What live music are you going to see tonight?

[BillF]

Liam Byrne Quartet at Malcolm Frazer's house.

Liam certainly knows his jazz and jazzmen! Played a number by Larry McKenna of Philadelphia - someone I didn't know. Interesting clips of McKenna on YouTube.

[kh1958]

Last night, I attended the last part of the Bedford Blues Festival. The sun was setting when I arrived but it was still hot. An outdoor setting, but the ticket price for the limited number of seats was reasonable, so arriving late and sitting in the front row proved to be easy. First, the end of Ruthie Foster's set, who did not appeal to me. Then, the reason for my coming, Buddy Guy played a fine concert. If only he played mostly songs from his first-rate new recording, but at least he did perform one song from it, Born to Play Guitar, and it was the evening highlight, though not the only one.

[niels]

John Dikeman / William Parker / Hamid Drake @ Bimhuis Amsterdam this Wednesday. 
First time that I will see the Parker/Drake tandem live so needless to say I'm exited!

[mjazzg]

John Dikeman / William Parker / Hamid Drake @ Bimhuis Amsterdam this Wednesday. 
First time that I will see the Parker/Drake tandem live so needless to say I'm exited!

I had to miss that trio at Oto last night. Enjoy it. Drake and Parker are unbelievably good in a live context.I don't know Dikeman so will be interested to hear what you make of it

Edited September 7, 2015 by mjazzg

[Chuck Nessa]

This was last night. There is a short video on the Nessa Records Facebook page. Photo by Lauren Deutsch.

 

[kh1958]

Last night, Lila Downs at the House of Blues. A one block walk from my office to the House of Blues, and I find myself in Mexico all of a sudden. A few words of English are spoken, but all songs are in Spanish. Her 8 piece band is good (from Mexico, Chile, and the United States), but the first half of the concert does not appeal too much to my tastes (song selection). Things heat up for the second half, as the repertoire is more to my liking, and her rather spectacular vocal skills are fully displayed on first rate songs. A quite positive concert experience with a wonderful singer.   

Edited September 10, 2015 by kh1958

[niels]

John Dikeman / William Parker / Hamid Drake @ Bimhuis Amsterdam this Wednesday. 
First time that I will see the Parker/Drake tandem live so needless to say I'm exited!

I had to miss that trio at Oto last night. Enjoy it. Drake and Parker are unbelievably good in a live context.I don't know Dikeman so will be interested to hear what you make of it

It was fantastic! 
Especially Hamid Drake made even a bigger impression on me than I could ever hoped for. What a phenomenon it is to see and hear this man in a live setting!
Dikeman is a very active member in the Amsterdam scene, so I know that his preferred style of playing is very aggressive and hard blowing. Now this is normally not the kind of playing I tend to like best, but Dikeman really surprised me yesterday in that respect. Yes, it still was aggressive and hard blowing at times, but I think he dosed those moments quite well with some more introspective and even tender moments. Especially somewhere in the second set when Hamid Drake played the frame drum and William Parker some sort of wooden flute and double reeds, Dikeman accompanied them with some beautiful soft and spiritual playing. 

[mjazzg]

John Dikeman / William Parker / Hamid Drake @ Bimhuis Amsterdam this Wednesday. 
First time that I will see the Parker/Drake tandem live so needless to say I'm exited!

I had to miss that trio at Oto last night. Enjoy it. Drake and Parker are unbelievably good in a live context.I don't know Dikeman so will be interested to hear what you make of it

It was fantastic! 
Especially Hamid Drake made even a bigger impression on me than I could ever hoped for. What a phenomenon it is to see and hear this man in a live setting!
Dikeman is a very active member in the Amsterdam scene, so I know that his preferred style of playing is very aggressive and hard blowing. Now this is normally not the kind of playing I tend to like best, but Dikeman really surprised me yesterday in that respect. Yes, it still was aggressive and hard blowing at times, but I think he dosed those moments quite well with some more introspective and even tender moments. Especially somewhere in the second set when Hamid Drake played the frame drum and William Parker some sort of wooden flute and double reeds, Dikeman accompanied them with some beautiful soft and spiritual playing. 

sounds great. The last time I saw Drake/Parker was with Brotzmann and he responded in a similar way that you describe Dikeman did.

[A Lark Ascending]

Michael Janisch's Paradigm Shift in Nottingham

Michael Janisch (double and electric bass) Jason Yarde, Paul Booth (reeds), Alex Bonney (trumpet, electronics), Cédric Hanriot (piano and keyboards) Colin Stranahan (drums).

Excellent, intense concert from this American bass player who seems to be based here in the UK. Intricate originals full of choppy metre changes, shifting between the acoustic and more electric soundscapes - the final piece sounded like one of those smeared early Weather Report pieces with the horns playing an ill-defined theme whilst the electric bass provided much of the melodic focus. Excellent soloing from all - never come across Hanriot before but he was marvellous. Jason Yarde was his usual incendiary self. Paul booth great on tenor - and opened the first piece with a didgeridoo - don't think I've seen that before in a jazz concert. Excellent solo version of 'Donna Lee' on the latter (actually I made that up). What Tangerine Dream used to do on huge racks of synths Alex Bonney can now do on a laptop and a few gizmos on a table top. 

Amazing the energy of the band considering they only just arrived in time after a 14 hour journey from Seville!

The Guardian was less impressed by an earlier concert:     http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/michael-janischs-paradigm-shift-review-curios-vortex

On a lengthy UK tour to the end of the year. Worth catching if they are in your area - they probably are! 

Dates: http://www.michaeljanisch.com/live/

 

Edited September 11, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[BFrank]

Decided at the last minute to go see Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Glad I did. It's been MANY years since I've seen Chick and this reminded me of what a great and inventive piano player he is. He doesn't try to overwhelm you with his technique, but the effortlessness of his playing tells you all you need to know. 

The trio has obviously been playing together for quite a while as the interplay was pretty amazing, but they're ALL masters, so I guess that's to be expected. Glad I saw this and need to get back into Chick's world a little bit.

[A Lark Ascending]

A weekend with fellow codgers (on and off-stage).

Friday: King Crimson in Manchester (blathered about elsewhere)

Saturday: Richard Thompson in Nottingham.

Another excellent evening. Standard format - a lot of the latest album (which is good!), healthy sprinkling of back catalogue, solo acoustic section in the middle. Personally I wish he'd retire the chestnuts - Vincent, Wall of Death etc - but if you've not heard him live before then these will probably be highlights. Highlight for me was one of his best recent songs, the nostalgic 'Guitar Heroes' with it's vignettes of the people who inspired him. 

His guitar playing is as astounding as ever and the reason I turn out again and again. Interesting how some of the humdrum album tracks of recent years ('Hard On Me') become really blazing songs in the live context. I wonder if the fact he plays live so much means that the indifference of such melodies get lost in the excitement of the performance leading to them getting recorded.

The trio format suits him well - some of those bands with lots of players in the 80s crowded out the sound. And yet...I'd still like to hear him with a quintet of more folky inclined musicians at lower volume revisiting the Sufi-Ceilidh band years of the mid-70s,  

 

[mjazzg]

Just back from a concert of solo piano at the beautiful St. John's Smith Square in which

Adam Tendler performed Morton Feldman's Palais de Mari

Eliza McCarthy performed John Adams' Phrygian Gates

Feldman left the biggest impact, maybe because it was my first live Feldman. That Tendler played it from memory was an added element of wonderment

[BFrank]

A weekend with fellow codgers (on and off-stage).

Friday: King Crimson in Manchester (blathered about elsewhere)

Saturday: Richard Thompson in Nottingham.

Another excellent evening. Standard format - a lot of the latest album (which is good!), healthy sprinkling of back catalogue, solo acoustic section in the middle. Personally I wish he'd retire the chestnuts - Vincent, Wall of Death etc - but if you've not heard him live before then these will probably be highlights. Highlight for me was one of his best recent songs, the nostalgic 'Guitar Heroes' with it's vignettes of the people who inspired him. 

His guitar playing is as astounding as ever and the reason I turn out again and again. Interesting how some of the humdrum album tracks of recent years ('Hard On Me') become really blazing songs in the live context. I wonder if the fact he plays live so much means that the indifference of such melodies get lost in the excitement of the performance leading to them getting recorded.

The trio format suits him well - some of those bands with lots of players in the 80s crowded out the sound. And yet...I'd still like to hear him with a quintet of more folky inclined musicians at lower volume revisiting the Sufi-Ceilidh band years of the mid-70s,  

 

I've seen Richard a bunch, too. He's never boring, that's for sure!

This was the last time I saw him - at SXSW in 2013. I actually saw him 3 times that year!

[kh1958]

Yesterday, I traveled to Austin for the Wobeon World Music Festival. The venue was smaller than I expected, one block off of Sixth Street. There I heard Kinobe and Global Junction. An artist from Uganda, Kinobe alternated between four instruments--kora, balaphon, endongo (Ugandan Lyre), and thumb piano). It was very gentle, lyrical music, highlighted by the leader's effortless multi-instrumental virtuosity, plus drums and keyboards. Very nice music. Then, some very intense music from guitarist Vieux Farka Toure. Leading a trio, the set was thrilling. Also featuring Julia Easterlin on vocals for a few songs, an oud player for one song, and Kinobe on kora on another. At the end, one could only say, wow, that was fantastic.

Edited September 18, 2015 by kh1958

[A Lark Ascending]

A weekend with fellow codgers (on and off-stage).

Friday: King Crimson in Manchester (blathered about elsewhere)

Saturday: Richard Thompson in Nottingham.

Another excellent evening. Standard format - a lot of the latest album (which is good!), healthy sprinkling of back catalogue, solo acoustic section in the middle. Personally I wish he'd retire the chestnuts - Vincent, Wall of Death etc - but if you've not heard him live before then these will probably be highlights. Highlight for me was one of his best recent songs, the nostalgic 'Guitar Heroes' with it's vignettes of the people who inspired him. 

His guitar playing is as astounding as ever and the reason I turn out again and again. Interesting how some of the humdrum album tracks of recent years ('Hard On Me') become really blazing songs in the live context. I wonder if the fact he plays live so much means that the indifference of such melodies get lost in the excitement of the performance leading to them getting recorded.

The trio format suits him well - some of those bands with lots of players in the 80s crowded out the sound. And yet...I'd still like to hear him with a quintet of more folky inclined musicians at lower volume revisiting the Sufi-Ceilidh band years of the mid-70s,  

 

I've seen Richard a bunch, too. He's never boring, that's for sure!

This was the last time I saw him - at SXSW in 2013. I actually saw him 3 times that year!

He tours here regularly so I catch him every 2 or 3 years. His music has been with me since around 1971 so it's a bit like seeing an old school friend! 

3 times in a year - that is dedication! 

[BFrank]

A weekend with fellow codgers (on and off-stage).

Friday: King Crimson in Manchester (blathered about elsewhere)

Saturday: Richard Thompson in Nottingham.

Another excellent evening. Standard format - a lot of the latest album (which is good!), healthy sprinkling of back catalogue, solo acoustic section in the middle. Personally I wish he'd retire the chestnuts - Vincent, Wall of Death etc - but if you've not heard him live before then these will probably be highlights. Highlight for me was one of his best recent songs, the nostalgic 'Guitar Heroes' with it's vignettes of the people who inspired him. 

His guitar playing is as astounding as ever and the reason I turn out again and again. Interesting how some of the humdrum album tracks of recent years ('Hard On Me') become really blazing songs in the live context. I wonder if the fact he plays live so much means that the indifference of such melodies get lost in the excitement of the performance leading to them getting recorded.

The trio format suits him well - some of those bands with lots of players in the 80s crowded out the sound. And yet...I'd still like to hear him with a quintet of more folky inclined musicians at lower volume revisiting the Sufi-Ceilidh band years of the mid-70s,  

 

I've seen Richard a bunch, too. He's never boring, that's for sure!

This was the last time I saw him - at SXSW in 2013. I actually saw him 3 times that year!

He tours here regularly so I catch him every 2 or 3 years. His music has been with me since around 1971 so it's a bit like seeing an old school friend! 

3 times in a year - that is dedication! 

Well, yes and no (about the dedication) ... all 3 events were at SXSW.
Besides this show with his trio, there was a songwriting interview and a solo acoustic show.

[kh1958]

This evening, the Billy Hart Quartet (Mark Turner, Ben Street, Ethan Iverson) at the Fort Worth Public Library. I did not connect with this music--the drum solos were the best part.

[Larry Kart]

Josh Berman Trio (Jason Roebke, Frank Rosaly) at Constellation tonight to introduce Josh's new album "A Dance and a Hop" (Delmark) -- disclaimer; I wrote the notes.  Torrential rains on the way into the city from the north, great set. Josh's rhythmic sense/phrasing, it dawned on me part way through the set, is f---ing corpuscular -- it's that internal and intimate, not unlike Ben Webster. And every note counts.

[A Lark Ascending]

Last night: Moulettes at Square Chapel in Halifax (deepest Yorkshire). 

(so rock'n roll)

Marvellous 'rock' concert (for want of a better term) of young musicians. Two support bands - a singer-songwriter with band and a very in your face punky outfit. Both very accomplished musicians, entertaining if not music I'd want to take home.

But Moulettes are special. Came across their albums some months back and was bewitched. Wondered how they would translate to live - the albums are intricate, layered affairs with rich orchestrations (from the band) and beautiful vocal harmonies. Well they pulled it off in spades. Hard to describe the band - they get called prog, folk and all sorts of things but nothing quite fits. Imagine prime era XTC with the ever-so-English harmony vocals of The Northettes (on the Hatfield and the North albums) but with a dose of Les Baxter orchestrations. Utterly distinctive instrumental line-up - subtle bass/drum support with up front electric guitar, cello, bassoon (yea, bassoon!) and an electric autoharp. And then those divine vocals. 

Main songwriter Hannah Miller made a lovely front person explaining the songs in a rambling way...how many bands take the ideas for songs from reading articles in the New Scientist?! 

A really distinctive band. Bugger all to do with jazz but those of a catholic taste with a penchant for the more melodic end of rock might well enjoy them. On extensive tour at present including Canada in late Sept/early Oct. Hopefully they get a bigger audience than in Halifax - about 50 people!

http://www.moulettes.co.uk/ 

 

Edited September 19, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

Last night: Moulettes at Square Chapel in Halifax (deepest Yorkshire). 

(so rock'n roll)

Marvellous 'rock' concert (for want of a better term) of young musicians. Two support bands - a singer-songwriter with band and a very in your face punky outfit. Both very accomplished musicians, entertaining if not music I'd want to take home.

But Moulettes are special. Came across their albums some months back and was bewitched. Wondered how they would translate to live - the albums are intricate, layered affairs with rich orchestrations (from the band) and beautiful vocal harmonies. Well they pulled it off in spades. Hard to describe the band - they get called prog, folk and all sorts of things but nothing quite fits. Imagine prime era XTC with the ever-so-English harmony vocals of The Northettes (on the Hatfield and the North albums) but with a dose of Les Baxter orchestrations. Utterly distinctive instrumental line-up - subtle bass/drum support with up front electric guitar, cello, bassoon (yea, bassoon!) and an electric autoharp. And then those divine vocals. 

Main songwriter Hannah Miller made a lovely front person explaining the songs in a rambling way...how many bands take the ideas for songs from reading articles in the New Scientist?! 

A really distinctive band. Bugger all to do with jazz but those of a catholic taste with a penchant for the more melodic end of rock might well enjoy them. On extensive tour at present including Canada in late Sept/early Oct. Hopefully they get a bigger audience than in Halifax - about 50 people!

http://www.moulettes.co.uk/ 

 

Really packin' those gigs in, Bev! 

[A Lark Ascending]

Making up for 37 years of being too knackered for weekday gigs....and, I now realise, too knackered to give up a chance to recharge on a Saturday by driving a distance. 

Aim is one a week where possible while I've got so much going on within driving distance.  

[kh1958]

Residing in a very old strip mall in the midst of a modest residential neighborhood in South Fort Worth, the Keys Lounge must be a rather rare thing these days, an actual neighborhood blues bar. Normally, that wouldn't get me out of the house to drive 45 miles, but last night Guitar Shorty was performing there. For a number of years, Guitar Shorty lived in Houston and was a fairly regular performer in the area. A few years ago, he apparently moved to Los Angeles and has become scarce in these parts. This was part of a welcome return to Texas, including appearances in Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Denton. A truly masterful blues guitar craftsman, Shorty is 76 now, but continues as strong as ever. The Keys Lounge proved to be a fine venue, with clear and not overloud sound. As usual, Shorty delivered in his two sets.

[Chuck Nessa]

Just back from a concert by Gebhard Ullman, Steve Swell, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang. Wonderful. Thanks to Lazaro for bringing the band to the neighborhood.

[Lazaro Vega]

Great to see you, Chuck. And thanks for the heads up on Roscoe this Sunday in Chi. 

[Larry Kart]

Just back from a concert by Gebhard Ullman, Steve Swell, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang. Wonderful. Thanks to Lazaro for bringing the band to the neighborhood.

Plan to catch them at Elastic tonight.