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Again to the Wigan Jazz Festival, this time for the Jim Mullen Organ Trio: Mullen (guitar), Mike Gorman (organ) and Matt Skelton (drums). Very pleased as a member of this forum to be able to report on an impressive British group with this instrumental format. Anyone heard them?

I've heard them but never seen them - and they sound very good. They were doing a gig at an upstairs venue at Cheltenham a few years ago with entrance restricted so unfortunately I could only listen from outside. They were groovin' !

Posted

Saw the following bands at the local jazz festival.

David Murray Black Saint Quartet

John Butcher & Gerry Hemingway

and trio Hemingway, Anders Jormin and Verneri Pohjola playing their own compositions.

I even managed to get some of my David Murray cds signed and Hemingway sold me his last copy of Waltzes.. on GM label and signed it as well.

Posted

Last night - went to the Proms' Stockhausen evening...

Early evening - Gruppen (twice), Kontakte, and two pieces from Klang (the 5th and 13th hours)...

Late night - Stimmung, done by the Theatre of Voices, who have just recorded it as well.

A fascinating night's music...a lot of which I didn't enjoy, a lot more of which I did...but it did make me think! Wrote some more extended thoughts here, fwiw.

Posted

Last night - went to the Proms' Stockhausen evening...

Early evening - Gruppen (twice), Kontakte, and two pieces from Klang (the 5th and 13th hours)...

Late night - Stimmung, done by the Theatre of Voices, who have just recorded it as well.

A fascinating night's music...a lot of which I didn't enjoy, a lot more of which I did...but it did make me think! Wrote some more extended thoughts here, fwiw.

link fixed:

http://www.alexanderhawkins.com/blog.html

wow to you playing with ray warleigh! (only now his recordings with nick drake which i treasure... guess that's the type of gig a jazz musician doesn't want to be identified with in the first place... but still...)

saw a performance of one of stockhausen's electronic pieces which were performed with speakers in all corners of the room so the seats in the middle were best, came late and only got a seat in the front row so i sat directly opposite stockhausen himself for the two hours... he wasn't joe maini but he did have a scary aura...

Posted

Sunday night I caught Lou Donaldson at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Lou was great as always (not just for age 81 but for any age) doing mostly a mix of his hits, swinging and slow blues (one or two vocals per set) and Bird tunes since the gig was part of the Showcase's annual Bird birthday tribute month. Just as impressive and well-received was his organist Akiko Tsurogi, who kept the cushion going very nicely and knows how to build a solo in the classic manner without being overly cliched. She was selling her CD Harlem Dreams (available on Amazon along with Sweet And Funky); unfortunately it doesn't list the personnel in English, but she says Frank Wess and Grady Tate are on it. She's certainly one more good reason to check Lou, and the CD is worth bringing an extra $15 for.

Posted

Sunday night I caught Lou Donaldson at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Lou was great as always (not just for age 81 but for any age) doing mostly a mix of his hits, swinging and slow blues (one or two vocals per set) and Bird tunes since the gig was part of the Showcase's annual Bird birthday tribute month. Just as impressive and well-received was his organist Akiko Tsurogi, who kept the cushion going very nicely and knows how to build a solo in the classic manner without being overly cliched. She was selling her CD Harlem Dreams (available on Amazon along with Sweet And Funky); unfortunately it doesn't list the personnel in English, but she says Frank Wess and Grady Tate are on it. She's certainly one more good reason to check Lou, and the CD is worth bringing an extra $15 for.

Thank you for the review! I have tickets for Lou Donaldson tonight at the Dakota. I am really excited.

BTW: I saw Booker T and The MGs on Saturday night as well. Quite a great evening with great music and a nice breeze at the outdoors venue.

Posted

I have tickets for Lou Donaldson tonight at the Dakota.

Quite an evening! I also thought the band were a great time. Lou performed two vocals (one Ellington and another about a dream that mentioned George Bush), Cherokee, Gravy Train, Bye Bye Blackbird (prefaced by Lou mentioning he was about to perform a tune Miles Davis used to perform "when he still played jazz"), and a couple more standards associated with Charlie Parker. I thought the band was quite good and my buddy that was looking forward to seeing Dr. Lonnie Smith did bring up that he wasn't at the gig. In fact, Akiko Tsurogi sold out her CDs before we could get one. After the show Lou autographed my copy of "Here 'Tis" and posed for a picture with me.

Posted

Quite an evening! I also thought the band were a great time. Lou performed two vocals (one Ellington and another about a dream that mentioned George Bush), Cherokee, Gravy Train, Bye Bye Blackbird (prefaced by Lou mentioning he was about to perform a tune Miles Davis used to perform "when he still played jazz"), and a couple more standards associated with Charlie Parker. I thought the band was quite good and my buddy that was looking forward to seeing Dr. Lonnie Smith did bring up that he wasn't at the gig. In fact, Akiko Tsurogi sold out her CDs before we could get one. After the show Lou autographed my copy of "Here 'Tis" and posed for a picture with me.

Posted

That's funny, I had Lou autograph my copy of "Here 'Tis" (and "The Natural Soul") Sunday night!

Did he tell you anything about the model on the cover of "The Natural Soul"? My buddy had him sign "Good Gracious" and he was telling us the woman's name and that she was a beautician.

Posted

That's funny, I had Lou autograph my copy of "Here 'Tis" (and "The Natural Soul") Sunday night!

Did he tell you anything about the model on the cover of "The Natural Soul"? My buddy had him sign "Good Gracious" and he was telling us the woman's name and that she was a beautician.

No, I'll have to interrogate him next time. I imagine he'd be far more moved to eloquence by the woman on the cover of "The Natural Soul" than by whoever that is with Lou on the cover of "Here 'Tis."

Lou's vocals always remind me of Robert Jr. Lockwood, maybe it's the wryness.

Posted

i saw trumpeter paul smoker with some local cats at the lily pad in cambridge last night. interesting mix of "destroyed" (his term) standards and free-ish originals. bought four discs from him after the show. it ain't chicago, but now and then this area does have some good improvised music to offer.

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