Steve Reynolds

I just finished it and it was very well written and the best book on Miles I've read. It inspired me to do much listening to Miles over the last few weeks.

Before the last piece of the second set (each of the three compositions of the second set were between 17 to 25 minutes, I think), he tells the band to "take their time getting to it". Fwiw first set was a hour straight through going through probably three compositions as well. I think they actually rehearsed yesterday which is pretty unusual and I think they also just recorded in the studio - one hopes that the sound guys can capture this very unique and difficult to pigeonhole ensemble to some effect somewhere or anywhere near what they sound like from a few feet away. The take it slow and find one's way approach is fairly common method for Malaby's music where the material seems to morph out of nowhere and the resolutions are not always apparent or often may not happen but when they do, it can be magical and seemingly spontaneous. The music this band and a few others in NYC play are melding composition and improvisation in detailed and complex ways that really has never been done this successfully. The band last night used restraint and a no hurry approach to great advantage as they are capable of playing knock down, soaring grooving jazz/free bop/post bop with two fine drummers - and they could come right out of the box and impress and please easily the majority of the crowd but they play for something way more than that - and as far as the two drummers I think maybe one great one in Billy Mintz (first time for me and he was a pleasure), but they resist the easy way. They then find excitement and tension in the small intense concentrated improv as well as the floating almost pretty melodic passages. And although the intense loud ripping music does happen, it doesn't come off as inevitable or rote. There was a long section during the middle of the first set with Opsvik soloing (if you will with both drummers on brushes and this went on for a few minutes and it seemed subs a bit too long but by the time I caught myself it had morphed into something only made possible by the progression and the drummers played almost as one - as one if the guys said when they play with Nasheet, it is almost like two drummers - and when the two drummer guys were eventually going at it, it was a beast unleashed. And as Mintz said after the first set, they loved it when I asked him if it was fun. Loved it. Maybe more than me but tough to imagine that. And as far as the leader, he looked nice with a buttoned blue shirt albeit untucked and for some and for me maybe most importantly he played his soprano and tenor saxophone as if possessed. He had it ALL going on. Cliche free, soft loud and a few sections with or without the mercurial Gerstein that had anyone there with a pulse stunned or maybe just amazed. Giants Walk This Earth Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

Great with this band. Lots of reverberating lines and a few soaring solo/improv spots. Very melodic but deep and heavy before one realizes.

Malaby on tenor and soprano Eivand Opsvik on bass Ben Gerstein on trombone Ben Monder on guitar Dan Weiss and Billy Mintz on drums Snapshot comments: Malaby very focused, band tight and ethereal. Gerstein and Malaby are remarkable with both ensemble interplay and intense growling, sailing and wailing improvisations. And the two drummers with a combination of sticks, brushes and mallets - Lordy fucking Lordy. First set as powerful a presentation of Malaby's vision as can be heard. They build towards his intricate and gorgeous compositional elements sometimes very slowly and organically. Space and dynamics were a theme. Second set more beatiful with a long balladic piece centering the set followed by the piece that opens the Novela record.

My initiation to some of this sort of thing started with a very small amount of WKCR playing Evan Parker in 1994 for his 50th birthday. Hated it I thought but heard something and 4 or 5 years later I saw the great man with Dresser and Previte and then it was some SME, lots of AMM and subsequent Rowian inspired improvisational music and a newer opemindedness to listen to more of everything but free improvisation is where my greatest interest still remains. Thanks for posting the article.

That should be cool. I'm back in DC, so no chance of going. Where's the venue? I just saw Gerstein and I like his way of playing. Cornelia Street Cafe I'm wondering how they gonna set both the drummers up on that little stage. Yes I very much like Gerstein. Great energy and he is a very precise and intense improvisor. Malaby loves him and warned me about what he does with this band.

Tony Malaby Paloma Xtra with: Malaby on tenor saxophone Ben Monder on guitar Ben Gerstein on trombone Eivind Opsvik on bass Dan Weiss and Billy Mintz on drums

My original thought but I am continuing to try to make a point.

Jazz: 90's & 00's

I forgot Mingus at Antibes, Monk Big Band & Quartet and Ayler's Vibrations Let alone Far East Suite and another batch of Coltrane albums - Plays...., Transition, A Love Supreme, Crescent and maybe Interstellar Space

A whole slew for my birthday including: Carter / Bradford quartet recently issued Bradford with SME Roscoe Mitchell Quartets DKV trio Wels and Chicago to replace my lost discs Three Dead Dicks Picks boxes Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson: Light Trigger Fred Anderson Trio on southport with Favors And a couple of others

Just ordered the Roscoe Mitchell quartets with Philip Wilson which I've never heard so my quick list below night not be compete: Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot volume 1 John Coltrane: First Meditations Peter Brotzmann: Nipples Hank Mobley: Workout Wes Montgomery: Full House Or add one of Miles Smiles or Filles De Kilemenjaro Impossible to pick - and I'm not as big a listener to 60's jazz as I am of 90's onward. Plus I love fasstrack's picks My favorite Rollins are Alfie plus the later impulses Damn I need to get a new copy of Wes' At the Half Note - I used to play the hell out of that one Another two would be Inner Urge and Idle Moments

Added number 7 as well I think 4 is May 1970 with the acoustic set. 7 & 12 from 1974, I think which might be my favorite year

Ordering Dick's Picks 4 & 12 later today for my birthday I think those are the ones I picked out

Good but not great bassist, very good melodist and a fine small ensemble band leader. Some of themes hold up well over time and in another world some would be jazz classics Agree with your commentary on his large ensembles. Messy and aimless - at least they were 10 years ago or so when I stopped trying

Best release of 2013 The first CD Inscape/Tableaux is a mind bender

Tempted to take off work and fly there Despite Gustsfsson not being there - but Trevor Watts live for the first time would be quite the treat. Never seen either Guy large band. Number one musical dream

Curious as to where you're coming from here. No fan of the 60's political philosophy. I don't like the connection that many including some or most of my musical heroes make with politics. Put it this way as some from the old jazz corner know, I come from a very different place in these respects. Do you think you can really detach the music from its underlying philosophy? I really don't, not without injustice to the music. Otherwise, as they say, "the rest is noise." Anyway, I've never really heard anything explicitly political at VF. Mostly it's vague Art + Spirit = Beauty sort of thing. Vague enough to allow one to carry one's political views away unharmed. Oh go on, let it rip! I love him as a sax player, respect him as a piano player, and puzzle over him as a bass player. But I think he loves the bass the same way Michael Jordan loves minor league baseball. He's really an enigmatic figure; to me that's estimable. Rightly so. Steve, I'll let it go. Thanks for the reply. I guess I can't. Lots of truth to that, Leeway A few times it got overtly political but maybe only in an anti war way which doesn't bother me. As far as Gayle, I've never heard him on the bass and I'm not sure I'm ready.

Curious as to where you're coming from here. No fan of the 60's political philosophy. I don't like the connection that many including some or most of my musical heroes make with politics. Put it this way as some from the old jazz corner know, I come from a very different place in these respects.

"Same Shit Different Day" (or in this case, different year) I am not super into the sound at Roulette, and last year's VF had some egregious issues in that respect. But since cynicism is not allowed in talking about free music, I'll refrain from complaining too much. Allowed, encouraged and welcomed!!! I love free jazz and improvisation as much as most anyone and I still don't (well I do but I don't like or accept it ) understand why certain musicians dominate these proceedings - even though some of them are my personal favorites. The openness and acceptance and love that is preached often comes across as lip service when it comes the bands and musicians that "qualify"

Thanks for the information. I do a good bit of good stuff for myself every day to work on undoing some of the damage!

Why is Antoine Roney on that stage on that night? As Jim asked, is he that happening? No other band to fit that prime spot before Rothenberg and Brotzmann-Parker-Drake? Fwiw, I'm no huge fan of some of the bookings as despite what some might think, I can't get excited about things like the Alcorn/Halvorson duo and although I might be surprised, the idea of duos of vocalists with Sorey and Rothenberg have me feeling nothing except hoping it's not that painful. Would much rather have a band with Darius Jones Little Women, Gerald Cleaver's Black Host or Tim Berne's Snakeoil. Plus the fascination with drummers like Whit Dickey and Michael Wimberly have always astounded me. Maybe they have grown over the past 10 plus years and maybe I'll be there on one of those nights but when I've seen them back in the day, there was never a silence to be heard from either of them. Plus I love my pal Steve but poets and dancers do very little except detract from the reason I go. And if it gets political, I'm out the door until the music starts

Absurd that any list would not include Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor Unless as many people demonstrate here and elsewhere that all really great jazz was made over 40 years ago.

Again this year for a week: 9/9 through 9/14 - a week earlier in September than last year. This is a very pleasant surprise as last time it was 2009 to 2013. He must really enjoy the week. I look forward to: 1) Finding out who is playing with on each night 2) Hoping that we get a cool week of weather that allows me to show up AND enjoy hearing the great saxophonist 2 or 3 times during his week

I'm not a musician and I have no idea what a nootropic is do I care to but my experience is that I hear best with nothing in my system. It has all slowed down for me the last 9 plus years and I know the other side.