Joe Lovano and The Bad Plus in Pittsburgh

[LWayne]

Last Saturday night my wife and I attended another concert in the year-long 20th anniversary celebration for the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh. This year long celebration has presented concerts from jazz legends and this past Saturday represented the contemporary artists.

First up was a new Joe Lovano Quartet. I have been fortunate enough t catch the older version of the quartet with Hank Jones, George Mraz, and Paul Motian touring behind their Blue Note release "A Joyous Encounter" a couple of years ago at the Iridium in New York. That was certainly a memorable concert! This current version is comprised of Lovano on sax, James Weidman on Piano, Esparanza Spalding on bass, and Otis Brown on drums. Although considerably younger than the "Joyous Encounter" quartet, this new group swings and plays very well together.

The set opened with an up-tempo, spirited, version of "Bird's Eye View" from "Joyous Encounter". Next up was a version of "Spiritual" by John Coltrane followed by a triumvirate of songs from the recent "Streams of Expression" CD titled "Cool", "Blue Sketches", and "Move". For the encore, the quartet played a lovely version of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" in honor of our hometown legend.

The Bad Plus began the second half of the concert with a storm. This was my first experience catching the group (Ethan Iverson-Piano, Reid Anderson-Bass, and Dave King-Drums) that received an enthusiastic reception from the younger than normal crowd that remained. They played a varied set culled from their back catalogue as well as previewing a forthcoming CD due for release in May. The song titles included "Mint", "Big Eater", "Beryl Loves to Dance", "Thrift Store Jewelry", and the encore of "Tom Sawyer" from Rush. Certainly the percussive attack of The Bad Plus is not for everyone, but the set was anything but dull. The group sound is Dave King attacking his drum set with gusto, the sustained rumbling of Ethan Iverson on the piano, and Reid Anderson playing with a lot of enthusiasm. While I can see why the rock influence of this group is not everyone's taste, I thoroughly enjoyed their interpretations that made for a lively set.

Altogether, the best night at MCG this season!

LWayne

[sal]

I think you posted this in the wrong thread.

Sounds like a fun show though!

[LWayne]

Yes it should have been posted in "Live Shows" If someone can tell me how to move the posting I will be happy to relocate it. I don't have the technical knowledge on my own.

LWayne