What Concerts Have You Seen Lately?

Pete C · August-10th-2005, 10:23 PM

I don't often feel like reviewing shows I've seen, unless there's something really extraordinary or surprising, so here's a live equivalent of WAYLT.

I'll start with last week. This is a busy month in NY.

Wed. 8/3 - Dewline at Barbes (Kevin Norton's Lacy tribute band)

Thur. 8/4 - McCoy Tyner at Castle Clinton (w/ Charnett Moffett & Eric Gravatt, free)

Fri. 8/5 - Bobby Bradford Quartet (w/ Dresser, Filiano & Ehrlich) & Dennis Gonzalez's Pirate Radio brass band, FONT festival, Jazz Standard

Sat. 8/6 - Baikida Carroll quartet (w/ Berne, Formanek & Rainey), FONT

Mon. 8/8 - Amadou et Mariam, Joe's Pub

Tonight, Wed. 8/10 - Danilo Perez Trio (w/ Ben Street & Adam Cruz), Madison Square Park (free)

Enforcer · August-10th-2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Thur. 8/4 - McCoy Tyner at Castle Clinton (w/ Charnett Moffett & Eric Gravatt, free)

Eric Gravatt as in Weather Report Eric Gravatt? For some reason, I thought he dropped out of the music scene completely.

Pete C · August-10th-2005, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Eric Gravatt as in Weather Report Eric Gravatt? For some reason, I thought he dropped out of the music scene completely.

Yes, same guy. I hadn't heard the name for years.

Tom Marcello · August-10th-2005, 10:44 PM

Gravatt played with McCoy in the Focal Point band.

I produced a concert with them in 1976.

Gravatt became a corrections officer and I have heard he has mellowed.

How was the concert? I was going to go but it was so hot that day, I chose to to go out. I had enough of the heat!

By the way, the next evening I saw Charles Tolliver's Big Band with another explosive drummer, Ralph Peterson, who may have found his true calling in that band.

Pete C · August-10th-2005, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Marcello

How was the concert? I was going to go but it was so hot that day, I chose to to go out. I had enough of the heat!

Nice, but no surprises. Charnett, I must say, used to be much better, before he started grandstanding constantly. Luckily, he didn't pick up an electric, or play the acoustic through a fuzz box.

McCoy, unfortunately, is looking very poorly. Apparently he has had major health problems. I saw him about a year & a half ago, and he must have lost at least 30-40 pounds since, and he's looking much older.

Peterdubya · August-10th-2005, 10:57 PM

Pete, how were Amadou et Mariam? I love them.

i haven't seen Gravatt yet, he had been totally off the scene for a long time. McCoy is happy with him.

Ron Thorne · August-11th-2005, 03:40 AM

Hell, six nights of live jazz out of seven ain't bad, no matter where you live.

May I now shoot the messenger?

Would have loved to have shared a seat next to you tonight (Wed., 8/10), Pete!

Tom Storer · August-11th-2005, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Tonight, Wed. 8/10 - Danilo Perez Trio (w/ Ben Street & Adam Cruz), Madison Square Park (free)

How'd you like them? When I saw them I was very pleased with Adam Cruz's playing--maybe easier to hear in detail in a club than outdoors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Marcello

Gravatt became a corrections officer and I have heard he has mellowed.

Well, that says a lot in a few words!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Charnett, I must say, used to be much better, before he started grandstanding constantly.

You have a long memory.

Quote:

McCoy, unfortunately, is looking very poorly. Apparently he has had major health problems.

Fuck.

Pete C · August-11th-2005, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peterdubya

Pete, how were Amadou et Mariam? I love them.

Excellent, with one reservation: their sound is now somewhat slicker than on the earlier album I have, Tje Ni Mousso, which is wonderfully raw. Their new album is produced by Manu Chao & is on Nonesuch, and I suppose they're going for a wider audience.

Pete C · August-11th-2005, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

How'd you like them? When I saw them I was very pleased with Adam Cruz's playing--maybe easier to hear in detail in a club than outdoors.

I liked the trio, but it was definitely a bad setting for the type of music they played. I noticed a lot of Coreaisms from Perez.

Pete C · August-11th-2005, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Hell, six nights of live jazz out of seven ain't bad, no matter where you live.

6 out of 8, but who's counting?

Lore · August-11th-2005, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Fri. 8/5 - Bobby Bradford Quartet (w/ Dresser, Filiano & Ehrlich)

Any thoughts on this band, Pete? I'm a big fan of Bradford's records with John Carter but have yet to get acquainted with his subsequent work.

Pete C · August-11th-2005, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lore

Any thoughts on this band, Pete? I'm a big fan of Bradford's records with John Carter but have yet to get acquainted with his subsequent work.

I don't think Ehrlich was the best match for Bradford. The two basses were amazing, alternating arco & pizz. Bradford's tone is touching & fragile, and you can hear how he came up in the same milieu as Cherry, but with more traditional technique. It took a while for them to get warmed up, but when they went into some of Bradford's Ornettish post-bop lines, it was wonderful--including an amazing Filiano arco blues solo. Still, I missed the drums.

Nefertiti · August-11th-2005, 10:17 AM

I've been at the 3-day Malta Jazz Festival last month.

http://www.maltajazzfest.com/Lineup.html

John Zorn's Masada was amazing, but too short (no encore), Brian Blade Fellowship Sextet was excellent (very elaborate tunes) and Richard Galliano's New York Trio also very moving , but Greg Osby's Group was somehow unfocussed and and Dino Saluzzi's band poorly rehearsed.

Lore · August-11th-2005, 10:31 AM

Thanks, Pete. I'll try to catch Bradford next time he's around town.

JaSt · August-11th-2005, 11:06 AM

Yesterday:

At Norrkoping Museum of Art, Sweden

Lars-Göran Ulander Trio
with
Lars-Göran Ulander, alto saxophone
Palle Danielsson, bass
Paal Nilssen-Love drums

Absolutely breathtaking!
The concert was dedicated to the piano player Per Henrik Wallin who past away some weeks ago.

Pete C · August-14th-2005, 03:18 PM

Friday night, Lee Konitz New Nonet at Jazz Standard. Charts written & conducted by Ohad Talmor.

Konitz was featured prominently on all tunes, and sounded pretty good, but the real heart of the matter was Talmor's complex & engaging, yet eminently accessible, charts. Standout soloists (Clint agreed) were Matt Wilson & cellist Dimos Goudaroulis, a completely new name to me.

Pete C · August-14th-2005, 09:27 PM

Tonight at Barbes, early evening show by Hot Club of San Francisco.

GoodSpeak · August-14th-2005, 10:45 PM

Playboy Jazz Festival in June.

Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee [for which I was a volunteer] in July.

Jazz is good.

kedoane · August-14th-2005, 11:46 PM

This year's San Jose Jazz Festival

I was a volunteer for KSJS and I got to see and enjoy: Yosvanny Terry, Wally Schnalle, The Bad Plus and Babatunde Lea.

I enjoyed myself overall since I was able to pretty much avoid the main stage and the mob that surronds it.

Rob C · August-15th-2005, 08:18 AM

Great idea for a thread, Pete.

Last couple of things I've seen were Peter Brotzmann/Joe McPhee/Kent Kessler/Michael Zerang at the Empty Bottle. I only caught the first set, but it was great. I was all set to buy their disc on hat, but they didn't have it for sale. Ah, well.

Last week, I saw the Exploding Star Orchestra for free at Millenium Park. This was nice stuff, a big band led by Rob Mazurek, with Ken Vandermark, Nicole Mitchell, Jeff Parker, Corey Wilkes, David Boykin.... I can't remember all of them, but it was a very good band. I was especially impressed with Jason Adasiewicz on the vibes. Considering that at least some of the work was pretty "out" the large crowd seemed to really dig it.

Pete C · August-17th-2005, 08:04 AM

Last night at Barbes, Butch Morris conducts strings,

with Jenny Scheinman, Carla Kihlstedt, Sam Bardfeld, Eric Clark - violins; David Gold - viola; Catherine Bent - cello; Todd Sickafoose, Greg Cohen and Lisle Ellis - bass.

The above were listed on the Barbes calendar, but there were several others on the gig, including another violinist (her last name was Cohen), Thomas Ulrich on cello, and I think 2 more (maybe a third cellist among them).

Spectacular show, easily one of the standouts of the year. I've seen Butch conduct a number of times, and last night he was clearly happy. He smiled a lot and kept things going for close to 90 minutes. Other times I've seen him scowl and cut things short.

Butch's alchemical abilities amaze me. Here he has a world class bunch of string players, but it's not any individual contribution that makes an impression, but rather the edge of your seat shaping and molding that Butch does with his gestures (though at one point Butch broke his silence and shouted: "Basses...come on!). The music was at times lyrical, dramatic, intense, funny. Butch finished the first piece at about 40 minutes, and he could have ended there without anybody feeling short changed, but he kept having them stay for additional pieces, until we ended up with 3.

New Yorkers will have a second chance to see a similar lineup with Butch on Friday at the Stone.

walto · August-17th-2005, 08:08 AM

But, naturally, not when I'm there. Phooey. I bet I would have loved that show.

jaka · August-17th-2005, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

New Yorkers will have a second chance to see a similar lineup with Butch on Friday at the Stone.

Sometimes I wish I were a New Yorker...
*sigh*
Now I know I will miss Jenny Scheinman AND Carla Kihlstedt together on a stage.
THANKS Pete!!!

Pete C · August-17th-2005, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walto

But, naturally, not when I'm there. Phooey. I bet I would have loved that show.

The odds are against it, no?

jazzy mary · August-17th-2005, 10:42 AM

Pete, I'm sorry I missed that show! But, I needed to be with my daughter last night (the one you've met) ---shoot, I could have taken her. It didn't occur to me!

Alas, on Friday, I'll be on the road taking same daughter to camp in Connecticut and picking up the other. I hope I get another chance. Please let us know of any more upcoming concerts. Thanks.

Pete C · August-17th-2005, 09:48 PM

Tonight @ Jazz Standard: Mulgrew Miller & Kenny Barron.

Delightful. They did about 50 minutes as a duo, then another 25 with Mulgrew's excellent rhythm section of Richie Goods & Rodney Green.

edpack · August-18th-2005, 12:53 AM

I was in Chicago this past weekend and caught two great shows. On Saturday night, we travelled up to the Green Mill to hear Maurice Brown. The Mill is a great place, a big bar which was full of people, smoky, folks were dancing, it was like a big party. Maurice was awesome. He will be at the Jazz Standard here in NYC next week, 8/23 and 24. Definitely worth checking out.
Sunday night we caught Charles McPherson at the Jazz Showcase. I had never heard him before, wonderful technique, definitely Bird influenced. I'd go hear him again in a heartbeat. The Showcase is also a cool place, more like the clubs here in that you pay your cover, listen to a set, then they make you leave. At the Green Mill, we paid $12 and stayed all night!

Ron Thorne · August-18th-2005, 02:55 AM

Post #22 made me more than envious of all of you NYCers, then I saw #27.

Chicago ain't bad, either.

Obviously, my contributions here will be minimal, except from the envy of the peanut gallery.

Mike Schwartz · August-19th-2005, 11:39 AM

For comments on the fantastic Eddie Palmieri band, there are a couple of posts at SF Bay Area thread.