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Everything posted by Steve Reynolds
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Add Paul Flaherty to the list of real nice guys.
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Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread
Steve Reynolds replied to colinmce's topic in New Releases
I'm sure they will have copies on Friday when I see Max Johnson with two different trios. It's nice IMHO. Listened on my home from the gig last night. Very fine. Ingrid as powerful on record as I've heard her. Fired up for the 7/18 Rainey trio show with the saxophonist and Mary Halverson. -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
I had a very hard time with the trio set with Crothers, Grimes and Gibbs save for some of the piano and some of the violin with that piano towards the mid portion of the set. There is something endearing about Henry's screechy violin improvising. Crothers got to some nice exhuberant passages but overall a bit more banging than touch for my taste. The last set for which I am still looking for words for was another story. -
What live music are you going to see tonight?
Steve Reynolds replied to mikeweil's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Nice show to celebrate you birthday! I always enjoy watching Jason A. Steamy venues are fairly common in jazz/avant music, most notably The Stone. The problem is if you run the air, you can't hear the music properly; if you don't run the air, every one starts melting. Bring hankies, I suppose. Anyway, Happy Birthday! Here's hoping I Beam is not that bad Tommorow night. Forecast is a high of 80 with temperatures towards the low 70's by 8:30 First time to see Paul Flaherty on saxophones Max Johnson bass for both sets Mat Maneri on viola for second set 2 different drummers for the 2 trios -
We didn't get into his attitude toward women when I interviewed him for Down Beat back in 1968 or '69. But he was on a personal level as mean as a snake, even rather cruel (though I admit that in my still callow relative youthfulness and anxiety to please I left him an opening or two that I shouldn't have). The interview took place by a motel swimming pool with most of the Mothers within earshot, and they (Don Shelton, especially) were more or less appalled at the way Zappa had behaved and gathered around after he'd left to say a good many insightful things about the band that helped to make the experience a success after all, at least journalistically. I used to work with a drummer who went on tour with Zappa as a percussionist, and he said that FZ treated the musicians like dogs. And then there's his two famous quotes about jazz: "Jazz, the music of unemployment". "Jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny..." Well, that was a dumb forecast if ever there was one, jazz is still here and..you know the rest. I've listened to a fair amount of Zappa and the sky-high praise for him always had me a bit puzzled, a lot of his output seems to oscillate between juvenilia and academia. I agree completely with your assessment of Zappa. Fwiw - as do I
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What live music are you going to see tonight?
Steve Reynolds replied to mikeweil's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Great upcoming shows there - including a quartet with Rudi Mahall & Axel Doerner this Sunday!!! Would love to see those dudes come to NYC Plus last night was a quartet with Agusti Fernandez -
Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread
Steve Reynolds replied to colinmce's topic in New Releases
I'm sure they will have copies on Friday when I see Max Johnson with two different trios. -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Whoa! Had no idea about this group or album... many thanks, off to track this down! They have 2 recordings I saw last night. One recently released and the other from about 3 years ago, I think -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
I wanted to hear Breedlove and Swell. When I heard Moondoc in 2012 in a quartet with Matt Lavelle as his front line partner, the alto saxophonist's delivery was fairly weak and uninspired especially compared to the very bright and energetic (overly?) playing of the trumpeter. Maybe it is the different night or maybe Leeway hears the musicians differently although we seem to agree on quite a bit. Next year, we will be sure to overlap on at least a night or two. Usually I've been able to get there 2 or 3 nights. That wasn't possible this year. I'm very glad I chose last night. Commentary on the closing set later..... -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
an aside from my wife. I mention what she thinks as she doesn't listen to jazz on CD except from time to time with me and is mostly coming at the music from a far different angle than almost all who read or post here. She said that last night should have been Tyshawn Sorey's big break - if you have one in this world of music. This is her response to a drummer who pretty much plays no groove, plays in a very non-traditional manner, focused more on the inside of the piano and then when he played the piano in a more traditional way approached the abstraction of Cecil Taylor. Yet he swings Yet live he is so accessible, endearing, captivating and in the end, pretty much irresistible. He has that magic gift. The gift of presence. He has the IT factor. The drummer who swings without groove. He is the one. Genius level musician based on the three concerts I've seen him play. -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Tyshawn Sorey/Fay Victor Insert into previous post...... I'm no fan of "Jazz Singing" except maybe a dosing of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughn from back in the day. Tried Betty Carter and I've heard a few avant sorts like Jeanne Lee and there is little that has caught my ear. I fell hard for Tyshawn Sorey on drums on a night he played with Evan Parker, John Escreet and John Hebert last September. As good as the other musicians were that night, Sorey was the ultimate highlight. I then saw him lead an improvising trio with Ben Gerstein and I think Kris Davis this past winter and that gave me hope that I could endure the singing. This mind and heart was opened. She sang, she wailed, she sweated, she sang about sweating, she sang with words, no words, all in all - gorgeous, compelling musician who even played some nice piano. Only problem with the piano is that it was AFTER Tyshawn Sorey played the piano. Now he is a drummer who swings like a motherfucker yet never plays a groove, and he created a tension beyond tension when 20 minutes in he walked to the piano and investigated it from all sides like only a master sound manipulator/master musician could. He then eventually sat down a played something that crossed Paul Bley and Cecil Taylor and I was stunned. after she left the bench, he returned to the kit and exploded on impact. First some more of the sticks and brushes in the air - just the sound of the air - and then the crack of the snare , the tom, the bass drum - then all of them. One of those great endings. One of those sets. Mesmerizing performances by both. My wife was all in now - she loved Sorey last fall - she now is questioning why Fay didn't enter and win The Voice - and then after the first set with her drummer, Mr. Hamid Drake, she was now in a good mood - and with my Barbara, sometimes that's not an easy accomplishment. Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
A few comments on one of the sets for starters: My wonderful wife Barbara decides she wants to on the right side 4 rows back so she can be directly in front of the drummers. Two drum kits are set up - the one in front ends up being Tyshawn Sorey's personal kit - I want to sit on the left where I sat for the first set with the Steinway grand piano directly in front of me with the wonderful Angelica Sanchez playing them and a bit of the insides when appropriate. I want to see Dave Burrell up close and personal - hands and fingers included. I did not, at this point, know what else I would be missing from the piano perspective - as this would be, somewhat surprisingly a night of music that rose or fell depending in large part, what was played on that Steinway. Skip to after the Sorey-Victor duo set........for now...... Everything being started and finished on time, the quartet comes in stage right @ 7:00. Edward "Kidd" Jordan looking a bit more than a year older than last year - and maybe a bit thinner. Burrell smiling goes past me WAY off to the left as I cede to my dear wife's wishes - wishing I hadn't given in before the last set as I had NO idea Tyshawn Sorey.... Well I get to that later if I have any words for - my my my Lordy Lordy and whatever..... Well it's not so far I can't see him - in fact seats are all great and I like the sound and comfort at Roulette - and last night even more so for whatever reason. So bass and drums, added piano and all I can see is the tenor man trying to clear his throat, I think - as he is coughing while the playing trio is really playing. He finds an entrance point and it's pretty strong, gets stronger, lots of Kidd blowing and he stops, sits down, and I hope he's ok. Not normal for a 79 year old with a cough to blow like that. Maybe unprecedented. I seen Fred Anderson @ 80 but was always a way different kinda force than Kidd Jordan. Band smoking hot - we hear tenor from the chair softly, space, more, softly - stands up - cranking, smoking, white hot alternating Jordanesque altissimo lightning with pure tenor riffing - and it builds. Roof coming down - band at a peak - then like Dexter - he walks up tenor horizontal - people be screaming - one more peak. Standing ovation 10 minute encore starts with a perfect drum solo but one last group improvisation amazing ending on a even higher note. 47 minutes of so with band on fire. Fwiw Burrell never got in the way here - always there of not - and helped the great tenorman to find his peaks Palm of Soul, baby -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Thanks for the comments. That final quartet would have been my motivation as well to go that night. As you can see I chose Sunday night. Yes - when Taborn is animated and really into it, it is quite something to experience. Now I'm regretting not picking up at least one of their two rogue art CD's. -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Jordan Burrell Parker Drake Wow -
VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
By the time Sunday night gets here, I be all wound up!!!! -
Fwiw, Lightcap's Big Mouth is a helluva jazz band with fine tunes. Poppy it isn't and Taborn, Cheek and Malaby wail. Another fine example of living, breathing jazz without compromise that IF actually HEARD would be enjoyed by many. However it would be enjoyed by many who like jazz. Hard enough to convince many actual jazz fans to listen to jazz as played by living musicians. Maybe that is why jazz smells funny to some
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I think anyone writing music where there is an interest in melodic materials, that a hope would be that something memorable might happen. As you said, very hard to do. And some composers/jazz improvisors simply eschew melodic forms in some or even all their approaches. Some deliberately decide to work towards a melodic pursuit at certain times. See Barry Guy's Harmos as compared to especially earlier works where melody was not considered
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A whole lot of vintage (and popular)Tommy Dorsey recordings weren't "watered down" anything. As for Glenn Miller, if there was a "watered down" aspect to his band, that wasn't the main reason it was widely popular. There were lots of semi-polite but non-"sweet" bands around at that time; the Miller band was hugely popular because of its distinctive sound, the quality of its execution, and its large number of catchy originals. A latter-day partial comparison might be to the Brubeck-Desmond recording of "Take Five." It wasn't/isn't popular because it's "watered down," it was and is popular because it's catchy/infectious and, for those who care/notice, has a very nice Desmond solo. Well, I reckon those bands were watered down in comparison to Cab Calloway. But OK, where do we see the present day jazz bands with a distinctive sound, quality execution and a large number of catchy originals? Maybe that's nearer to Kenny G than to Vijay Iyer (though I've heard neither). MG I don't see present day jazz bands with a large number of catchy originals. Some of the present day jazz bands have a distinctive sound and quality execution, but not catchy originals. Would it kill these present day musicians to write something like "Song For My Father" or "Watermelon Man"? Apparently you think that writing 'something like "Song For My Father" or "Watermelon Man"' is essentially a matter of will or intent. I think there are plenty of people who would like to write pieces that had that kind of effect on audiences if they could, but it ain't easy -- in particular, it's not a matter of simply putting aside one's supposedly snotty-complex "high art" habits of music-making. Well put, Mr. Kart Throughout the years, I have found a few new melodically brilliant nuggets within all the recordings I have listened to of post 1980 or 85 jazz. Not including improvisations for the point of this discussion. Catchy, exciting and memorable. The stuff that's a prerequisite for any sort of interest from anyone outside of us who are already listening. A few new tunes buried within and around all the other good stuff that we like. Michael Moore, Gerry Hemingway, Don Cherry, Jemeel Moondoc, Tony Malaby, Mat Maneri, Darius Jones, Mark Helias, Barry Altschul, Fred Anderson and I'm sure a bunch of other wonderful composers a bit more to the mainstream have written more than a few melodic, catchy, memorable gems. So they exist buried within recorded sessions that are heard by the hundreds sometimes at the most. Who the hell is gonna play these bedsides who has already heard them? And where are they gonna play these besides on their stereo, I-pod, MP-3 or whatever? Hot 888 or whatever gonna play Hemingway's gorgeous lilting Holler Up?!?!? Much of it could labeled or described as post Ayler of free or avant-garde.
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VISION FESTIVAL 19 - June 11-15, 2014 NYC
Steve Reynolds replied to Leeway's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Thanks for the comments. I guess I need to check that saxophonist out! -
Jimmy Giuffre 3&4 - New York Concerts 1965
Steve Reynolds replied to colinmce's topic in New Releases
Another release I wish I put on my very recent order. at least I have the 10 CDs I did order all arriving over the next few days -
Ches Smith NYC Sept/Oct shows @ The Stone
Steve Reynolds replied to Steve Reynolds's topic in Live Shows & Festivals
Plus he plays in a wide variety of exceptional ensembles. His amazing trio with Craig Taborn and Mat Maneri is playing at Greenwich House in early September. I've seen them twice. The first time spring of 2013 was pretty much the most exciting 2 sets of music I've seen in the last couple of years. And as those who pay attention, I'm excited by a good bit of live music that I see fairly regularly. I urge anyone local to see that trio live. -
I'm stoked as I'm going to see 65 year old Paul Flaherty roar on the saxophone for the first time. He sounds fresh as paint on record to me. It says on the liner notes that he made his first record in 1978. Maybe he's old school. I know he roars on the saxophone and I imagine the set is not gonna be cool or laid back or whatever the guy a few posts above was talking about. I might dance. I will move. I will be fired up.
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Been tracking the upcoming shows and I'm circling the possible ones and a while back I noticed that Ches Smith's week of shows @ The Stone are very interesting with These Arches scheduled for 10/1 and a fine quartet the following night. Then I see on Saturday night 10/4, the first set is a trio of Brandon Seabrook on guitar, Toby Driver on bass and Ches on drums. Called TANK. Sounds smoking. THEN - the second 10:00 set: Ches Smith Tyshawn Sorey Randy Peterson Get Ready to Receive Yourself
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I'm now upset I didn't include this on my most recent order. Instead, I'm gonna make sure I revisit the original Lacy music that this recording is based on. I will make sure get this and I will make I check out the band live.