Steve Reynolds

too bad Shipp isn't as great as he thinks he is

Would love to hear the trio. Jason with Peter a couple of years back was quite good

Another good trumpeter who plays post boppish stuff is Eric Boeren with Available Jelly and other Dutch ensembles. Magnus Broo is another fine youngish powerful trumpeter who is exciting to these ears Almost went to see him in Jeff Watts big band on Saturday but alas I saw Tony Malaby again.... Next time..... Now you, sir, must start work on trying to catch others and not just Malaby again and again Next show for me in NYC will be probably more mainstreamish as I promised my wife a show at The Jazz Standard or the Vanguard. Then again it's gonna be hard to miss Malaby with William Parker and Nasheet Waits on 7/31 but I am missing it..... Plus I'm gonna miss a great show next Sunday at The Stone as I refuse to withstand the heat despite it looking like one of the best shows of the year... Hard for me to miss Hemingway, Rojas, Eskelin, Malaby ( yes him again), Michael Moore and Ray Anderson. Gonna be great but unless it drops to under 70 degrees, I doubt I go.

Almost went to see him in Jeff Watts big band on Saturday but alas I saw Tony Malaby again.... Next time.....

This might be hard to explain and I am certainly not the best listener/poster to try to explain these thoughts. I always hope that some of the more regular attendees of many of the musicians that I see most often would comment here or elsewhere about the music being performed these days that might fall under the broad parameters that might be known as downtown NYC/avant-garde yet jazz based music. What I AM hearing is that the overall vibe of much of this music has certainly moved towards a more abstract vibrational quality while at the same time it is often still very compositionally orientated. I sure wish I was able to see even more of the musicians that I am less familiar with like Sylvie Courvoisier, Zeena Parkins, and others. The last three shows I have seen (Kris Davis Quintet, Maneri-Taborn-Smith and then last Saturday - Tony Malaby's quartet with Ben Monder, Eivind Opsvik and Ches Smith) 2 of the 3 shows were based on compositions (Kris' and then Tony's) but the improvisations that came out of these structures to my ears have become increasingly adventurous and spontaneous. Both bassists on those bands were extraoridnary with the bow - Hebert with Davis more traditional - and then Saturday Opsvik was a revelation to me. Compared to a show with the same band (with Nasheet in the drummer's chair), the music developed into drones and interplay with guitar and long intense and controlled tones on the bass that were very new to my ears. I know some of these musicians spent quite some time with Paul Motian - and they even did a Motian tune Saturday (by far the most traditional playing of the night by all), so maybe his open-minded spirit has been moved to these fine young musicians. the common bond IS the imput of the 30 somethings - Ches Smith, Kris Davis - and I think the ongoing unknown influence of what I refer to as 'Maneri Music' which, of course, is being carried on and developed by the *great* Mat Maneri - who I have to say - among all these musicians - really helps the bands he is in the take the music towards these new horizons. and the middle show which was July 7th with the trio of Ches Smith, Mat Maneri and Craig Taborn - has resonated with me for the 2 weeks since I experienced it - and without a doubt was one of those musical experiences that will not and cannot be replicated. I think the open-minded approach of these guys allowed them to play some music that night that did indeed invent new music - I have been thinking of it as doom metal free jazz improvisation - my wife who one would think wouldn't like the more 'out' music - said it was among the best musical performances she's seen with me - ranking with Hamid Drake with In Order to Survive and ICP with Han Bennink - which is quite a statement - being the music of the trio contained new recognible groove, melody or anyhting other than spontaneous creation or combustion as she said, it was a rock band and Mat, Craig and Ches were rock stars, save for the glory - only the power and the brilliance. thoughts welcome

I think Billy Drummond is one of the great ones - one of the few drummers I really like that seems to move seamlessly into the forms of modern music that I am most interested in (from time to time) from more traditional more swinging type music, and that night was an especially good night, I think for specifically Drummond and Alessi. Tony was quite inconsistent that night, especially during the seocnd set when they played one long, long Bechet tunes that i think Malaby got carried away with incorparating a few too many modern or avantish elements into the traditional composition.

Add Ralph Alessi to the list. on a couple of occasions that I've seen him live with my wife, my wife thinks he's terrific....I thought he was especially good in Tony Malaby's Reading band that featured the *great* Billy Drummond. Very easy on the ears as he nevers wears on the ears and yet his playing is filled with lyrical inventive ideas.

Second set more abstract with sounds discovered this morning. Bass with how taken to new levels. Tony's high long tones also new for me for their strength and power. Immense music

First set 45 minutes straight through was from another dimension.

About an hour until the great Tony Malaby and friends take the stage

Debating with my wife as she LOVES the Jazz Standard vibe which for Saturday is Jeff Watts Big Band which would be nice if not down my alley. Me - I want to go to my spot Cornelia Street Cafe to see this: Saturday, Jul 20 - 9:00PM & 10:30PM PALOMA RECIO Tony Malaby, tenor saxophone; Ben Monder, guitar; Eivind Opsvik, bass; Ches Smith, drums New music dedicated to an angel flying over the Iberian Peninsula by a quartet of omni-directionally improvising masters of ecstatic lyrical elasticity.

Sounds enticing. Is it as good as it looks?

A reminder to those who may care: Mad Dogs is the strongest recording of the year for me Best of the best from Barry Guy's New Orchestra in small groups Best sound as well

Yes - and I saw them with Ellery Eskelin and Ray Anderson added to the trio Still nothing touches a 2001 or 2002 trio with Dunmall, Rogers and Kevin Norton at the Knit Among the greatest tenor saxophone and bass performances I've ever witnessed. Plus Paul had his custom bass with him. Plus Dunmall had the bagpipes!!! The show reached otherworldly heights for me. Almost as great as Mat Maneri, Craig Taborn and Ches Smith last week!!

Barry and Paul are pretty infrequent visitors to these shores unfortunately...but John is very much a regular. By the way - I concur - John in an absolute monster. A real master. Well they almost never come to these shores - Paul was here in 2006 with Dunmall and Levin while Barry was last here maybe in 2000.

Too many better musicians or pianists to my ears than Keith to care too much about how big of a douchebag he may or may not be. Craig Taborn is one them and he also comes across as a nice guy to boot. And what he played last Sunday night was more invigorating and original than anything I've heard from Keith Jarrett. And I think Jarrett is a fine musician and pianist Point is all this hand wringing and what about the musicians today who kick ass and take risks in all sorts of musical situations and still deal with young, old, new partners in their music. Not just play in one format with the same musicians for going on or past 20 years?? Zzzzzzzzzzzz

One day I will visit The Vortex One day when John Edwards, Barry Guy or Paul Rogers are playing I've never seen the former, once for Guy and three times for Rogers For my ears, the three greatest free improvising bassists alive Then Cafe Oto to hear Alan Wilkinson, Simon H Fell and Paul Hession Or Steve Noble One day I see a few more of the great improvisers of our time live and in person

Getting ready to get some rest as I have work tomorrow but I will say this: My wife says that Craig Taborn must be the best pianist there is. I told her he might be but she hasn't seen Cecil Taylor. Two totally improvised sets of music and as I mentioned above the little place was packed, maybe because of the pianist being in the band. I may try to describe what sort of music this was later if I can get a handle on it but I will say this - the first set was pretty damn great with the last 25 minute piece being from a place I wasn't very familiar with. It ended up being somewhat groove based and consisted of some strong looping repeated figures by Taborn culminating with Maneri playing some bass lines and drones on the lowest register of his viola unlike anything I've ever heard him play. The crowd went a bit nuts, especially for this place which is sometimes a bit subdued as a good portion of the crowd are regulars who have really seen and heard it all. The lesson is dont leave before the second set. Three amazing pieces with the second being a masterpiece of doom metal free jazz improvisation with these masters inventing something they didn't know existed in them. It ended almost better with a searching unexpected Smith solo completing the best set of music I've heard this year. Still Coming Down the Mountain

5 feet from Mat Place is packed. Ready to go, baby!!!!

About an hour until the show. 90 degrees outside and will be cool downstairs. Very pumped for the trio of Che's Smith, Craig Taborn and Mat Maneri

Relyes - you considering the Sunday night show above? I think it could be great.

Any comments on the shows?

Evan Parker - the difference between the late 60's and early 70's to the past 20 years is quite stunning Paul Bley - from the 60's to the 90's - much more stark, gorgeous, and to my ears, better Cecil Taylor - from the late 50's and early 60's to anything past 1970 - new world

Don Van Vliet Keith Rowe Paul Dunmall Peter Broztzmann all are (or were in the case of the late Captain) visual artists as well as being prominent in their musical idioms

don't hold back Reynolds, lets hear it! I'll save more for next week after I see THIS: Sunday, Jul 07 - 8:30PM CHES SMITH TRIO Dan Weiss, host Ches Smith, drums; Craig Taborn, piano; Mat Maneri, viola