What live music are you going to see tonight?

[optatio]

I will leave my home now to meet Gunter Hampel and Cavana Lee-Hampel, daughter of Jeanne Lee and Gunter. They will perform in a club on the campus of the University of Goettingen:

 

[optatio]

The day before Gunter, Cavana and Band have played with refugees in the village Friedland near Göttingen. The 'Camp' Friedland exists for refugees continuously since 1945!

http://www.goettinger-tageblatt.de/Region/Bildergalerien-Region/Workshop-fuer-Asylsuchende-in-Friedland#n13169343-p1

 

[Steve Reynolds]

10:00 @ The Stone

Dragonfly Breath

Steve Swell: trombone

Paul Flaherty: tenor saxophone

C. Spenser Yeh: violin & voice

Weasel Walter: drums

 

[Steve Reynolds]

Front row - 30 minutes from the edge of an oncoming storm 

 

Standing on a Whale Fishing for Minnows

[Chuck Nessa]

Say "hey" to Swell for me.

[Steve Reynolds]

I missed your message, Chuck. If I get back there on Sunday night, I will do so

words by thanksgiving once i digest what I just experienced 

[A Lark Ascending]

Topette at the Yellow Arch Studios in a rundown industrial part of Sheffield (expected the Peaky Blinders to walk in at any moment).

Andy Cutting - Diatonic Button Accordion; Julien Cartonnet - Bagpipes and Banjo; James Delarre - Violin; Tania Buisse - Bodhran; Barnaby Stradling - Acoustic Bass Guitar

Mainly French traditional dance music but with a smattering of Sweden, North Africa, Macedonia and one token English tune. Anti-Farrage music at its best. The three Brits play in the cream of UK folk bands (and individually); the two French players from Burgundy are unknowns to me. Cartonnet was a wizard on the bagpipes - his solo bourrees were a high point.

Great dancing from the people of Sheffield (well some of the people of Sheffield). Average age of audience dropped 30 years from concerts I usually go to. 

Edited November 26, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[OliverM]

Tonight: Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarély and Vincent Courtois.

Already saw them in Lyon earlier this year and am really expecting to seeing them in this smaller concert venue.

[mjazzg]

4 hours ago, OliverM said:

Tonight: Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarély and Vincent Courtois.

Already saw them in Lyon earlier this year and am really expecting to seeing them in this smaller concert venue.

What a great trio. I've never seen Sclavis play with Pifarely and would love to....maybe if I make a dash to Eurostar now.

it seems too long since Sclavis has played in London

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

thanksgiving with king crimson

[BillF]

Piano duo by David Newton and Rob Van Bavel at Malcolm Frazer's house this evening.

[A Lark Ascending]

Marry Waterson and David A. Jaycock at The Greystones in Sheffield

Bloody brilliant! I often enthuse about the wonderful young singers and players currently emerging but here are two musicians somewhat longer in the tooth who have only recently emerged. Marry Waterson (daughter of Lal Waterson and part of the Watersons tribe), after years of doing other things, has put out three albums in the last five years, the most recent with Jaycock.

It seems many of the melodies here started with Jaycock. A wonderful guitar player who threw you back 40 years to the days of Michael Chapman, early John Martyn, Nick Drake (even the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin!) - intricate finger picking and that determination to choose unexpected chords. Extraordinary use of pedal electronics in the final song. Waterson added lyrics clearly growing out of the deep roots of a family immersed in folk music and wider British popular music before pop. All geographically very particular to growing up and living her life in East Yorkshire.

Waterson's voice eerily evokes that of her mother; she has a very strong lower register, a more fragile higher register that she manipulates superbly. 

Audience of about 20 (and one of those was Martin Simpson, a local)! Sheffield is supposed to be a thriving hub of folk music...where was everybody? 

 

[jlhoots]

The Bad Plus + Joshua Redman

[Steve Reynolds]

3 hours ago, erwbol said:

The Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio swung the Bim tonight. Evan Parker stuck to tenor.

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

WTF is it with this type of self-important middle aged male asshole?

Talking during the Schlippenbach Trio. Fucking Wonderful. Beyond assholes. Why the fuck did they show up to disrespect giants who walk this earth is beyond my ability to comprehend. I might have hurt them badly. 

Especially if I ever get the opportunity to see them. I've seen all three but never together. I hope you still enjoyed the concert, erwbol

Edited December 5, 2015 by Steve Reynolds

[A Lark Ascending]

8 hours ago, erwbol said:

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

It's not just the middle aged. I had a group of students near me at the Kenny Wheeler tribute in London last month. They whooped and hollered in an oh-so-hip way to make sure they were noticed during the applause; once the music started they whispered loudly and played with their mobile phones. Entitled London rich kids.

***************************

 

Mingus Profiles Sextet at Sheffield Crucible

Chris Biscoe, alto sax and alto clarinet; Tony Kofi, alto & tenor saxophones; Henry Lowther, trumpet, flugelhorn; Kate Williams, piano; Larry Bartley, bass;
Stu Butterfield, drums

Absolutely thrilling concert of Mingus tunes. Demonstrated again how 'tribute' concerts can be much more than just walking through old music. These are compositions that deserve to be heard live as much as Haydn or Beethoven, tunes that seems to inspire fabulous improvisations from excellent musicians. Everyone was on fire but special mention for Kate Williams on piano. Mingus performances usually (and quite naturally) have pianists from or playing in the soul/blues/gospel tradition of jazz but Williams is more from the impressionistic Bill Evans side of things. Gave a quite different feel to the music. It was also great to watch her, rarely without a smile on her face, obviously enjoying every moment of the gig. 

A sold out performance to a hugely appreciative and attentive audience. Biscoe (who looked remarkably like Jeremy Corbin!) said how good it was to play to a full house and they all looked a bit overwhelmed by the applause at the end. The Jean Toussaint Blakey concert I went to last month was also near capacity and I know Andy Sheppard sold out in advance last week (wasn't at that). Sheffield Jazz are getting something right. 

Good spring season coming up too - Peter King, Gilad Atzmon (protests permitting!), Partisans, Kofi/Barnes, Malija (Lockheart/Noble Holby), Greg Osby, Allison Neale and others. 

(n.b. Not my photo, from web)

 

Edited December 5, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[Steve Reynolds]

2 hours ago, erwbol said:

Yes, it's sacrilege. One of them had seen the trio before and informed his talkative friend on the left they usually played for an hour. Mr. left, however, was there to just casually observe and really should have gone to a bar instead and save himself the €20 entry fee. So disrespectful to these great musicians.

Fortunately, once they moved to the back, I didn't have any trouble concentrating on the music.

Does this kind of thing happen at the clubs you frequent?

Ah. The self appointed master of ceremonies.

NEVER at The Stone

once in a while @ Cornelia Street way in the back but I think anyone close up with us intense serious listeners would risk limbs if they talked during a Malaby or Halvorsen or Berne or Wooley or Maneri excursion into the nether worlds.

[Steve Reynolds]

There are relatively few serious listeners for this stuff even here in the NYC area 

[OliverM]

On 26/11/2015 18:35:34, mjazzg said:

What a great trio. I've never seen Sclavis play with Pifarely and would love to....maybe if I make a dash to Eurostar now.

it seems too long since Sclavis has played in London

It was great to see them again as expected. The trio are recording for ECM this month. I also offered the concert to family members on the second night and they especially enjoyed Courtois' approach to the cello, really new for them. Sclavis excelled, one of his solos I enjoyed most was quite out there, and his tone is superb.

Edited December 8, 2015 by OliverM

[BillF]

19 hours ago, erwbol said:

The Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio swung the Bim tonight. Evan Parker stuck to tenor.

Two middle aged assholes next to me thought it necessary to have a conversation over the loud passages: "... fascinating to see... blah blah ..." Luckily, after 15 - 20 minutes they thought it best to vacate their front row seats and sit in the back.

WTF is it with this type of self-important middle aged male asshole?

It's a sobering thought that half a century ago when jazz giants roamed the earth audiences in clubs generally talked right through their playing. First example that comes to mind is Monk at the Blackhawk - I'm sure you'll think of many more. Returning to jazz club visiting after a hiatus of a few decades, the first change I noticed was a new respect for what the musicians were doing.

[Steve Reynolds]

4 minutes ago, BillF said:

It's a sobering thought that half a century ago when jazz giants roamed the earth audiences in clubs generally talked right through their playing. First example that comes to mind is Monk at the Blackhawk - I'm sure you'll think of many more. Returning to jazz club visiting after a hiatus of a few decades, the first change I noticed was a new respect for what the musicians were doing.

Very true. How about the Bill Evans Vanguard recordings?

imagine trying to chat @ The Village Vanguard today? You would be thrown out.

once @ Vision Fest I did tell some ass hat to shut the fuck up and he actually did!

tonight:

TAMARINDO!!!

Malaby, Formanek & Waits

 

[A Lark Ascending]

A lot depends on where you are listening. In a tent at a festival or an amplified, dancy-type gig somewhere you expect it. But in an intimate venue where every sound carries (be it a dedicated concert hall or the back room of a pub) it tends to be customary to be silent while the music is playing (I'm not a 'serious listener' [places monocle in eye] but I still like to listen in peace).

I suspect the noisy lot who irritated me are used to rowdier gigs. If you've not experienced the quiet approach imported from classical music then maybe it's a bit foreign (though until the late 19thC apparently classical concerts were noisy...in opera people chattered throughout only shutting up for the big arias).    

Edited December 5, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

20 hours ago, erwbol said:

 

Interesting! So perhaps the increased respect for jazz musicians and their music which I've noticed among audiences in more recent times can be linked to another relatively recent "import" from the classical world - the study and teaching of jazz in the academy.

(Post meant to be in reply to Bev's.)

Edited December 5, 2015 by BillF

[BFrank]

Picked up a ticket today for tonight's "Zappa Plays Zappa" show. It's been on my calendar for a while, but I kept putting off getting tickets. There was a good deal on StubHub for a floor seat, so I jumped on it. Should be great - they're doing "One Size Fits All", one of my favorite FZ albums!

[Later]
Great show! Besides the album, they did quite a few other tunes that I never thought I would see live including:
Zombie Woof
Cosmik Debris
Apostrophe
Grand Wazoo
Montana
Baby Snakes
Dancin' Fool
Muffin Man
... and a number of others.

Edited December 6, 2015 by BFrank

[A Lark Ascending]

11 hours ago, BillF said:

Interesting! So perhaps the increased respect for jazz musicians and their music which I've noticed among audiences in more recent times can be linked to another relatively recent "import" from the classical world - the study and teaching of jazz in the academy.

(Post meant to be in reply to Bev's.)

I suspect it precedes that. When I first started going to concerts (rock concerts) around late '72 there was an expectation in many concerts that you shut up and listened. We all knew instinctively if it was one of those (in which case we all sat cross legged) or if it was a 'party' gig (don't think there was much quiet at T Rex or Slade gigs in 1972!). When I first started going to jazz concerts quiet was the norm apart from the ritualistic ripple of applause after solos and the occasional whoops in a particularly exciting solo. 

I've no problem with a talkative audience in the appropriate setting - think of all those live albums from across the ages where the thrilled reaction of the crowd are part of the excitement. Some people go to concerts just to listen, others for the craic, many for both. It's just a case of appropriateness. 

I prefer a quiet audience but what I like overall is informality. I'd hate jazz, folk etc concerts to import some of the stiffer rituals from the classical world (or the dreaded 'Bravo maestro!'...yes, it's happened to me! I still have the scars!).  

Edited December 6, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

2 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

I suspect it precedes that. When I first started going to concerts (rock concerts) around late '72 there was an expectation in many concerts that you shut up and listened. We all knew instinctively if it was one of those (in which case we all sat cross legged) or if it was a 'party' gig (don't think there was much quiet at T Rex or Slade gigs in 1972!). When I first started going to jazz concerts quiet was the norm apart from the ritualistic ripple of applause after solos and the occasional whoops in a particularly exciting solo. 

 

When I spoke of people talking through what the musicians were doing, i was referring to clubs and other small venues, often where drink was served. These are now quiet in my experience, except for some pub venues where musicians and listeners have to put up with those who are only there for the booze. Manchester's Matt and Phred's is an example -  I never went back! Jazz concerts were always as you describe - I being too young and far away to have experienced an American JATP event.