What live music are you going to see tonight?

[Steve Reynolds]

Second set last night some douchebag and his girl chatting during the second set and this fool giving huge cheers at the end of each of the three sections. He was really trying to impress her a she was clueless and was laughing a bit when Tony was doing some of what he does that few saxophonists do. I'm sure she had never heard "out" saxophone playing before.

if my wife was there, she would have let him have it and good. 

These two dopes couldn't ruin the night, especially the incendiary 70 minute second set which had my ears on fire. Waits being Nasheet and Malaby, especially on soprano, playing with a ferocity and extreme focus that again has me knowing what this music means to me on a very deep level.

the slowest piece called Mother's Milk was the ultimate highlight and the soprano playing was as good as I've heard him on the straight horn

[niels]

On 5-12-2015 01:20:33, 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?

Did you also stayed for the Morris/Maneri/Lightcap/Cleaver set? 

I really wanted to go to this concert, but unfortunately I couldn't make it. 

[skeith]

Saw George Cables at Smoke last night with Craig Handy, Essiet Essiet, and Victor Lewis...marvelous music!

[A Lark Ascending]

The Cole Porter musical.

Xmas production at the school I taught in for 37 years. As ever, an utter delight watching ordinary kids acting, singing and dancing their hearts out. Very emotional.  

[A Lark Ascending]

Another musical:

At the Sheffield Crucible theatre - first time I've been in the main theatre since the early 90s when I saw the Westbrook Orchestra there. I usually end up in the smaller room where they do jazz/folk things.

Delightful production. Only vaguely knew the story but the songs were almost all familiar. Ecstatic audience from right across the age range.  

[Leeway]

Michel Doneda (soprano sax) and Tatsuya Nakatani (per). Red Room, Baltimore, Dec 18

Donned was an impressive performer on the soprano, and he and Nakatani have a great deal of rapport after touring for an extended period of time. 

[alankin]

 

Rez Abbasi's Invocation in concert at the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia on 19 Dec 2015.

The group presented the world premiere of new compositions for their forthcoming album, "Unfiltered Universe," which will draw on Carnatic (South Indian) music.

Rez Abbasi (guitar, composer), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax), Vijay Iyer (piano), Johannes Weidenmuller (bass), Elizabeth Means (cello), Dan Weiss (drums).

Edited December 22, 2015 by alankin
add Vijay Iyer

[uli]

my holiday gig this year will be a show which is part of Drake's/Zerang's annual winter solstice celebration

Hamid Drake, Ari Brown & Harrison Bankhead

Hamid Drake - drums
Ari Brown - saxophones
Harrison Bankhead - bass

Michael Zerang & the Blue Lights

• Links

Josh Berman - cornet
Mars Williams - alto, tenor saxophone
Dave Rempis - alto, tenor, baritone saxophone
Kent Kessler - contrabass
Michael Zerang -drums

[alankin]

Not exactly jazz, but tonight there will be a Klezmer Dance Party in West Philly featuring Susan Lankin-Watts, Dan Blacksberg, the Community Klezmer Orchestra, the KITA All-Stars, with Dancing led by the great Steve Weintraub!

Sunday, December 20th
The Rotunda 
4014 Walnut Street 
6PM, FREE, All-Ages.

Award-winning artists Susan Lankin-Watts and Dan Blacksberg of the Community Klezmer Initiative host an evening of traditional and innovative Klezmer music focused on getting the crowd performing -- on instruments and on the dance floor.

Come join in as the Community Klezmer Orchestra (led by Lankin-Watts) and the Klezmer in the Afternoon All-Stars (led by Blacksberg) rock the “hoyz” (Yiddish for “house”), setting the stage for dancing under the guidance of Steve Weintraub, the Pied Piper of Yiddish dance. 

https://www.facebook.com/ical/event.php?eid=1481495998826047

[jlhoots]

On December 20, 2015 at 9:26 AM, alankin said:

 

Rez Abbasi's Invocation in concert at the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia on 19 Dec 2015.

The group presented the world premiere of new compositions for their forthcoming album, "Unfiltered Universe," which will draw on Carnatic (South Indian) music.

Rez Abbasi (guitar, composer), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax), Johannes Weidenmuller (bass), Elizabeth Means (cello), Dan Weiss (drums).

Is that Vijay Iyer on piano?

[alankin]

10 hours ago, jlhoots said:

Is that Vijay Iyer on piano?

Yes!  (I'll update my post.)

[relyles]

Tonight was Construction Party and Lilypad in Cambridge, MA. Some very intense playing!

Dave Rempis - alto saxophone
Forbes Graham - trumpet
Pandelis Karayorgis - piano
Nate McBride - bass
Luther Gray - drums

[Larry Kart]

Last night:

at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont

• Russ Johnson, Jon Irabagon

I've had more fun having my teeth drilled. Will someone please tell me what Irabagon's virtues are? (And I've heard him several times before, both in person and on record.) Disjointed, instantly "hot" diddling plus "expressive" whoops and cries, IMO. He even, at least in the first set (I left after that) pretty much negated the normally estimable Johnson. The re-opened and nicely redesigned Brain was packed, though.

 

 

[mr jazz]

For NYE, we are planning to go see a local favorite Joe Maher with B3 legend Bill Heid (though I think he will be playing piano only) and Steve Novosel on bass at the Chart House in Alexandria VA. No cover!

[Steve Reynolds]

1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

Last night:

at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont

• Russ Johnson, Jon Irabagon

I've had more fun having my teeth drilled. Will someone please tell me what Irabagon's virtues are? (And I've heard him several times before, both in person and on record.) Disjointed, instantly "hot" diddling plus "expressive" whoops and cries, IMO. He even, at least in the first set (I left after that) pretty much negated the normally estimable Johnson. The re-opened and nicely redesigned Brain was packed, though.

 

 

Was it just a duo, Larry?

I will give the guy another chance. I don't know if you recall my comments regarding a trio concert (2 sets) with Irabagon, Mary Halvorson & Nasheet Waits.

Something to the effect of makes lots of sound, fingers move fast, makes fancy sounds but my wife said afterward that it should have been a guitar/drum duet with the above two great musicians.

 

[Larry Kart]

31 minutes ago, Steve Reynolds said:

Was it just a duo, Larry?

I will give the guy another chance. I don't know if you recall my comments regarding a trio concert (2 sets) with Irabagon, Mary Halvorson & Nasheet Waits.

Something to the effect of makes lots of sound, fingers move fast, makes fancy sounds but my wife said afterward that it should have been a guitar/drum duet with the above two great musicians.

 

With a rhythm section: bass and drums were Matt Ulery and John Deitemyer (Chicagoans), plus NYC-area pianist Matt Mitchell. I remember your post, and your wife and I agree.

[Steve Reynolds]

Looks like I'm going to my first of the annual 12/30 Cornelia Street Cafe shows that have featured the great Tom Rainey Trio for maybe 6 years or so. Very difficult for me to make a show at the end of the month during the week, let alone the second to last day of the year, but it sure looks like I'm gonna make it tomorrow for Rainey with Ingrid Laubrock and the wonderous Mary Halvorson. I've seen the trio three times, I think, and they've been very good all the way to astounding.

I try to keep my expectations in check but I know when I'm a few feet from this intimate yet sometimes explosive trio, I'm just a little bit fired up.

 

Always a Pleasure 

[alankin]

The Klez Dispensers at Drom in the East Village Monday night.

[BFrank]

Patti Smith at the Fillmore. It's also her 69th birthday.
Should be a party!

[medjuck]

I'm jealous. 

[Steve Reynolds]

Now about 75 to 90 minutes away from Rainey, Laubrock & Halvorson 

kind of amazed I made it to the show tonight

[BFrank]

10 hours ago, erwbol said:

She looks 89. Sure that is not a typo?

I.don't.think.so.

It was a great show ... BTW. The complete "Horses" album (among other songs) and an appearance by Michael Stipe.

[Larry Kart]

Special to Allen Lowe:

Sunday, January 3rd 2016

 

9:00PM

 

at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont, 773.709.1401 (Donation) 

• Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey
• Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Stein, Josh Abrams, Tom Rainey

I'll try to make it and report.

[Steve Reynolds]

Maybe I'll  have a report at some point this weekend regarding the two sets last night maybe even including a comment of two regarding Ms. Laubrock. 

I will say that I'm glad that I again stayed for the second set despite some mixed emotions/thoughts about the first set.

[Larry Kart]

On December 31, 2015 at 4:12 PM, Larry Kart said:

Special to Allen Lowe:

Sunday, January 3rd 2016

 

9:00PM

 

at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont, 773.709.1401 (Donation) 

• Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey
• Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Stein, Josh Abrams, Tom Rainey

I'll try to make it and report.

Re-reading previous reactions to Laubrock, especially Allen Lowe's "..she is good, but lacks....passion...there is a lack of urgency in her playing which is strangely typical of a lot of what I hear these days," what I heard last night at once does and does not fit into that framework -- mostly does not, though.

First, based on what I heard last night and what I heard from her before in-person (at the Chicago Jazz Festival a few years ago with a Mike Reed ensemble playing material based on Sun Ra sketches) it's mostly a matter of temperament, and one's temperament is pretty much who one is. Laubrock does lack most of the signs of overt expressionistic (if you will) passion, but she strikes me as quite urgent at best, especially on tenor, albeit urgent in an unusually clear and orderly manner. But I like clear and orderly if it's genuine, and her clear and orderly sure seems to be.

Second, when she works in a duo with Rainey, the two of them (but I was unsure about this) seem to have some prior agreement, either fairly definite and/or seat-of-the-pants, about mood and material for each piece -- if so, this is not really or not quite as much "free" playing as most of us know it. Further -- and again I'm unsure about this -- I wouldn't be surprised if Laubrock at one point had fairly deep roots in changes-based hard bop; on several medium-up pieces with steady tempos that were just the other side of a "groove," it was as though I were hearing an abstracted version of Tubby Hayes or Sal Nistico in full flight (a definite sense of "shadow" changes being responded to), albeit (again) with few signs of expressionistic heat but with a good deal of urgent thought. Further (probably in my imagination) reference points along those lines -- Hans Koller in the attractive (to me) relative dryness of her tone on tenor and her calm motivic orderliness -- also, in much the same bag, Oliver Nelson.

Second set brought some new possible information. Bass clarinetist Stein and Laubrock didn't go well together at first -- he's a significantly louder, shaggier, and much more (that word again) expressionistic player, and working in much the same register as Laubrock on tenor, he  tended to cover her up. This she pretty much failed to respond to for a good while, but things changed for the better when she switched to soprano, where her basic liquid sound is quite lovely, though she stayed in the far upper register too much for my taste. Interesting, I thought, that it took so long for Laubrock and Stein to work things out/respond to each other (and in the event it was mostly, so it seemed to me, up to her to do the responding because Stein typically just does his own good thing; and she could have, I thought. just by shifting to the tenor's upper register, where she's played quite effectively in the first set). Made me wonder that perhaps she's not that responsive to the immediate context, except when it's she and Rainey in their duo, because one typically hears a good many good "free-ish" players sort out such group things quite swiftly. But then, as I said above, Laubrock may be, in terms of temperament and musical roots, just a different kind of player. And a very good one, I think.