Steve Reynolds

His first NYC appearance ever was this past August 17th / a duo with Tomeka Reid at The Stone (at The New School)

Saw Savannah Harris with Peter Evans’ “Being and Becoming” this past spring and he was amazing. Will get that CD. Love Tomeka Reid.

Patricia Brennan Trio: The Stone at New School unfamiliar with the guitarist (Keisuke Matsuno) or drummer (Noel Brennan) Patricia is a great vibraphonist fwiw this past Tuesday great sets at Record Shop in Brooklyn / think I commented elsewhere. The little improv scene in Brooklyn is piping hot!!!

Ron Anderson / weak is a very relative term. Probably too strong. Issue is that Chuck Roth (26 years old) is one of the greatest young guitarists I’ve seen. My friend Kevin called Chuck a wunderkind. Recordings should start coming out soon. Incredibly original and very intense. Plus the bass amp wasn’t designed for a bass so his sound was a bit covered up. Nice dude, fwiw. second group was strong as well. Tom Weeks on alto, James McKain on tenor, Caroline Morton on double bass & Kevin Murray on drums. Out of Ayler but with a current modern touch. The 2 saxophones were tremendous. I’ve seen James McKain quite a few times this year and he is excellent. Great taste. Knows what the fuck is up. Very learned and is a critical listener. Was very impressed first time seeing or hearing Tom Weeks. Caroline Morton is young and just another one of the great young woman musicians on the scene. Very inspiring and invigorating to these older ears. Murray is a beast. They are starting to find space and the saxophonists both know when to step back. Strong listening all around.

Sunday 10/22 Chris Corsano quartet with Nate Wooley at P.I.T. In Brooklyn Wednesday 10/25 at New School: Erik Friedlander, Mark Helias & Ches Smith

I always appreciate your honest commentary I was at a gig last night. 3 short sets by 3 groups. Mostly very young. Incredibly loud and very energetic. First trio was Chuck Roth on guitar, Ron Anderson on electric bass & James Paul Nadian on drums. Best and loudest of the groups despite that the older dude who played last night was the weakest. Anderson is a fine bassist but Chuck & James brought the heat. But hard to really know the depth of this or the other sets. But seeing these sets is invigorating. Will be great to see them grow. Key is allow silence & softer passages. Usually happens with dedication. Will see more experienced musicians Thursday.

Enjoying the CD. Enjoy the gigs!

Why do you hate Sandell? lots of people don’t like Mats

Ordered. $40 U.S. dollars / no mention of any 7” EP thankfully

Ava destroys atoms!! Need this one

Great musicians. Sure would like a drummer. That being said, Maneri, Wooley, Moran & Lonberg-Holm et al is tempting. fwiw as great as Mat Maneri is in record, the last 2 quartet shows over the last 10 days featured his best playing live I’ve heard in 6-7 years. Last night in Kingston, NY was an incredible 80 minute set. Second set 10 days ago at Jazz Gallery in NYC might have been even better. Randy Peterson rules the world:)

Mat Maneri Quartet last night in Kingston, NY maybe better every time with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the incredible Randy Peterson

Wowza Lordy Lordy

Theresa Wong, Carla Kihlstedt, Nava Dunkelman & Fred Frith The Stone @ New School 8:30 set

Thanks / sorry for my typical overreaction! Glad I’m seeing Fred Frith tonight for the second time in a week. And yes non-NYC area listeners should be thrilled to see and hear Mary. She is always wondrous. Maybe I’m a bit jaded (if that’s the correct descriptor) as I’m fortunate to see so much exciting new idea music hear locally.

I’m not a traveler but I can see anything exciting that is scheduled except Henry Threadgill here in NYC or Brooklyn from much closer up. Seems to me the schedule in 2019 had me salivating but 5 years later it’s turning into mush. In fact the live shows I see on a very regular basis in the small rooms here are much more inspiring than what seems like the more of the same. That trio with Ribot, Medeski & Russo played in NY recently but I had a previous more exciting gig to go to. Tomorrow night Fred Frith. Did they book him? In fact none of the old school or next or current generation free radicals seem to have a voice. Instead it’s Herbie Hancock to drive attendance. Ugh. then again last year or the year before I believe you had Ches Smith with Craig Taborn & Mat Maneri. I don’t see anything like that on the list of artists. Ceramic Dog & Tomeka Reid’s quartet look like the highlights to me as well as Henry Threadgill, of course. Maybe I’m too close to the current NYC avant scene and wonder why the great young exciting musicians don’t get noticed except in Europe. And the exciting newish or older European brilliant improvisers are absent from the schedule.

Saturday night Fred Frith with Zeena Parkins! The Stone at The New School 8:30 show

Thanks, Clifford I will try to be there. Seeing Trevor at Jazz Gallery with Jamie Harris on November 18th. Care of the Robert D. Bielecki Foundation. For all locals please try to attend one or both of these shows if at all possible. Trevor deserves this. Still playing brilliantly from what I’ve heard on recent recordings. Like many of us, I’ve never had the opportunity to see him play live. Legend.

Tonight Tim with Matt Mitchell (electric keys), Brandon Seabrook & Tim Angelo second set exploded when bass drum pedal broke. Mat & Randy were going to play a free duo piece / instead as the staff went to get a back up pedal, Mat says “one minute bass solo, Brandon!” Lopez destroyed the world in a minute. Drum/viola followed with the great men reaching levels unknown to this world. Final composed piece surpassed everything with Lucian on another level mixing inside piano & the keyboard unlike anyone I’ve seen. Wowza. it goes without saying that Randy Peterson is the greatest drummer I know. Can play more with one cymbal than most drummers can play with a whole kit. Stunning every fucking time. No groove like Randy’s. Deepest swing on the planet at tempos often slower than the thickest goo ever produced. Slow, slower and slowest. Adding Brandon Lopez to this trio has manifested in the most unique oblique group I know of. Mat strongest performance I’ve seen from him in a few years and there is no musician I see play live as often as Mat.

Second set I just got home from among the greatest sets of music I’ve ever seen. speechless

Berne plays at Lowlands in Brooklyn most Thursdays. This week with Matt Mitchell, Brandon Seabrook & Tim Angelo. I plan on being there. 3-4 feet away. I’ve seen Tim about 10 times this year at this tiny bar. He walks there from his home. He often brings high profile players like Michael Formanek (last week) and Chris Potter (the week before). Great to hear Potter solely on bass clarinet tearing it up. Oscar Noriega is often with him as well. Amazing clarinet player. I’ve seen David Torn there twice with him as well. Plus Ches Smith who is as incredible as Rainey is in a far different way. No CD’s yet with Belisle-Chi but there is download with Tim, Gregg & Rainey on Bandcamp with many of the songs they play live. I have not listened. Wooley’s Columbia Icefield has 2 releases. With Mary Halvorson, Susan Alcorn & Ryan Sawyer. They are both great. Mutual Aid Music 2 releases / single CD and 3 CD box. Very demanding music. tonight Mat Maneri’s Quartet with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the *great* Randy Peterson for 2 sets at Jazz Gallery in Manhattan. Saturday night Fred Frith with Zeena Parkins. Next Wednesday Fred with Nava Dunkelman and 2 other woman string players I’m unfamiliar with. Golden time for live music in New York. I’ve been going to 10-12 shows a month this past year. Glorious.

Just a thought If “Coming Down the Mountain” or “Dahabenzapple” came out today, it would still be as current as anything today. Both are now 30 years old. Still the greatest jazz recordings I know of. Seeing Mat Maneri again next week with Lucian Ban, Brandon Lopez and the *great* Randy Peterson

Tim Berne with Gregg Belisle-Chi, Michael Formanek & Jeff Davis Belisle-Chi is turning into a huge favorite. His growth this year playing most Thursdays with Tim has been great to experience as I’ve probably seen him on 8 or 9 of the gigs this year. Michael Formanek should be perfect for this music.

Amazing. I’ve listened to it 4-5 times over the last month.

Nate Wooley Mutual Aid Music with Matt Moran, gabby fluke-mogul and more at Roulette in Brooklyn