've never watched a second of any of it - ever. You got ears, you gotta listen

Btw - I am still irritated that there was no Ingrid or Mat last Saturday night. I know Mat knocks my socks off every time and I think Ingrid is getting there.

Sounds awesome

true, and of course Bird, Gene Ammons etc are & always will still be awesome; if there are folks who can achieve even significant % of their brilliance/sound/technique... But I keep thinking of the big bands, and arrangers*, composers and the capable musicians who are not heard at what could be better/best.. Not to quash anyone's enthusiasm (really) but when a guy like Tony Malably is touted as some great 'risk taker'... Or that ** anyone ** ever got laid inviting someone to listen to their "Sun Bear Concerts" box... true, it mght as well be useful for fucking something but... *Ralph Burns --> At least learn to spell his name correctly Tamarindo 10/24 & 10/25 @ Cornelia Street Cafe With Michael Formanek & Nasheet Waits I see the guy live often and because of that my enthusiasm only grows. Of course YOU know they can't compare to the artists of the past and I imagine you wouldn't go see them live to see if you might be wrong. Maybe you might want to stop comparing and open your ears to what they are playing. Your beef sounds personal. I really would love to know why the current great players are not great according to you. Or who are the current great improvisors? Is Evan Parker any good? Last time, you took off and hid after you criticized the way Malaby dressed of all things. You didn't like his shirt if I recall correctly. Months later, you take another cheap shot at a great musician. Not a risk taker? Based on what? When is the last time you've seen him play live? Don't you live locally? Do you have a name or are you hiding behind your moniker? I'll be there on the 25th. Hope to see you there.

I have most of the AMM of which I am a huge fan of, especially the stuff with Tilbury and Rowe. I have a few of the others - but not the trios with Tom Chant Fwiw the duo CD with Prevost/Schlippenbach is wonderous Bummer... still looking forward to hearing it, will probably benefit from the slightly lowered expectations (although, having said that, i wasn't expecting a mind blower, but still). I heard the group, it's fantastic. I haven't heard the record, but I expect it to be be just as good. Not just being a fanboy, or if I am, its OK, because it seems justified here. Nothing wrong with being a fanboy, and I like all the artists involved in this group. There are some great tracks, but again, there are some fair to middling as well. It just feels like there's a limited bag of tricks that they play here, whether by design or otherwise. Like they are being challenged and can only give one kind of answer. I was disappointed, given the expectations. I wouldn't be surprised if they kill it live. I was irritated I wasn't at either of the two nights last week.

All this talk has me wanting to buy both boxes and half the matchless catalogue while I'm at it