Charlie Haden's Yoshi's gigs get trashed...

[trane_fanatic]

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/06/0...hat-a-bad-show/

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Review: Charlie Haden - Wow, what a bad show!

Posted by Jim Harrington on June 9th, 2009 at 1:34 am

Charlie Haden’s week-long residence at Yoshi’s San Francisco opened with a thud on Monday night.

Indeed, it may well have been the most puzzlingly disappointing concert in the club’s comparatively brief history. And I’ll bet that the venue’s older sibling – Yoshi’s at Jack London Square in Oakland – hasn’t hosted many, if any, shows that were as bad as this opening set.

What happened?

The behind-the-scenes details remain hidden, but something must have occurred that made Haden – long considered one of the top bassists in jazz history – seemingly want to sabotage his own show. Let’s hope that’s the case, because basically any other reason would point to the conclusion that Haden simply isn’t worth seeing in concert.

In all, he appeared to act the part of the bratty little kid, the one who can’t make all the rules in the game and thus decides he doesn’t want to play.

And he nearly didn’t play.

The typical Yoshi’s set runs some 90 minutes, yet, remarkably, Haden was onstage for just 27 minutes. Talk about nice work if you can get it – have fun cashing the check, Chuck.

That brief appearance came after fans were forced to wait much longer than usual for the venue’s doors to open, as Haden was allegedly busy doing a very late sound check inside. The lights finally dimmed around 8:30 p.m., a half hour late, and then the only person that came out to play was pianist George Cables. One song later, San Mateo County vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson entered the picture to perform a duet with Cables.

Most everyone expected that Haden would appear for the third number. It didn’t happen. So, after the first of several awkward pauses, Hutcherson and Cables played another tune. And then another.

The two musicians made a valiant effort to cover for the band leader, but it didn’t work. A bizarre shadow was cast over everything Hutcherson and Cables played, as fans wondered if the star of the show might never turn up. Haden eventually did, just before 9 p.m., but he forgot to bring along his heart. Given the lackluster and (presumably) pouty performance, fans should be grateful that Haden was only onstage 27 minutes.

Haden continues the residency with this ensemble through tonight. He will then take the stage Friday through Sunday with a different band, featuring pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and saxophonist Lee Konitz. The good news is that these shows should all be better than what was witnessed on Monday night – there simply is very little room for them to grow worse.

http://www.examiner.com/x-6590-SF-Cultural...-Cables--Yoshis

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Charlie Haden, Bobby Hutcherson and George Cables @ Yoshi's

By Mark Rudio - June 11, 8:40 PM

I caught the late set by this trio at Yoshi's on Wednesday night thinking it would be a nice jazz diversion amid all the Berg and Schubert I've been listening to and and something different before I started attending the summer operas.

First of all, all three players are very talented musicians and Hutcherson and Haden are living legends on their respective instruments (vibes, bass). Cables, however, was the center of the trio as far as I was concerned. Not too interested in placing form over feeling, he opened the set with a solo that was the high point from my perspective. Note I said this happened at the beginning of the set. From there it was pretty much all downhill, though with some brilliant virtuoso moments scattered throughout the next hour and ten minutes.

This is an odd trio format to begin with, and when half the set is taken up by vibes and bass solos, I'm sorry, but no matter what level of proficiency the players involved possess, it becomes pretty tedious, especially the bass solos.

Hutcherson is an interesting player to watch, the only one onstage who obviously likes being the center of attention, and Haden and Cables were only all too willing to cede the stage to his mugging and preening. This could be entertaining, but it also at times felt like showboating in such an intimate environment.

By the time Haden was on his 3rd solo, I was just hoping it was all going to end soon, but it didn't end soon enough for me. The decent-size crowd for a late Wednesday show, a pretty diverse mix by the way, seemed to have a different opinion than mine, and seemed very responsive and appreciative of every indulgent moment. I guess that's why Yes and Kansas are still touring. Some people will applaud for anything I guess.

As for me, an hour of Cables alone at the piano would have been the best of all possible outcomes. Alas, this wasn't his gig.

Edited June 12, 2009 by trane_fanatic

[WorldB3]

Glad to hear they worked out their issues after the first Monday set.

Debating on seeing Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Lee Konitz this weekend. All fantastic players and I have yet to see Konitz.

Edited June 12, 2009 by WorldB3

[trane_fanatic]

Glad to hear they worked out their issues after the first Monday set.

Debating on seeing Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Lee Konitz this weekend. All fantastic players and I have yet to see Konitz.

Buy 1, get 1 free if you go.

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http://www.examiner.com/x-9428-Bay-Area-Ja...eal-from-Yoshis

Yoshi's knows time are tough, so it's making it easier on the pocket for jazz fans to indulge their passion.

The latest deal is a buy one, get one free offer for this week's residency by bass ace Charlie Haden at Yoshi's San Francisco. Buy a ticket for any of the shows, and you'll get a voucher for a ticket of equal or lesser value for any Yoshi's SF show through Dec. 15. Use the password "haden" when buying tix online.

[blajay]

I was at the Wed. 8pm show. I wrote about it in another thread. I think Hutcherson's health must have had something to do with the dissapointment. That's just speculation, but my date was a doctor, and she was convinced he was suffering from emphysema.

Unlike these guys, though, I still thoroughly enjoyed the show. I liked Cables' solo as an introduction, and I liked the duet with Hutcherson after that. I wasn't dying to see Haden anyway. And he played fine too. People need to chill out.

[ValerieB]

I was at the Wed. 8pm show. I wrote about it in another thread. I think Hutcherson's health must have had something to do with the dissapointment. That's just speculation, but my date was a doctor, and she was convinced he was suffering from emphysema.

Unlike these guys, though, I still thoroughly enjoyed the show. I liked Cables' solo as an introduction, and I liked the duet with Hutcherson after that. I wasn't dying to see Haden anyway. And he played fine too. People need to chill out.

very unfortunately, i believe your date's assessment is correct.

[seeline]

I'm really sorry to hear that....

And those reviews are way over the top - it's almost as if the editors want people to write controversial/provocative things just to get their papers sold. (I'm not kidding, especially given the financial difficulties so many newspapers are having.)

[Van Basten II]

Haden is well known for having a prima donna attitude, at the jazz fest he was a guest in the invitation series done that year by John Scofield and he just left during the show leaving Scofield without a bass player, if my memory serves me well, well known local bassist Michel Donato was sent to finish the gig.

[sheldonm]

I was at the Wed. 8pm show. I wrote about it in another thread. I think Hutcherson's health must have had something to do with the dissapointment. That's just speculation, but my date was a doctor, and she was convinced he was suffering from emphysema.

Unlike these guys, though, I still thoroughly enjoyed the show. I liked Cables' solo as an introduction, and I liked the duet with Hutcherson after that. I wasn't dying to see Haden anyway. And he played fine too. People need to chill out.

..saw him in Portland earlier this year and he was taking the occasional hit of oxygen at the back of the stage. Still a joy to see and he played well....long live Bobby!!! Saw Cables this past Wednesday night in nyc as part of the Hubbard Tribute "Hubtones" and he played beautifully.

m

m~

[sheldonm]

Haden is well known for having a prima donna attitude, at the jazz fest he was a guest in the invitation series done that year by John Scofield and he just left during the show leaving Scofield without a bass player, if my memory serves me well, well known local bassist Michel Donato was sent to finish the gig.

...met Charlie back stage in Chicago a few years ago....very friendly and talkative. Stuck around to sign things for people afterwards. Don't know him beyond that.

[Van Basten II]

For what it's worth, it did not stop the festival to bring him over the next years after that, so who knows what was the real story behind it...

[Chuck Nessa]

Charlie can be "difficult".

[ValerieB]

Charlie can be "difficult".

i think that is a well-established fact over many years!

[WorldB3]

I went Sunday afternoon. It was nice to go to a matinee Jazz show on a Sunday.

It was was for the most part very mellow and they played straight to the audience without the stage or audience monitors turned on.

Somebody would start a standard and the others would join in. Rubalcaba played quite lovely, wasn't a great show by any means but it was good to support Yoshi's. I felt like the players felt the same way, a pleasant and mellow Sunday afternoon acoustic non amplified standards session played by pros.