Steve Reynolds

Agreed regarding Nate Wooley's Seven Storey Mountain Very intense and hard to describe For me I went only on Friday and the Broetzmann set was my highlight despite the greatness of the above and the wonderful set from Ches Smith, Mat Maneri and Craig Taborn. Mat was as brilliant as ever, yet the trio wasn't as over the top brilliant as they were last March. The drums and piano were not as intense as in the great downstairs room that is Cornelia Street Cafe. Plus I saw the first half of a set from Big Mouth where I heard the greatest Wurlitzer solo ever from Craig Taborn. Beyond fucking genius. The band was cooking and but after the long second tune I was off the hear what for me two days later will now always be referred to as The Sound of God via the tenor saxophone of the great Peter Broetzmann. I can still close my eyes and almost hear what I experienced in those amazing 45 minutes.

I have only been in Chicago about 3 times and those times were in the late 90's and I am eternally grateful that I went to see Von Freeman twice and I was able to see Fred Anderson at The Velvet Lounge. First solo by Von was in medium tempo and it was about 10 to 15 minutes and for whatever reason the memory of it being as brilliant an excursion on tenor as I have ever experienced live remains. And on one trip was able to see Eight Bold Souls (in a blizzard so it might have been 1999) I was also looking forward to seeing Don Pullen at Sweet Basil which would have been one of my first jazz show when we all found out he had passed away.

There is nothing in this world like the sound of the great Peter Brotzmann Nothing And in that huge room that is Judson Church, I have never heard him sound like he did about 2 hours ago. From tenor to targato to clarinet and back to tenor. When he took an unaccompanied break 40 minutes in (10 minutes into the second and final 15 minute improvisation) the sound came from God if there is such a thing. Nothing like it in this world. Amazing night for me. Just as far as Drummers I saw last night: Ches Smith, the incredible Chris Corsano and my first time seeing or hearing the monster drummer Ryan Sawyer(both with Nate Wooley's mind blowing band), Gerald Cleaver and the great Hamid Drake.

Couldn't help myself Mat Maneri cured all my pain

Getting worse All I can do not to get up and leave Maudlin covers of maudlin tunes I don't know what I'll do with rest of my life Horrid

Ben Wendell quartet boring the shit out of me. Hope the hundred something stay here for Ches, Mat and Craig Minds to be blown

I'll be up there on the 10th and 11th, so I may see you up there, as I will be those shows. DP

I'll be up there on the 10th and 11th, so I may see you up there, as I will be those shows. Key for me is to get a good seat for Mary's set and as close as possible for Herr Broetzmann. First time in over 10 years to see him with the great drummer. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night. If I was going Saturday I would see Open Loose, Snakeoil and Tony's Taramindo Malaby turns 50 on Sunday and I wish I could see those three powerhouse bands back to back to back. But I'm sure to have a great experience tomorrow nonetheless

Sounds like an interesting band. Best live show of last year was this trio last March for 2 sets @ Cornelia Street Cafe Almost doom metal intensity.

Many great shows: winterjazzfest.com I'm going on the 10th for: 8:00: Ches Smith Trio with Mat Maneri and Craig Taborn 10:00 Mary Halvorsen Septet 11:15 Peter Brotzmann with Hamid Drake and Jason Adasiewicz

RIP, Sir A vital participant to the last Joe Maneri band recording, the great opus "Going to Church"

I'm in the same boat regarding David Murray I haven't bought a CD of his in 10 years I still enjoy an occasional listen. I've lost and gained interest in many different musicians and I am thankful that I simply try to have and hear the best recordings that artists release. I don't need to hear marginal Art Blakey recordings from the late 60's through the end when there is so much vibrant music being released today by a myriad of wonderful musicians known and unknown

The 37 minute first track from disc 2 (set 2) of Blue Winter with Fred Anderson, William Parker and Hamid Drake Maybe the furthest thing from what one might expect. Opens with a 5 minute gorgeous unaccompanied tenor solo which morphs into a bass drum dialogue that is simply magical. The tempos really vary throughout with some of the fastest tempos I've heard this trio play. Yet by the end they almost settle into a classic Parker-Drake groove with the great tenorman playing his improvised altered blues in a way that is timeless genius. The piece also includes a bowed section where Anderson plays a gorgeous stunning repetitive invented line and a bass-drum section that is super funkified via the great drummer pulling out shit that even I had never heard him play - music that should have made this section sampled by modern pop makers! Of course since few people here have never heard this recording for whatever unknown reason, no chance for common sense elsewhere!! Over the years this track and the whole of disc 1 (set one ~ 45 minutes) have become one of the best examples of seemingly somewhat traditional free jazz (not notated as is the case with all of Fred's music over the last 25 years of his brilliant musical life) of recent times. Plus as mentioned elsewhere the recording quality is beyond sublime.

Ubu: don't ignore the new KV Resonance 2 CD set Very strong Another good one: Gerald Cleaver's Black Host: Life in the Sugar Candle Mines

Third and final track from Dragonfly Breath called Mosquito Good way to start my morning drive to my destination Along with my coffee, this quarter is a strong wake up call

Impossible to explain how varied, nuanced and brilliant Open Loose is. I've tried before but I won't try this time. I will say that they were more relaxed and that the interplay is telepathic and that Tony Malaby for me remains among the 2 or 3 most exciting tenor saxophonists I've ever seen live. Every time I see him he astounds me with his range and his completely unique approach and sound. The guys defines the "sound of surprise" for me. He played a passage during one of last compositions ("Chavez") on the beyond altissimo register(s) that was something even beyond what thought was possible for him. In addition he NEVER plays for the crowd or effect. He makes/demands that the audience hear the music as the band's music and not him as a soloist. His brilliance in some ways is so insidious that if one isn't really listening one might miss the depth of his improvisational imagination and thorough mastery of the saxophone. Ok I tried to explain part of what makes this trio so special

Tonight @ Cornelia Street Cafe: Open Loose with Mark Helias, Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey

Number one: Ches Smith trio with Mat Maneri and Craig Taborn Then: Michael Moore's American Available Jelly Mat Maneri Trio with Ed Schuller and Randy Peterson Evan Parker duet with Sylvie Courvoisier Evan Parker quartet with John Escreet, John Hebert and Tyshawn Sorey William Parker Quartet with Rob Brown, Lewis Barnes and Hamid Drake Kris Davis Capricorn Climber All in NYC Many other fine shows but these were all spectacular

Let me post here that track 2 from Decoy with Joe McPhee is among the most powerful improv pieces I've heard over the past couple of years.

Me needs to see Foxes Fox with Evan Parker, Steve Beresford and John Edwards To my ears one of the great improvising ensembles in this music

Nice seeing you as well, Tony

RIP, Sir

Last time a few years ago in Philly with frode's big band. Besides that maybe 2006 or so at Vision Fest.

My dream is that Louis Moholo-Moholo writes or relays the stories of the history of this music as he has experienced it. My other dream is that I get to see him play one time

Pretty damn great. Hard to expain this band. Susie was the highlight in many ways. Lotte Anker nice new find for me. Kinda like John Butcher crossed with Steve Lacy on soprano and who the hell knows from what where or who on alto. Lotsa tension and controlled force and restraint.