What live music are you going to see tonight?

[sidewinder]

the audiences may be ageing

No - that's just Sidmouth.

[A Lark Ascending]

I'm exaggerating the age thing. We oldies may dominate the big concerts (maybe only we can afford the ticket prices) and there are lots of worse for wear Morris dancers and people clutching melodeons wandering the town; but there's also lots of dances and workshops which I suspect draw in much younger people. More of a chance there to participate and indulge in a bit of courting.

[A Lark Ascending]

Amazing day of tremendous music:

Fay Hield & the Hurricane Party - only a name to me until a few months back but Fay Hield is quite something. Very folky. With the sort of vocal approach that clearly comes from listening to lots of source singers. Supergroup band playing in that wonderful ox-cart creaking down a muddy lane manner.

Brass Monkey - yikes, this one was full of nostalgia. I saw a couple of the first gigs by this band back in1982 or so. A trio of Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans in a Nottingham pub and then the full five piece at Cropredy. Even more nostalgic, the second gig of any sort I ever attended was The Albion County Band in Swindon College with Carthy and Kirpatrick aboard. And here the are in 2012 playing with as much swagger as ever. Who'd have thought an experiment to take the rock out of folk-rock and replace it with a brass band would still be going 30 years later!

Old Man Luedecke - actually a 30 something playing banjo and singing. From Nova Scotia - very nice oddball songs.

Mawkin - fabulous. For some reason this well established band have kept a pretty low profile. I only came across them by word of mouth and up to now heard the only on record. Again rooted in that rusty waggon English approach but flying off elsewhere - The Kinks, music hall, Finnish tango, Hungarian and Swedish dance tunes.

What a rich musical world we live in and have access to.

[A Lark Ascending]

Superstar night.

Martin Simpson steering it all, accompanied through most of it by the wonderful Andy Cutting on squeeze boxes.

Joined in the first half by Fay Hield and Jon Boden. And then in part two by June Tabor and Dick Gaughan.

Only the latter disappointed - he was such a powerhouse in the 70s and 80s, pulling off both traditional and highly political song in a rich, deep, heavily accented voice. But every time I've seen him in recent years he's done the same songs.

More June tonight with the Oyster Band.

Edited August 9, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[Elissa]

Orrin Evans, one of the my favorite pianists in town, hosts a jam session Tuesday nights at the Zinc bar with his own killing band. I especially liked the bass player, whose name I forgot. Eric Lewis was there, reminding us all that yes he still can play jazz, Joel Harris, Gerry Gibbs, Jeff Watts (whose band is at the Zinc tonight) and who I may go see. The occasional horn player went on a bit too long, though not badly. Orrin himself I find hugely creative and swinging and invariably beautiful.

[kh1958]

Orrin Evans, one of the my favorite pianists in town, hosts a jam session Tuesday nights at the Zinc bar with his own killing band. I especially liked the bass player, whose name I forgot. Eric Lewis was there, reminding us all that yes he still can play jazz, Joel Harris, Gerry Gibbs, Jeff Watts (whose band is at the Zinc tonight) and who I may go see. The occasional horn player went on a bit too long, though not badly. Orrin himself I find hugely creative and swinging and invariably beautiful.

The band he led at Smalls where I heard him last year was quite good (Mark Gross on alto and Marvin Sewell on guitar).

[A Lark Ascending]

Various ok but nothing to get very excited about folkies - including a band who looked (and sounded a bit like) Jethro Tull (in their dishevelled farm labourer phase) and sang about hedges, long barrows and ley lines. Bonkers.

Then a wonderful final concert with June Tabor and the Oyster Band. Including a version of 'White Rabbit' - no sign of bad acid but plenty of scrumpy casualties.

Right - time for beard detox...

Edited August 10, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

George Galway (brother of James) with the Gerry Tomlinson Trio at Whitefield this afternoon.

[jlhoots]

Terri Hendrix / Lloyd Maines

Terry Allen

[Elissa]

Dropped in to the Zinc for the Orrin Evans jam session again last night. Did I mention that I love Orrin Evans? The bass player (same as last week) is the wonderful Alex Hernandez. Tommy Campbell's moved back from Europe and he was in the house. Frank Lacy dropped by, and my favorite jazz guitarist, Saul Rubin was there, and Eric Lewis was back. Orrin though, Orrin.

[BillF]

Trombonists Lee Hallam and Duncan Winfield playing Jay and Kai arrangements with the Gerry Tomlinson Trio at Whitefield this afternoon.

[aparxa]

Back from two nights at Ramatuelle:

Abdullah Ibrahim and EKAYA

Great and inspired septet with a lovely and unexpected Skippy(Monk) at the very end.

Kenny Barron Trio

Solid performance and happy to see KB for the first time.

[mjb]

On the 19th we saw Tom Harrell with Billy Childs, Wayne Escofferey and Ugonna Okegwo at The Vanguard.

Wandering around we found Enfants Terribles at The Blue Note. Oh New York how I do love you.

[jlhoots]

Lyle Lovett

[relyles]

Peter Brötzmann/Jason Adasiewicz tonight at UMASS Amherst. I am somewhat ambivalent about the recorded Brötzmann I have heard to date, but I figured he is worth hearing live.

[bertrand]

Worth hearing, but bring earplugs. His philosophy is to play as LOUD AS POSSIBLE.

Bertrand.

[relyles]

Worth hearing, but bring earplugs. His philosophy is to play as LOUD AS POSSIBLE.

Bertrand.

Loudness was not an issue. Yes, he is a very powerful player on all four reeds he plays. Last night, however, as one of the people I was with commented, he did allow some melodic content to emerge every so oftem. Probably enough to at least show some variety in his playing for me. In any event, nothing I heard resonated enough to turn me into a Brotzmann fan, but I am glad I made it to the show.

[jazzbo]

Saw WD-41 last night at Kenny Dorham's Back Yard. (Josh Tompson sat in on alto, always a pleasure).

WD-41, who are Willie Oteri on guitar (left) and Dave Laczko on trumpet (right), are there every Thursday night this month.

[BillF]

Liam Byrne (tnr) and Jamie Brownfield (tpt) with the Gerry Tomlinson Trio at Whitefield this afternoon.

http://www.jamiebrownfield.co.uk/#!home/mainPage

Edited September 9, 2012 by BillF

[Pete C]

In any event, nothing I heard resonated enough to turn me into a Brotzmann fan, but I am glad I made it to the show.

I know the feeling. I've enjoyed his alto playing more than his tenor playing, but I'm no fan. If I want to hear someone blowing his brains out I'll stick with Pharoah Sanders at his most extreme.

[Justin V]

On Saturday, my wife and I made the drive to Pittsburgh to see Sonny Simmons with the Cosmosamatics. On Sunday, I made a solo drive to Delaware (Ohio, that is) to see the Brotzmann/Adasiewicz duo.

[kh1958]

Last night, closing night at Tucker's Blues in Deep Ellum, featuring the Lucky Peterson trio and various vocalists, before a packed house.

Too bad, a rare venue in Dallas which had good sound, wasn't overloud, and was all about music comes to an end.

[Aggie87]

Just got back from Scofield, Swallow, & Stewart at Yoshi's. Very enjoyable and the band was obviously having a good time. Check 'em out if they come your way.

Well, they're not coming my way, but you convinced me anyway - I'm gonna check 'em out at the Blue Note in NYC on 6 Oct!

[BillF]

Paul Smith (tenor and arrangements) with the Swingshift Big Band at Southport this afternoon.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Baritone sax alert! Gary Smulyan is coming to Methuen, MA's Sahara Jazz Club. Should be a good time. He's bringing me an advance copy of his newest CD, The Ellington Saxophone Project.

Kevin