ejp626 Posted April 5 Report Share Posted April 5 The Toronto Jazz Fest continues to underwhelm me. I would probably have seen Colin Stetson in mid-May, sort of a pre-Festival concert, but I have a conflict on that date that can't be moved. There is a fairly small chance I would check out Al Di Meola on June 25. I'll see about some of the free events as they are announced: https://torontojazz.com/ Not part of the Toronto Jazz Festival, but it was just announced Herbie Hancock is coming in early Oct. I've passed on him a couple of times now, but I might go this time around. Does anyone know what he is generally playing in concert these days? And specifically how much electric keyboard! I probably won't actually do it, but I am certainly tempted by Vieux Farka Toure on the last day of the Montreal Jazz Fest, July 6. https://montrealjazzfest.com/en/program/artists I have seen him before, but would really like to see him again. I don't believe he tours North America that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted April 5 Report Share Posted April 5 (edited) Back in 1989 they had free concerts by Tony Williams Quintet, Loose Tubes in Nathan Philips Square and concert/club performances by Sun Ra, Herbie Mann, Jackie and Roy, Mo Kofmann, Phil Woods Quintet, Red Rodney, John Lewis plus many others that I have now forgotten. Might have included Joe Henderson too but maybe that was 1990 (unforgettable, nevertheless). Those were the days! Feels like a very different world now. It's a fair while since I have seen Herbie but he usually plays his electronic keyboards I think. I would put money on it that he slips in a performance of 'Butterfly'. Edited April 5 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gheorghe Posted April 5 Report Share Posted April 5 3 hours ago, sidewinder said: Back in 1989 they had free concerts by Tony Williams Quintet, Loose Tubes in Nathan Philips Square and concert/club performances by Sun Ra, Herbie Mann, Jackie and Roy, Mo Kofmann, Phil Woods Quintet, Red Rodney, John Lewis plus many others that I have now forgotten. Might have included Joe Henderson too but maybe that was 1990 (unforgettable, nevertheless). Those were the days! Feels like a very different world now. It's a fair while since I have seen Herbie but he usually plays his electronic keyboards I think. I would put money on it that he slips in a performance of 'Butterfly'. The only ones I know or knew was Tony Williams (anyway a favourite of mine since I was a boy), Sun Ra (same key experience), Joe Henderson (also from first hearing for forever) but don´t know who is a Mo Kofmann, Looes Tubes. It has also been quite a time since I heard Herbie. Well in 1974 or so we all listened to Headhunters, and later I had all them V.S.O.P albums that´s some stuff (Headhunters as well as V.S.O.P) that I stilll can listen to and get a kick out of it..... John Lewis.........it took me until I was in my mid/late forties that I began to dig the MJQ. I was not "prepared" for it when it existed, maybe to much Sun Ra, Pharoah, Ornette, Mingus, electric Miles - fed to enjoy that more quiet chamber jazz..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted April 5 Report Share Posted April 5 (edited) Moe Koffman was (on flute) a already a Toronto jazz institution - his appearance at that Festival was at George's Spaghetti House, almost his second home. Loose Tubes were a young UK big band of that era, appearing in Toronto as part of a North American tour. Key artists were Django Bates, Ian Ballamy, drummer Martin France and guitarist John Paricelli. I'd already seen them a year or two before at the Bath Festival. The John Lewis recital on solo piano was amazing - at Cafe Des Copains. Due to lack of seating I ended up standing right next to John at his keyboard for a close-up view. He was enjoying every minute of it. Joe Henderson performed with a Canadian trio at 'Top O' The Senator'. Such a distinctive sound, like no-one else. 'Hollow-bored' is how I would describe it. Didn't see the Herbie Mann with Jackie and Roy but I could hear it from outside the club when I walked past. Wish I'd seen it now ! Tony Williams Quintet (Wallace Roney, Charnett Moffett, Mulgrew Miller, Bill Pierce) were amazing - and loud. Tried to have a brief chat with Tony after the performance side-stage when he was sat having a cigarette and looking knackered but he was distinctly unfriendly ! Most unusual in my experience with talking to jazz musicians - caught him at the wrong time I guess. Sun Ra in his performance at Roy Thompson Hall played an astonishing 4 or 5 sets - started around 8 with the procession onto the stage with June Tyson and holding some sort of 'holy orb' and went on until way after midnight with breaks for the band to sell LPs ! Separate sets of Walt Disney and Fletcher Henderson tributes. I was left gobsmacked and very impressed after this one. Edited April 5 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted April 5 Report Share Posted April 5 8 hours ago, ejp626 said: The Toronto Jazz Fest continues to underwhelm me. I would probably have seen Colin Stetson in mid-May, sort of a pre-Festival concert, but I have a conflict on that date that can't be moved. There is a fairly small chance I would check out Al Di Meola on June 25. I'll see about some of the free events as they are announced: https://torontojazz.com/ Not part of the Toronto Jazz Festival, but it was just announced Herbie Hancock is coming in early Oct. I've passed on him a couple of times now, but I might go this time around. Does anyone know what he is generally playing in concert these days? And specifically how much electric keyboard! I probably won't actually do it, but I am certainly tempted by Vieux Farka Toure on the last day of the Montreal Jazz Fest, July 6. https://montrealjazzfest.com/en/program/artists I have seen him before, but would really like to see him again. I don't believe he tours North America that often. Herbie's band appearing in Dallas Monday night: AT&T Performing Arts Center Dallas, TX Band: Herbie Hancock - Piano / Keyboards Terence Blanchard - Trumpet Devin Daniels – Saxophone James Genus - Bass Trevor Lawrence, Jr. - Drums Lionel Loueke - Guitar As for Vieux Farka Toure, I've seen him three times and wouldn't miss another opportunity. One of the concerts, at a small venue in Austin with just a trio, was one of the more incredible concerts I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted April 6 Author Report Share Posted April 6 13 hours ago, kh1958 said: Herbie's band appearing in Dallas Monday night: AT&T Performing Arts Center Dallas, TX Band: Herbie Hancock - Piano / Keyboards Terence Blanchard - Trumpet Devin Daniels – Saxophone James Genus - Bass Trevor Lawrence, Jr. - Drums Lionel Loueke - Guitar As for Vieux Farka Toure, I've seen him three times and wouldn't miss another opportunity. One of the concerts, at a small venue in Austin with just a trio, was one of the more incredible concerts I've ever seen. I have to say that line up does look pretty ace. I think I'll spring for it. I'm still on the fence about Vieux Farka Toure. I agree he's great. I just need to see how the rest of the weekend lines up for me and what else I am doing, if I can really shuttle off to Montreal. I'm pretty sure I saw Vieux at Millennium Park in Chicago. In terms of more intimate shows, I saw Tinariwen at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. I think Tinariwen is coming back through Toronto, and I'll try to make that. I've actually seen them a few times now, though it looks like they came through Vancouver (when I was there) and I missed them. 😢 But I did see a super intimate show in Vancouver: Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba. Still not sure how I managed to even hear about it, let alone find the place, since I was so fresh to Vancouver at that time. There is documentation on one song at least (so I know I wasn't imagining it...): https://vimeo.com/32016980 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted April 6 Report Share Posted April 6 11 hours ago, ejp626 said: But I did see a super intimate show in Vancouver: Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba. Still not sure how I managed to even hear about it, let alone find the place, since I was so fresh to Vancouver at that time. There is documentation on one song at least (so I know I wasn't imagining it...): https://vimeo.com/32016980 I saw Bassekou Kouyate last year at the Big Ears Festival--great set. This year, Fatoumata Diawara at Big Ears (another great set) and upcoming, Mokoomba and Oumou Sangare at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. And inexplicably there is an upcoming African Music Festival in McKinney, Texas (north of Dallas), which so far has three bands from Zimbabwe announced (Mokoomba and Thomas Mapfumo). It's looking like an exceptional year for the chance to see African bands live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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