July 28th - Music of Available Jelly

[Steve Reynolds]

my thoughts on last night at The Stone in NYC which was:

8 pm
Horn Guys
Michael Moore (sax, clarinet) Ray Anderson (trombone) Ellery Eskelin, Tony Malaby (tenor saxes)

10 pm
Michael Moore plays Available Jelly
Michael Moore (sax, clarinet) Ray Anderson (trombone) Ellery Eskelin, Tony Malaby (tenor saxes) Marcus Rojas (tuba) Gerry Hemingway (drums)

it's getting a bit hot in the infamous little room between sets despite the "newish" air conditioner working at full bore. And it's not even that hot out - maybe 70 degrees with showers and high humidity - but *nothing* like the place must have been 2 weeks ago whent he temperatures were in the mid to high 90's - and Tony told me before that 2 sets he played with Louie Belegonis during that time were beyond insane - but he did say it was great - so Mr. Malaby's solution is a roll of Bounty paper towels from across the street....so I am wondering why on this earth am I in NYC on a Sunday night in a humid hot little room after a first set which was nice but nowhere near why I go see live music - fine chamber jazz for four horns - arranged and played wonderfully and all, but little to no improvisation - and I'm DYING to hear these guys play their DAMN horns!


so they seem to casually seem to start at 10:15 when I KNOW it needs to start right after 10:00 - just because, I need to get my fill....

when it is about 10 til 11:00 and Marcus Rojas gets out of the chair unbeknownst to me as he was sitting throughout and now he was up and it had been a very nice set - I heard a couple of the great Available Jelly concoctions/compositions/creations or whatever the hell Michael and that history of great Dutch musicians has invented over the past 30 years - and I'm pretty damn happy with what is happening.


but Marcus Rojas got up out of his chair at some point and I think they were into the last tune - something called Show something or other and it was a tune I didn't know - or maybe they were finishing up the second to last tune that had about 3 or 4 different lives - and I have NO FUCKING IDEA how these guys are playing this music they NEVER played before....

and within a few minutes Marcus, Ray and Gerry are playing this Ornettish rumbling swinging groove that has my heart coming out my chest and I'm thinking and feeling that somehow that I forget a few things about the *great* Ray Anderson - lordy fucking lordy - a few mutes never knowing or caring really when he did or didn't use 'em - he played the blues and the sweet and lovely - from the distant past into right now in an instant - and then.....

well - indescribable to me as I think about such things - is there anyone who can? really describe it? well at least I got to experience *it*

and then....it got/became really really special - *it* almost ended 4 or 8 times - Hemingway unexpectedly did within the structures of the composition - his insane "most powerful intense drummer who ever lived" thing - within the music - yes - within the music - powerhouse over the top without being over the top - and people were screaming when it finally ended at 11:15 - few got up right away despite the heat - hard to move after that.

Michael beaming despite really no saxophone solos by any of the three world class reed masters - not that is wasn't filled with improvisation - it really is nothing like anything else that I know in jazz - it really just *is* jazz - and all three smiling knowing, loving what this music is - it *is* Sunday night in a dank, hot little place with about 40 lucky people - people who heard the genius of jazz, the genius and history of Available Jelly - despite the fact that only the brilliant Michael Moore was there from the current band or the one that I know from the their 2 great recordings in a some little club over there from a few years back

and silence on the way home save for the sound of the rain....

for Ernst Glerum, Toby Delius, Eric Boeren, Wolter Wierbos and Michael Vatcher - they did you proud - one day I see all of you in a dank, hot little club - maybe there - but one day maybe here

Always a Pleasure

Edited July 29, 2013 by Steve Reynolds