Billy Bang Quintet Featuring Frank Lowe

[Lazaro Vega]

Violinist Billy Bang's Quintet played The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts April 28, 2003 and Blue Lake Public Radio hired the sound engineers at Hope College to document the evening. Justin Time Records eventually purchased the files and much of the concert is available on this new CD. These are the final recordings of Frank Lowe. With Andrew Bemkey, piano; Todd Nicholson, bass; and Tatsuya Nakatani, drums.

Randy was at the concert.

[Clunky]

Violinist Billy Bang's Quintet played The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts April 28, 2003 and Blue Lake Public Radio hired the sound engineers at Hope College to document the evening. Justin Time Records eventually purchased the files and much of the concert is available on this new CD. These are the final recordings of Frank Lowe. With Andrew Bemkey, piano; Todd Nicholson, bass; and Tatsuya Nakatani, drums.

Randy was at the concert.

sounds promising, early in my voyage into jazz I attend in 1988 a concert of Bang Quartet with the wonderful Frank Lowe. I had heard of neither of them but was blown away. Always had a soft spot for Lowe's foggy metallic sound. I've not kept up with Bang and his Vietnam projects but really enjoyed a live Delmark CD on which he guested recently ( forget the name)

[JohnS]

Bang and Lowe, a great pairing. They toured the UK as the Jazz Doctors in the seventies(?).

[Spontooneous]

Up, because I'm enjoying this one right now. Definitely an "on" night.

At the end of "Dark Silhouette," the moment of deep, moving silence before the applause says it all.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Spontooneous

[White Lightning]

These are GREAT news!

I caught the same 5tet exactly a week after the recording. It was in a back room of Sangha Cafe, a new age shop in Takoma Park MD. A Kurzweil keyboards, basic drum set, folding chairs, Free Tibet posters on the walls... you get the picture... but the music was divine. I believe John L was in that show as well. It was a great night. Frank Loewe was a bit shaky at times but he preached the absolute truth.

The 5tet played 2 sets:

1st set:

1. Silent Observation

2. Dark Silhouette

3. Nothing but Love

4. In the Full of the Lord

2nd set:

1. Jupiter's Future

2. Bien Hoa Blues

3. Moments for the Kiamia

4. Know Your Enemy

It was a great night.

RIP mr. Loewe

[ep1str0phy]

This joint has hit. I saw it at the Berkeley Amoeba earlier this evening.

[Lazaro Vega]

Media Files, my good Doktor -- as in HARD DRIVE (Johnny Griffin with Art Blakey hard).

Review: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/3530

[ghost of miles]

Just picked this up used at Landlocked Records in Bloomington yesterday--looking forward to listening to it, and happy about the Blue Lake/Hope College connection (my mother attended Hope for a couple of years in the mid-1960s).

[AllenLowe]

I like Frank's playing a lot, and he was a helluva nice guy to boot. But you need to listen very closely to Bang, I think; there's very little there.

Edited May 21, 2014 by AllenLowe

[Steve Reynolds]

I like Frank's playing a lot, and he was a helluva nice guy to boot. But you need to listen very closely to Bang, I think; there's very little there.

Regarding Bang, sometimes the real deal appears just when I might think it just all be a bit of more of the same.

His playing on the 2009 Vision Fest show with William Parker's extended ensemble might be the best stuff on the whole Wood Flute Songs box.

Agree about Frank Lowe

Edited May 21, 2014 by Steve Reynolds

[Leeway]

I seem to recall that Bang's Vietnam albums go pretty deep.

[AllenLowe]

I respect his experiences and his intentions, I just don't think he ever got beyond a single gesture.

[colinmce]

Maybe so. Don't quite care.

(Not to invalidate your point, I trust your judgement. But I also trust myself if you catch my drift)

[Steve Reynolds]

Valve # 10 with Lowe, Sirone and Charles is a great one

[AllenLowe]

In us we trust. No argument.