What live music are you going to see tonight?

[Van Basten II]

Tonight: Matana Roberts' Coin Coin with some of Seattle's most creative musicians at The Chapel Performance Space as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival.

I wrote the following response to this presentation after getting home last night and posted it on Facebook. If anything I understated the impact Coin Coin had on me. California board members: don't miss her while she's in your area (Berkeley today.)

This presentation at The Chapel Performance Space was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Yes, it was music, but it was more than that, much more. In some ways it was performance art, utilizing spoken word, primal screams and graphics along with music. In another even more primal and emotionally compelling way it seemed to take the powerful imagery and heart-wrenching emotion of "Strange Fruit" and the most gut-walloping aspects of Delta blues and African-American Gospel music and recast it in a long-form artistic framework more akin to a symphony or an opera. It was beautiful and terrifying. Intense was the word that immediately came to mind. Very intense. Too intense for a few in the audience who walked out part way through. Those of us who stayed were perhaps transformed and definitely affected. Affected very deeply and profoundly. In fact, I'm still reeling from this experience. I walked out of the building in something of a daze and leaned against the car, smoking a cigarette, staring up at the sky, needing to process all of this a bit before attempting such a mundane activity as driving home. This is what great art should do, and the occasions when art really does reach this level are all too rare. I mentioned to a couple of people after the concert - well, concert is a wholly inadequate term - that this was only the second time in over 35 years of attending musical and other arts events that I was literally brought to tears, several times. And throughout I was totally transfixed. If you have the chance to experience Coin Coin, go! But be prepared. No shucking and jiving here. No masks. No pretense. If the truth makes you squirm, in all likelihood you'll fall out of your seat and be thrashing around on the floor, or run for the exit.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Thank you to Matana Roberts, all of the musicians involved, Earshot Jazz and Steve Peters at the Chapel.

Bill which part of the project, she made, because they are many editions ? the one that will stay with me for the rest of my life is the one with the opera singer Jeremiah in a quintet which would be the chapter 2.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Van Basten II

[medjuck]

Ornette!! Tonight!!

And it was wonderful!

[kh1958]

Lucky Peterson--Kessler Theater.

Horrendous and overloud opening act drove me to wait in the lobby; but the payoff was big, as Lucky was in outrageous form on guitar last night.

[Michael Weiss]

Sweet Lou @Vanguard still playing beautifully. One of the very last of "the truth."

Love

Autumn in NY

Things Ain't What They Used to Be

Gravy Train

Body and Soul

Alligator Boogaloo

Edited November 8, 2010 by Michael Weiss

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Saw One For All in DC on Fri night. Rotondi was on fire ...as was Eric Alexander on 'End of a Love Affair.' Also performed a nice tribute number to Hotep Idris Galeta.

[Van Basten II]

Renaud Garcia-Fons in quartet to showcase La Linea del Sur, best gig I attended this fall:tup. Great melodies compositions and fantastic interpretation. Go see this guy when he plays near your area.

[ejp626]

Should have posted yesterday, but ran short of time. Tatsu Aoki has been doing more and more in the Silk Road, cultural-crossing vein. He has a big band called the Miyumi Project Big Band. They were playing a free gig in one of the Chicago Park field houses, so I went by. Probably the least traditional big band you will ever see. 3 saxophones, two string players (though one actually mostly does sampling), drum kit and bass. Now actually Tatsu is directing the band in this performance, not playing bass, and it appears his son is playing bass. Then 11 taiko drummers! 8 are students and only come on for part of each song, but when they are on the sound is just so low. It was just incredible. An absolutely unique experience. So glad I went.

I'm about to listen to a recording (though with only 3 taiko) and I'll see if they could record this well at all. I might spring for another CD with more drums, though the musical sample suggests the recording equipment just could not cope with the waves of deep drumming. Supposedly this performance was also recorded and will be on public radio, so I will keep my eye out for that.

[Leeway]

This past Wednesday: Cecil Taylor at the Alliance Francaise in Washington, DC. [say what you will about the French, they honor great artists. They treated Cecil like one of their own].

Beautiful performance: great articulation, and a wonderful sense of power but also calm in the performance. Cecil seemed to be in a relaxed, happy mood; mingled at the after-performance reception.

Next up: Ingrid Laubrock & Sleepthief in Baltimore.

[kh1958]

Tonight, at Dallas' beautiful new Winspear Opera House,

Buika and Lila Downs.

Buika performed first, with a trio of piano, electric bass and percussion--a fusion of flamenco and jazz. A very nice set. Buika appears a bit shy, and the sound mix on her voice was not quite right, one has to strain a bit to hear her. Still, this improved over the course of the set, which was pretty compelling.

Followed by the rather different Lila Downs--who in contrast has a powerful and dramatic vocal instrument and is more the pop performer. A bit more of an uneven set, in that a couple songs were not for me, but most was quite good, especially the traditional Mexican songs. A much louder set--with a quintet backing her.

A quite pleasing concert overall, with two very contrasting, but compelling vocalists.

[sidewinder]

Next up: Ingrid Laubrock & Sleepthief in Baltimore.

Should be good. I caught them a year or so ago in a UK performance. They were heading off to the USA the next day.

[ejp626]

Have not entirely decided but I may see Benny Golson at the Jazz Showcase. I would definitely have preferred to catch him on the Sunday matinee with my son, but that's not an option. So I may go to the late set on Thurs.

[ianc89]

Paul Motian sextet at the Vanguard. Always a treat, maybe twice a year you get to hear this group!!

[Guest Bill Barton]

Tonight: Matana Roberts' Coin Coin with some of Seattle's most creative musicians at The Chapel Performance Space as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival.

I wrote the following response to this presentation after getting home last night and posted it on Facebook. If anything I understated the impact Coin Coin had on me. California board members: don't miss her while she's in your area (Berkeley today.)

This presentation at The Chapel Performance Space was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Yes, it was music, but it was more than that, much more. In some ways it was performance art, utilizing spoken word, primal screams and graphics along with music. In another even more primal and emotionally compelling way it seemed to take the powerful imagery and heart-wrenching emotion of "Strange Fruit" and the most gut-walloping aspects of Delta blues and African-American Gospel music and recast it in a long-form artistic framework more akin to a symphony or an opera. It was beautiful and terrifying. Intense was the word that immediately came to mind. Very intense. Too intense for a few in the audience who walked out part way through. Those of us who stayed were perhaps transformed and definitely affected. Affected very deeply and profoundly. In fact, I'm still reeling from this experience. I walked out of the building in something of a daze and leaned against the car, smoking a cigarette, staring up at the sky, needing to process all of this a bit before attempting such a mundane activity as driving home. This is what great art should do, and the occasions when art really does reach this level are all too rare. I mentioned to a couple of people after the concert - well, concert is a wholly inadequate term - that this was only the second time in over 35 years of attending musical and other arts events that I was literally brought to tears, several times. And throughout I was totally transfixed. If you have the chance to experience Coin Coin, go! But be prepared. No shucking and jiving here. No masks. No pretense. If the truth makes you squirm, in all likelihood you'll fall out of your seat and be thrashing around on the floor, or run for the exit.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Thank you to Matana Roberts, all of the musicians involved, Earshot Jazz and Steve Peters at the Chapel.

Bill which part of the project, she made, because they are many editions ? the one that will stay with me for the rest of my life is the one with the opera singer Jeremiah in a quintet which would be the chapter 2.

I haven't been spending much time here and just now noticed your response, Van Basten II. I'm not really sure which part of the project I heard. The portions that affected me most deeply were those that addressed the history of her family during and shortly after slavery days. Mighty powerful stuff.

[kh1958]

Last night, the Ornette Coleman Quartet (Al MacDowell on bass guitar, Tony Falanga on bass, Denardo Coleman on drums) in Austin.

I found this concert to be positively thrilling, a truly great concert.

[jazzbo]

It sure was. Glad you made it! I saw Clifford there. I haven't quite figured out exactly what Al MacDowell did with that bass guitar to make it sound the way it did, but it was a pleasant surprise and made for an exciting show!

How many times did Ornette quote "What a Friend We Have in Jesus?" Six or seven times? I found that quite amusing.

[kh1958]

I should be more social, but I had to work half the day Thursday and get back to the office on Friday, so I arrived in Austin only about 30 minutes before the show and drove home right away afterwords.

Al MacDowell is a great player--I saw him many times with Prime Time at the Caravan of Dreams in the 1980s, usuallly paired with Jamaladeen Tacuma. He had a couple of releases as a leader on Gramavision--the best one is called Time Peace (which I see is available used for one cent on amazon!).

I would love to have a couple of CDs of live perofrmances by the band, but I suspect the odds of this happening are not good.

[Larry Kart]

Tonight: Allos Musica Trio: James Falzone, Ronnie Malley, Tim Mulvenna (Covenant Presbyterian Church)

Saturday afternoon: Roscoe Mitchell with Loose Assembly: Greg Ward, Jason Adasiewicz, Tomeka Reid, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed (Millennium Park)

Sunday night: Joe McPhee, Josh Berman, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed (Hungry Brain)

[Aggie87]

Waterloo posted a picture of Alejandro Escovedo with Ornette, backstage at the show - thought it was an interesting combination:

Edited November 20, 2010 by Aggie87

[Van Basten II]

Tonight

Rick Rosato Trio with Ari Hoenig, Gilad Hekselman

[Chalupa]

Last night:

Loren Connors / Barn Owl / Steve Gunn / High Aura'd

Tomorrow night:

Sun Ra Arkestra / West Philadelphia Orchestra

Both shows were/are free

[Larry Kart]

Tonight: Allos Musica Trio: James Falzone, Ronnie Malley, Tim Mulvenna (Covenant Presbyterian Church)

Saturday afternoon: Roscoe Mitchell with Loose Assembly: Greg Ward, Jason Adasiewicz, Tomeka Reid, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed (Millennium Park)

Sunday night: Joe McPhee, Josh Berman, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed (Hungry Brain)

Two aces so far. Falzone, in a startlingly impressive, Roman Catholic-like structure for a Presbyterian congregation, was in unearthly form -- the music (Malley, of Palestinian background, plays oud, Mulvenna hand drums and various gongs, large bells, etc.) was often Middle Eastern in feel, with further references to French and Spanish music of the 16th Century and before. Jazz in spirit, though -- lots of rhythmically striking, lyrical improvisation.

The Loose Assembly concert took a while for me to settle into -- I was late (bad traffic, streets blocked off for a parade), couldn't find how to get into the place for a fair while when I got there, and thus was initially pissed off -- but the music was superb. Some of Reed's best writing and playing, Roscoe is always a giant (everything he plays is so damn CLEAR and logical, as well as more or less HUGE), and everyone else rose to the occasion. Adasiewicz especially -- from an already high level, over the last several years he's been getting better and better; he engaged Roscoe in passages of true dialogue, which is saying something. As Josh Berman has said about Adasiewicz, he plays the vibes, but he's not really a vibes player; he's just a musician, and he'll do anything to kick out of that instrument what's needed.

[Steve Reynolds]

Ellery Eskelin Trio @ Cornelia St Cafe

Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone

Gary Versace: organ

Nasheet Waits: drums

@ Cornelia Street Cafe

sitting about 5 feet from the bass drum and 6 feet from the bell of Ellery Eskelin's horn

wanted to stay for the second set but my wife was a little tired - but she thinks the band would sell millions if anyone ever heard them - and she watches American Idol....

she is in love with Nasheet Waits and told him on the way out that he is greatest drummer she ever heard

she might be close - at least last night...

best organ trio alive today - maybe the best ever??!!??

slow start followed by what was I think was Bemsha Swing or Bye-A but my Monk listening and song recognition is way out of shape - but whatever it was the next 10 - 12 minutes exposed a band that is without peers in what they do - and I think Ellery told me afterwards that this was the first set they played - or maybe one of the first times they played - Ellery looked to have a set list of about 15 tunes on a scrap paper on the floor and I don't think Gary Versace had anything in front of him as they tore through the music.

What might have been Body and Soul or another old warhorse (I can't to this day tell an old ballad from another but that's my ears or lack of them from that respect) was next without a break and it was a slight letdown from the first half of the first half of the set (the set was two 31 to 32 minute sections).

Then then then..... then they went into something else and something else mostly groove based where they all took the music to dramatic heights with Ellery & Gary playing at a very high technical level without an ounce of flash - when the organ and drums combines at times it was more than incendiary and made one think this music had just been invented when in most respects it was of forms that have existed for decades. The last groove based portion was very powerful and I was transfixed and as inspired as I have been for quite some time.

who is that man on the organ!!!!!??????? holy shit!

can I say lordy lordy??

As we left I told Ellery that it was the greatest organ trio on par with Larry Young's Unity band (yes I know that was a quartet) but what the hell - a damn great band and damn fine night out for the both of us.

picked up the last Eskelin-Parkins-Black CD on hatology and damn does that bring back some great memories - can't wait to hear the classi trio and I hope they play somewhere here in NYC next year....

but for now over and out...

One Great Night, baby

[Van Basten II]

Tonight

Rick Rosato Trio with Ari Hoenig, Gilad Hekselman

Enjoyable set, Hoenig is a whole band by himself, looking for to see and obviously hear more of him

[Leeway]

Headed up to NYC for the Jazzwerkstatt Festival. Taking a bit of a flyer on this one, but one does not get too many opportunities to see and hear Umpert, Sommer and company.

[six string]

Last night, the Ornette Coleman Quartet (Al MacDowell on bass guitar, Tony Falanga on bass, Denardo Coleman on drums) in Austin.

I found this concert to be positively thrilling, a truly great concert.

I saw him last Saturday with the same group. However halfway through the concert he had a female vocalist come out and "sing" one song with the band. I didn't catch her name but she was middle age, Asian, dressed in a spectacular outfit that had mirrored pieces on her clothes and she wore a necklace with large pieces of something mirror and the way light was bouncing off of her while she stood there was pretty wild. Her vocals were of the wordless variety and she sparred a little with Ornette in the upper register which got very interesting. After the show I talked to several people and her effect on the audience was very polarizing. She either loved it or hated it.

I got the sense that she was possibly local and not part of the tour. Did anyone else see her at an Ornette show on this tour?