New York City Jazz Scene, Part II

[Ron Thorne]

Jimmy, bassist Orlando Le Fleming is playing in the 1st set at Smalls tonight, with the Ari Hoenig Group, along with Gilad Hekselman on guitar.

Preacher, all three of those dates seem worthy!

Edit: With no slight to Gilad Hekselman, it was really cool to see Peter Bernstein take the stage alongside Gilad tonight. Wow!

[Steve Reynolds]

Brian:

The Malaby band should be greast for anyone - note that Billy Drummond is on the bill and it is billed as The Reading Band - so it should be pretty straight, I would think.

Plus your friends need to hear one of the greatest saxophonists of our time....

[Steve Reynolds]

Brian - oops I saw you post was in 2012

[Steve Reynolds]

Ron - you know that's the same Ed Schuller who is on those great Mal Waldron/Jim Pepper Utopia recordings from the late 80's.

Based on hearing Ed Schuller with Mat's quintet in the fall of 2011, he is better than ever. he might be better than ever

[steve(thelil)]

Ron -
Based on hearing Ed Schuller with Mat's quintet in the fall of 2011, he is better than ever. he might be better than ever

If I didn't know better, I would think Stevie dialed back some effusive praise.

[Steve Reynolds]

fwiw, thelil - you would hate Mat's trio *despite* Ed Schuller

maybe he is almost better than he ever was before

[steve(thelil)]

but is he both better AND maybe almost better than he ever was before, as you contended? If so, I'd love it!

[Steve Reynolds]

I would love to see the look on your face after an hour of Randy Peterson and Mat Maneri

[steve(thelil)]

Yeah. I comprehend the incomprehensibility of incomprehensible music better than its fans do.

[Steve Reynolds]

and this trio despite having some charts/sketches might be the *most* incomprehensible of all incomprehensible musics that come close to or possibly even fall under, or somewhat near, the umbrella of jazz.

or maybe not as the anti-groove, anti-swing esthetic is so strong and overwhelming that the music actually swings like a late 50's blue note

at least that's what I hear...

Get Ready to Receive Yourself

[Jimmy Cantiello]

The Preacher's back!

[Steve Reynolds]

anyone want to read my personal favorite from last year?

well here it goes:

Mat Maneri Quintet 4/28/12 - Cornelia Street Cafe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

with:

Mat Maneri - viola
Oscar Noriega - bass clarinet, b-flat clarinet and alto saxophone
Kris Davis - piano
Garth Stevenson - bass
Randy Peterson - drums

well well.....


3 or 4 feet from Mat with Oscar Noriega in the center with Kris Davis on the left - the bassist in the back left and the drums behind Maneri - first piece must have been number 1 and it was a good 15 minute warm-up in which Davis impressed, Noriega was fine on the bass clarinet and the rest of the band started to find it's place. some problems with the reedist's microphone so he jokes "make sure they can hear the clarinet"

Mats then says ok - we will start off with a viola/clarinet duo - someone in the band asks "do we then go into number 2" and I think Mat responded with something like " No - then we hit it, or then we will just go"


and then they started to go, hit it, or whatever the height of so-called 'Maneri Music" is at it's very best. Kris Davis plays Monkian, Cecilian, Tatumesque even - certainly all of those influences are there - and some Paul Bley too for sure - but it is unimaginable, indescribable piano and I asked my new friend who we waited in line with about her - and he plays the piano - and I think his jaw was dropped - this was NOTHING like the Kris Davis I had seen with her own band or with Malaby's 9 piece. Had to be seen and heard for anyone reading this how great this set was getting.

the *great* Randy Peterson starts heating it up as well, and the first solo is typically awesome - as always (or so I THOUGHT) threatening a groove) the ceiling may have shook, but methinks at that point, still holding something back.


fwiw - this quality of off-kilter precision is a hallmark of what is now and has been for a while, Mat's music when it is played by his band.

with about 40-45 minutes gone, we knew they would play one more piece - maybe it was number 2 but I don't know - whatever it was it had a fairly typical jazzish head - and then I may have heard an almost walking bass - and mother of jesus, I heard the great drummerman playing as close to a groove as I have ever heard him play - and I also knew that there would be a viola/drum duet at the end as Mat had said to the band, that was where they were going - and maybe when he sometimes called out soloists - "Kris!" or "Garth" or what anyone who has seen the boys and girls a few times really wants to hear "RANDY!"

so Oscar plays Charlie Parker meets Jimmy Lyons and Eric Dolphy all rolled into one and blows the fucking roof off the place - and maybe this is the tune/performance that any doubter of the Maneri magic needed to hear. - and then the duet...

and Mat in about 5 minutes with Peterson starting to shake the walls really tunred up the intensity and closed the set with a ferocity and brilliance that no musician I know has matched in many years.

Stunning - and my wife who is not a jazz head was amazed.....

second set was said to be "short and sweet" and as with a similar quintet last December they started with a "ballad" - fine slow, then Mat tells them "slow down" and it gets to that tempo that is only heard in this music - as slow as stop and as stopped as slow - and the undulating dynamics continue - it gets very intense on all kind of levels - but still nothing like the heights of the first 60 minute set.


and then......

second piece was a free improvisation and Oscar Noriega took the b-flat clarinet to places I dodn't know it could go to, the band and the drummer found a new altered cryptic non-grooved swing thing with accents and cymbals in all the unknown and lost places that few if any drummers find and the band rocks the place the fuck out and then there is time for one more - an old Mat tune called Dolphy's Dance and it is equally stunning and it's over after a special lady who know someone in the band is screaming throughout the last 5 or 10 minutes like it was a rock band until Mat had the band bring it down - and then it was back and I think my wife may have thought it was the best band she had seen yet - and to me maybe the best since DKV in 2001 or maybe the second Brotz Tentet gig @ Tonic in 2001 or 2002.

the lady wants an encore (not my wife, the other one) and Mat says ok - "we will play 30 seconds of the most incredible shit ever played"


then they did.

plus Mat loves that my e-mail is dahabenzapple2@aol.com!!!

of course - for the reason he is here - even though it is Mat's band - it comes from the great man - it lives on through one of the greatest pure improvisors this music has known - they did say he was always the best musician in the band, even 20 years ago....


and until next time, when Mat most likely will start it us with 'here we go'








Get Ready To Receive Yourself

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Classic Reynolds for sure...

[Steve Reynolds]

been waiting for a show that gets my fires burning but the last few have been simply good, but nothing that I can get all worked up about which needs to happen to get me to put something in writing.....

let's hope a couple of the upcoming shows fit the bill.....

[Steve Reynolds]

from point of departure on-line, it is NOW listing ICP (Instant Composer's Pool) playing in NYC on April 13th

anyone have any idea if this is confirmed and where??

I have to know!!!!

[Jimmy Cantiello]

from point of departure on-line, it is NOW listing ICP (Instant Composer's Pool) playing in NYC on April 13th

anyone have any idea if this is confirmed and where??

I have to know!!!!

Here's the Littlefield Performance and Art Space website (Brooklyn). Their calendar lists ICP as playing on April 13th.

http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/

[Steve Reynolds]

thanks, Jimmy

Misha isn't with them this year (due to health, I'm sure)

[Jimmy Cantiello]

In April I'll be visiting my son and daughter-in-law who happen to live in Philadelphia. Joanne and I will be arriving at their house in west Philly later in the evening on April 11th. Come to find out, ICP will be performing there that day at 8:00pm. Unfortunately, we won't be arriving until after 8:00pm. I would have loved to make that gig with the kids. I'm positive they would have been impressed with the musicianship. Damn! As Ron Thorne says, "Timing is everything".