Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau

[Aftab]

It's been 16 years since I last saw MF, and he's changed a bit. He's still the same fun lovin' old coot he always has been (for me in my lifetime, anyway) who can play ridiculously high and still have a fat tone, but he just does it a lot less. But y'know what - he's still awesome and I'd see him again in a heartbeat. When he took a solo, it was filled with classic Maynardisms that you wanna hear - screams, shakes, some bop licks, and the kiss-off note pulloffs - all thrown together in a potpourri of pure MF goodness.

The band was incredible as usual - tight, swinging, and LOUD. Except for an out of tune piano (with keys that produced only percussive splats and not actual notes, and some that made chords of their own) the band sounded phenomenal. The lead tpt player was playing some of Maynard's licks in the MF hit medley - and though the super screams were there, you still longed for the power that only MF could put behind them.

Rhythm section - sick, that's all I gotta say. North Texas guys who tore. it. up. (check out my post about Brian Mulholland's cd in new releases)

All in all, an excellent show and I'd recommend seeing them when they come to town.

Edited March 9, 2006 by Aftab