Once again, it's Jazz Week in Boston! This is the second year in a row that JazzBoston, a new-ish local non-profit has taken the last week in April to highlight the local jazz scene. (I blogged about it at greater length last year.) It's funny, I just reread that post, and I could write the same post today- nothing has changed. The format has created allowed some cool things to happen; there seem to be more lectures and panel discussions this year, and the "big" concert does focus more on local acts, with poet Robert Pinsky headlining in a duo with Bob Moses. (I will be attending that gig, so if you see me say hi, or just don't throw things...)
I opted not to try to do something during Jazz Week this year- last year I felt like it was a fair bit of hassle without a lot of payoff. I do have some cool stuff coming in May- stay tuned.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Certain Trumpets- Ralph Alessi and Bill Frisell w/Ron Miles, 4/23/08
I am on the new BoltBus back to Boston after a couple of delightful, sunny days in New York. The highlight, musically, was bouncing across the Village to see two of my favorite trumpet players, Ralph Alessi with his band This Against That at the Jazz Gallery, and Ron Miles with the Bill Frisell Quintet at the Vanguard. Both shows were better than solid, both well attended, and they offered a remarkable study in contrasts.
Ralph is one of my most important teachers, ever, from our time together at Eastman, which makes reviewing him difficult. He is a remarkable trumpeter, combining brilliant acrobatic technique with a compact, focused sound and a focus that keeps even the most outrageous trumpet feats from feeling like showboating. Last night he was workshopping some new music before a trip to Europe. The band was fantastic- the rhythm section of Drew Gress and Mark Ferber was a great study in contrasts, with Ferber's stacatto, hyperactive snare offset by Drew's huge sound and thick, careful bottom-heavy playing. Ravi Coltrane, who I haven't heard in years, sounded fantastic; his technique, always solid, is approaching superhuman, and his attention to motif and development reflects his dad's passion without ever sounding derivative. The four tunes had an open unfinished feel that sometimes offered pleasant surprises, and sometimes made transitions feel too long and aimless. Ralph's tunes are twisty, abstract and prickly; they force the listeners to pry their way into the structure rather than revealing themselves. Even the catchiest of the tunes had a twisty 4-3-3-4 beat structure, simple and thorny all at once.
By contrast, the Frisell quintet (Bill, Ron Miles, Tony Scherr, Chris Cheek, and Rudy Roystein) put everything out on the table like a picnic lunch. The last couple of times I've seen Frisell he's eschewed the looping, feedback-y solo turns everyone associates with him for very clear statements of very clear heads, here a tune from Blues Dream who's name I've forgotten, a bebop blues, "Sub-Conscious-Lee" with a wonderful counterline, and a couple of old pop tunes I didn't recognize. Like Sonny Rollins' band, the quintet would play the head three or more times, drift into a solo, then play it again, rollicking through, everyone clearly enjoying it. Rudy Roystein, a Denver based drummer best known for his work on Ron's solo stuff, swung his tail off, simple and straightforward, light and clear while Tony Scherr provided his usual huge bottom of the band.
For me, the high point was Ron's playing. I am an unabashed fan from when I first heard him on Bill's quintet record, through his solo work (though the Stone/Blossom record was uneven). A friend who studied with him said he talks incessantly about clarity, and it's obvious in how he plays. It's clear hearing him that, like Ralph, he can do just about anything on the trumpet, but he is rarely elliptical, sometimes rolling a single motif through two or three choruses of a tune, just letting it swing.
Ralph is one of my most important teachers, ever, from our time together at Eastman, which makes reviewing him difficult. He is a remarkable trumpeter, combining brilliant acrobatic technique with a compact, focused sound and a focus that keeps even the most outrageous trumpet feats from feeling like showboating. Last night he was workshopping some new music before a trip to Europe. The band was fantastic- the rhythm section of Drew Gress and Mark Ferber was a great study in contrasts, with Ferber's stacatto, hyperactive snare offset by Drew's huge sound and thick, careful bottom-heavy playing. Ravi Coltrane, who I haven't heard in years, sounded fantastic; his technique, always solid, is approaching superhuman, and his attention to motif and development reflects his dad's passion without ever sounding derivative. The four tunes had an open unfinished feel that sometimes offered pleasant surprises, and sometimes made transitions feel too long and aimless. Ralph's tunes are twisty, abstract and prickly; they force the listeners to pry their way into the structure rather than revealing themselves. Even the catchiest of the tunes had a twisty 4-3-3-4 beat structure, simple and thorny all at once.
By contrast, the Frisell quintet (Bill, Ron Miles, Tony Scherr, Chris Cheek, and Rudy Roystein) put everything out on the table like a picnic lunch. The last couple of times I've seen Frisell he's eschewed the looping, feedback-y solo turns everyone associates with him for very clear statements of very clear heads, here a tune from Blues Dream who's name I've forgotten, a bebop blues, "Sub-Conscious-Lee" with a wonderful counterline, and a couple of old pop tunes I didn't recognize. Like Sonny Rollins' band, the quintet would play the head three or more times, drift into a solo, then play it again, rollicking through, everyone clearly enjoying it. Rudy Roystein, a Denver based drummer best known for his work on Ron's solo stuff, swung his tail off, simple and straightforward, light and clear while Tony Scherr provided his usual huge bottom of the band.
For me, the high point was Ron's playing. I am an unabashed fan from when I first heard him on Bill's quintet record, through his solo work (though the Stone/Blossom record was uneven). A friend who studied with him said he talks incessantly about clarity, and it's obvious in how he plays. It's clear hearing him that, like Ralph, he can do just about anything on the trumpet, but he is rarely elliptical, sometimes rolling a single motif through two or three choruses of a tune, just letting it swing.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Better late than never part 1- The SFJazz Collective @ Berklee, March 2008
The SF Jazz Collective at the Berklee Performance Center: This group is a superband, a collection of all-star talent thrown together for a tour, seemingly a staple of jazz since the Hot Sevens. I was more curious than excited going into this gig- a group featuring Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris and Miguel Zenon, for starters, knowing full well that this level of talent, and egos, doesn't always translate into great music. But the creators of this project have a really smart model- they get the group together for two full weeks of rehearsal before hitting the road, and split the book between band member originals and music of one great jazz artist, this year Wayne Shorter.
The covers provide an anchor for both audience and artists (though some of the arrangements were pretty daring and not at all conventional). Dave's arrangement of Aung San Suu Kyi, a tune I've always loved, was a highlight. (Partially because, after years of trying, I finally figured out where the extra beat is) The originals highlighted the diversity of approaches of the group- the fairly straightahead blows offered by Renee Rosnes and Lovano, a clever, twisty Wayne-inspired Dave Douglas tune (too clever for its own good), an anthem offering electronic overdubs and an unbelievable Lovano solo from drummer Eric Harland, and thorny math-jazz from Robin Eubanks. At this particular show Zenon, playing to a hometown Berklee crowd, and Lovano were the highlights. Joe was clearly feeding off the energy of his bandmates and the audience, and put forth the best playing I've heard from him in ten years easy.
A Berklee honors band opened, a guitar/piano/bass/drums quartet, playing generic modern jazz in a pretty generic way. (Down to generic song titles- “Desire”, “Solace”, etc.) Good players, but a clear lack of vision in both writing and playing.
The covers provide an anchor for both audience and artists (though some of the arrangements were pretty daring and not at all conventional). Dave's arrangement of Aung San Suu Kyi, a tune I've always loved, was a highlight. (Partially because, after years of trying, I finally figured out where the extra beat is) The originals highlighted the diversity of approaches of the group- the fairly straightahead blows offered by Renee Rosnes and Lovano, a clever, twisty Wayne-inspired Dave Douglas tune (too clever for its own good), an anthem offering electronic overdubs and an unbelievable Lovano solo from drummer Eric Harland, and thorny math-jazz from Robin Eubanks. At this particular show Zenon, playing to a hometown Berklee crowd, and Lovano were the highlights. Joe was clearly feeding off the energy of his bandmates and the audience, and put forth the best playing I've heard from him in ten years easy.
A Berklee honors band opened, a guitar/piano/bass/drums quartet, playing generic modern jazz in a pretty generic way. (Down to generic song titles- “Desire”, “Solace”, etc.) Good players, but a clear lack of vision in both writing and playing.
Is that what they teach you in school these days?
I'm sure many of you have read by now that the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) has effectively gone belly up, filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection. Darcy has a recap of the coverage, and Ryshpen followed up with a post that caught a lot of what I wanted to say. Last year I wrote a post called “Is the IAJE bad for jazz?” I guess we're going to find out. A few thoughts:
The letter former IAJE president sent out explaining the organization's moves this month describe a “perfect storm...” He forgets bad management, which several blogs pick up on. I would ask two more questions. Everyone seems to agree that the Toronto convention this year was “underattended”. Compared to what? If they were using their New York numbers (which is my nagging suspicion), of course they were! Having the conference in New York made it a must attend, because it boosted all of the programming across the city in the week around the festival. At both NYC conferences I was around there was amazing music well beyond the festival itself, in clubs and concert venues, because everyone knew that there would be so many people there to hear music, which created a positive feedback loop. I remember going to hear Matt Wilson at Detour on a festival week, and it was mobbed, and seemingly every hot player under 30 was sitting in. Only New York, or even a city near it (Philly, Hartford, maybe Boston) could make that happen. To expect any such scene to just spring up in Toronto, or most other cities (and I'm not knocking Toronto).
I think the festival has suffered as well from the lack of label support for artists. Darcy mentions all the acts he's seen at conferences- I remember Diana Krall's breakout performance in Atlanta. (I'm not saying I loved it, but I remember it. She brought the house down.) Part of the reason that happened is because I'm sure Impulse (her label at the time) was helping underwrite that gig and its promotion. Many of the evening showcases, and I'm sure smaller shows as well, were working in much the same way. And/or, the labels would use the festival to shop for new talent. Now that there are no labels per say, the conference automatically loses some of its momentum. (I've only heard about one musician at this last conference who had third party support to get their band up there, unless you count fundraising drives.) And while I didn't read the IAJE's glossy religiously, I've not seen any acknowledgement of this reality in the jazz ed community, save maybe in the occasional panel discussion. Like many institutions, the IAJE didn't see the ground shifting under it until the ground was all gone.
The good news is there are a lot more options for jazz education, both in terms of organizations and philosophies, than there were before the IAJE began this rapid ascent, and now even quicker downfall. While the North Texas model lives on at some universities, the music I hear coming from young conservatory players (and in Boston, you here a lot) is certainly more diverse and more interesting than it was 10 years ago. Not just students leaving NEC or Berklee, but folks when they first get to town. And you have more left of center organizations like SIM and Banff promoting new and interesting ways of thinking about jazz.
For some time I've liked the idea, which David and Darcy have been talking about, of trying to move a jazz ed convention to more resemble SXSW. I hope that the regional leadership (if these “regional conferences” come to pass) will really explore this model. Off the top of my head, why not try it next year in Hartford? You have a strong jazz school (Hartt) as a base, proximity to New York, a lot of great players and schools in a 200 mile radius, and a city that, needing any shot in the arm it can get, would probably be really helpful in putting it together. Name if after Jackie MacLean, the late godfather of the Hartford scene, and see what happens. Just a thought.
The letter former IAJE president sent out explaining the organization's moves this month describe a “perfect storm...” He forgets bad management, which several blogs pick up on. I would ask two more questions. Everyone seems to agree that the Toronto convention this year was “underattended”. Compared to what? If they were using their New York numbers (which is my nagging suspicion), of course they were! Having the conference in New York made it a must attend, because it boosted all of the programming across the city in the week around the festival. At both NYC conferences I was around there was amazing music well beyond the festival itself, in clubs and concert venues, because everyone knew that there would be so many people there to hear music, which created a positive feedback loop. I remember going to hear Matt Wilson at Detour on a festival week, and it was mobbed, and seemingly every hot player under 30 was sitting in. Only New York, or even a city near it (Philly, Hartford, maybe Boston) could make that happen. To expect any such scene to just spring up in Toronto, or most other cities (and I'm not knocking Toronto).
I think the festival has suffered as well from the lack of label support for artists. Darcy mentions all the acts he's seen at conferences- I remember Diana Krall's breakout performance in Atlanta. (I'm not saying I loved it, but I remember it. She brought the house down.) Part of the reason that happened is because I'm sure Impulse (her label at the time) was helping underwrite that gig and its promotion. Many of the evening showcases, and I'm sure smaller shows as well, were working in much the same way. And/or, the labels would use the festival to shop for new talent. Now that there are no labels per say, the conference automatically loses some of its momentum. (I've only heard about one musician at this last conference who had third party support to get their band up there, unless you count fundraising drives.) And while I didn't read the IAJE's glossy religiously, I've not seen any acknowledgement of this reality in the jazz ed community, save maybe in the occasional panel discussion. Like many institutions, the IAJE didn't see the ground shifting under it until the ground was all gone.
The good news is there are a lot more options for jazz education, both in terms of organizations and philosophies, than there were before the IAJE began this rapid ascent, and now even quicker downfall. While the North Texas model lives on at some universities, the music I hear coming from young conservatory players (and in Boston, you here a lot) is certainly more diverse and more interesting than it was 10 years ago. Not just students leaving NEC or Berklee, but folks when they first get to town. And you have more left of center organizations like SIM and Banff promoting new and interesting ways of thinking about jazz.
For some time I've liked the idea, which David and Darcy have been talking about, of trying to move a jazz ed convention to more resemble SXSW. I hope that the regional leadership (if these “regional conferences” come to pass) will really explore this model. Off the top of my head, why not try it next year in Hartford? You have a strong jazz school (Hartt) as a base, proximity to New York, a lot of great players and schools in a 200 mile radius, and a city that, needing any shot in the arm it can get, would probably be really helpful in putting it together. Name if after Jackie MacLean, the late godfather of the Hartford scene, and see what happens. Just a thought.
the music echoes... and echoes
I've been fortunate in the past month to be cultivating a bunch of exciting things, including (finally) my garden, but I'm afraid the blog has suffered as a result. I'll try to catch up this week on some of the stuff I've been seeing and hearing and thinking. Especially, the batch of stuff that has kept me so busy.
The Phoenix, the local (well, now regional, with outposts in Providence and Portland ME) “alternative” paper, put out its “best of '08” list this week. I should know better at this point than to get worked up about this stuff, but... Scullers as the “Best Jazz Club”? Let's see, it's overpriced, the emphasis is on smooth jazz, it's always really cold in there, the sightlines are mediocre, and the sound is terrible seemingly no matter who I see there. (It's a function of the room- it's an L shape, with the stage at the bottom of the L near the bar, and every surface of the room is hard. Doing sound in there must be a nightmare.) Yes the view of the Charles River is fantastic, and at least once a month, they come through with a really cool show (in April it was the Bjorkestra, which of course I missed) And the picture in the Phoenix of Dominique Eade and Jeremy Udden is nice. But best of Boston? I'll throw it out to the hivemind- favorite place to see an act you like in Boston, if price is no object?
On the plus side, Baptiste Power Yoga, where I work and occasionally substitute teach, is listed as the “best place to get sweat on by strangers.” Thanks, I think...
The Phoenix, the local (well, now regional, with outposts in Providence and Portland ME) “alternative” paper, put out its “best of '08” list this week. I should know better at this point than to get worked up about this stuff, but... Scullers as the “Best Jazz Club”? Let's see, it's overpriced, the emphasis is on smooth jazz, it's always really cold in there, the sightlines are mediocre, and the sound is terrible seemingly no matter who I see there. (It's a function of the room- it's an L shape, with the stage at the bottom of the L near the bar, and every surface of the room is hard. Doing sound in there must be a nightmare.) Yes the view of the Charles River is fantastic, and at least once a month, they come through with a really cool show (in April it was the Bjorkestra, which of course I missed) And the picture in the Phoenix of Dominique Eade and Jeremy Udden is nice. But best of Boston? I'll throw it out to the hivemind- favorite place to see an act you like in Boston, if price is no object?
On the plus side, Baptiste Power Yoga, where I work and occasionally substitute teach, is listed as the “best place to get sweat on by strangers.” Thanks, I think...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Whisper Not
Benny Golson, who is best known for writing "Whisper Not" and "Killer Joe", as well as anchoring the Jazztet with Art Farmer in the '50s, is in Boston this week for a residency at Harvard. He gives a talk at 4pm on Thursday about his career, and plays with Mulgrew Miller and the Harvard Jazz Band on Friday night. The Globe has the details. Like every jazz nerd, I grew up playing Killer Joe, which I resented, and Whisper Not, which I loved. ("Along Came Betty" is on my list of hard tunes to get to, with "Con Alma" and "26-2", one of those high temples of math-jazz.)
Benny came to Eastman when I was a student there- I remember him as a very warm guy. His playing is not what it used to be- I heard he has some face issues (literally), and I know he's changed his setup from back in the day. But I'm sure Mulgrew show up big, and the Thursday talk should be really interesting.
Other keepers this week: Carla Bley and Steve Swallow play Wednesday at Scullers, Bob Brookmeyer gives a lecture at NEC on Wednesday at 1, then conducts his "Spirit Music" on Thursday night.
Benny came to Eastman when I was a student there- I remember him as a very warm guy. His playing is not what it used to be- I heard he has some face issues (literally), and I know he's changed his setup from back in the day. But I'm sure Mulgrew show up big, and the Thursday talk should be really interesting.
Other keepers this week: Carla Bley and Steve Swallow play Wednesday at Scullers, Bob Brookmeyer gives a lecture at NEC on Wednesday at 1, then conducts his "Spirit Music" on Thursday night.
Monday, March 31, 2008
I'll snicker while you preen
I've got a couple of (late) reviews in the hopper, but in the meantime, here are some links:
First, a new link. Rebecca Pacheco, a friend and one of my early yoga teacher, has started a blog, OmGal, with lots of good yoga info.
Darcy gets all irrational. I mentioned it in the comments, but it feels like we're reaching a point in improvised music where the notation is not keeping up with the expression, especially in communicating 3:4 and 4:3 relationships. (See Maria Schnieder, Kenny Garrett, Lovano, and so many others) I like the fairly elegant solution he reaches.
Byron Katie tells her daughter about her day. This woman continues to blow my mind.
Quite awhile ago I linked to a rather lopsided tenor summit of Scott Hamilton and Wayne Shorter. But this blows it out of the water- Luciano Pavarotti and... Bryan Adams. Even ten years past his A-game, Pavarotti giggles, then wipes the floor with Mr. "Everything I Do". (via the Sports Guy) I should mention a personal animus here- I had to play a bad medley of "Everything I do..." and "All for Love" four times a week for several months on Cruise Ship X. But even if I thought he was godly, he is awesomely bad here, and he realizes it too late. (Of course, there's a link from that page of Adams, Pavarotti and Andreas Botticelli singing "All for Love", which is an embarrassment to all involved. I'll never understand...)
Nate Chinen reviews Ornette in New York. What are the odds of him ever hitting Boston again?
First, a new link. Rebecca Pacheco, a friend and one of my early yoga teacher, has started a blog, OmGal, with lots of good yoga info.
Darcy gets all irrational. I mentioned it in the comments, but it feels like we're reaching a point in improvised music where the notation is not keeping up with the expression, especially in communicating 3:4 and 4:3 relationships. (See Maria Schnieder, Kenny Garrett, Lovano, and so many others) I like the fairly elegant solution he reaches.
Byron Katie tells her daughter about her day. This woman continues to blow my mind.
Quite awhile ago I linked to a rather lopsided tenor summit of Scott Hamilton and Wayne Shorter. But this blows it out of the water- Luciano Pavarotti and... Bryan Adams. Even ten years past his A-game, Pavarotti giggles, then wipes the floor with Mr. "Everything I Do". (via the Sports Guy) I should mention a personal animus here- I had to play a bad medley of "Everything I do..." and "All for Love" four times a week for several months on Cruise Ship X. But even if I thought he was godly, he is awesomely bad here, and he realizes it too late. (Of course, there's a link from that page of Adams, Pavarotti and Andreas Botticelli singing "All for Love", which is an embarrassment to all involved. I'll never understand...)
Nate Chinen reviews Ornette in New York. What are the odds of him ever hitting Boston again?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
now I really can't throw any curveballs
I am nursing my first ever yoga injury, a sprained right wrist which, among other joys, limits me to one-handed typing. Blogging is now even more awkward than usual, and will resume soon.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
these people are a part of me
In my freshman year at Eastman, I became a member of Corpus Christi Church on East Main Street, now known as the Spiritus Christi community. It was a open, very progressive Catholic church, (Yes, I know that that seems like a contradiction in terms to many folks) who tithed more than 10% of its weekly collection to local and national charities, who had a woman deacon (!), a large gay ministry, and a policy that communion was open to all, no questions, no judgements. (Any Catholics reading this know how far left that is, especially in 1993.) There were things about Corpus that I found downright strange, or corny, or abrasive some times, but the remarkable feeling of community I found, both with others in the parish and in the “union with Christ” sense that churches love to talk about but rarely live up to, is one I've never quite matched before or since. While I no longer call myself Catholic, in large part because of how my community was basically told to leave the Roman Catholic Church, that place is a huge part of my spiritual formation, and informs my goals and behaviors as an artist and teacher in ways I rarely think about, but always know. (A decent wiki entry about Corpus/Spiritus is here)
I bring this up in chewing on Barack Obama's monumental, much talked about speech yesterday. (I swear at the gym I teach at this morning that even ESPN and the Cartoon Network had Obama coverage.) For what it's worth, I thought it was a remarkable piece of rhetoric, for it's language, it's thoughtfulness, and the fact that he didn't really take the easy way out. I had other reactions that are better articulated by others:
Matana's reaction resonated with me tremendously- go read it. It's ridiculous and shameful that he had to give this speech in the first place (but God did he have to). I'm never asked to explain my Irish-ness, nor was John Kerry, nor Lieberman his Jewish-ness, nor Hillary or McCain explain their whiteness, ethnic or otherwise, but somehow every black person in the public square, scholar, artist, athlete, politician should somehow have to articulate, no, justify their blackness? That double standard is absurd on its face, but is taken for granted in American public life- huh?
The best political calculus I read was Glen Greenwald's- I think he analyzes it with a very clear head. (Which given how little I've thought of his last two weeks of posts, particularly about Spitzer, surprised me) From a tactical point of view, I think the best thing Obama supporters can do, (and Democrats in general, since Hillary can use this tactic if she wins) is to hammer at the double standard being presented between Obama's distancing himself from Rev. Wright, and John McCain's embrace of the far more toxic Rev. John Hagee. (I wrote a brief letter to the editor of the Globe today making this point about their token conservative Jeff Jacoby's shallow bromide about the speech this morning. Let's see if it gets published...) Greenwald gets into it more in a previous post well worth reading.
But getting back to Corpus Christi, people are in all kinds of communities for all kinds of reasons, and if you haven't belonged to a non-mainstream, open church, it can be hard to see the allure. Or why you'd stay even with a preacher who's up there yelling crazy things sometimes. But I firmly believe that the early Christian church, which most evangelicals give lip service to without having a bleepin' clue what that kind of community involves, looks a whole lot more like Spiritus Christi, or Reverend White's church in Chicago than it does Reverand Hagee's. And I'll throw my lot in with someone from that church every day of the week.
I bring this up in chewing on Barack Obama's monumental, much talked about speech yesterday. (I swear at the gym I teach at this morning that even ESPN and the Cartoon Network had Obama coverage.) For what it's worth, I thought it was a remarkable piece of rhetoric, for it's language, it's thoughtfulness, and the fact that he didn't really take the easy way out. I had other reactions that are better articulated by others:
Matana's reaction resonated with me tremendously- go read it. It's ridiculous and shameful that he had to give this speech in the first place (but God did he have to). I'm never asked to explain my Irish-ness, nor was John Kerry, nor Lieberman his Jewish-ness, nor Hillary or McCain explain their whiteness, ethnic or otherwise, but somehow every black person in the public square, scholar, artist, athlete, politician should somehow have to articulate, no, justify their blackness? That double standard is absurd on its face, but is taken for granted in American public life- huh?
The best political calculus I read was Glen Greenwald's- I think he analyzes it with a very clear head. (Which given how little I've thought of his last two weeks of posts, particularly about Spitzer, surprised me) From a tactical point of view, I think the best thing Obama supporters can do, (and Democrats in general, since Hillary can use this tactic if she wins) is to hammer at the double standard being presented between Obama's distancing himself from Rev. Wright, and John McCain's embrace of the far more toxic Rev. John Hagee. (I wrote a brief letter to the editor of the Globe today making this point about their token conservative Jeff Jacoby's shallow bromide about the speech this morning. Let's see if it gets published...) Greenwald gets into it more in a previous post well worth reading.
But getting back to Corpus Christi, people are in all kinds of communities for all kinds of reasons, and if you haven't belonged to a non-mainstream, open church, it can be hard to see the allure. Or why you'd stay even with a preacher who's up there yelling crazy things sometimes. But I firmly believe that the early Christian church, which most evangelicals give lip service to without having a bleepin' clue what that kind of community involves, looks a whole lot more like Spiritus Christi, or Reverend White's church in Chicago than it does Reverand Hagee's. And I'll throw my lot in with someone from that church every day of the week.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
RIP Dennis Irwin
The bassist is always the "musician's musician", and Dennis was that and a lot more. I remember seeing him with Scofield in the early 90s, and while fireworks went off everywhere in that band, he kept the ground soft for landing. Ethan's tribute is wonderful.
The Times obit is here. As I mentioned before in a post about Dennis and Andrew D'Angelo, in addition to supporting the worthy work for uninsured musicians Dennis' illness kickstarted, perhaps the best thing we can do is foment the real change we need so that everyone can get access to quality health care in this country.
The Times obit is here. As I mentioned before in a post about Dennis and Andrew D'Angelo, in addition to supporting the worthy work for uninsured musicians Dennis' illness kickstarted, perhaps the best thing we can do is foment the real change we need so that everyone can get access to quality health care in this country.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
my shamrock falls on 2 and 4
March is looking like a good month for acts passing through Boston. My picks:
Best bets: 3/7- SFJazz Collective, Berklee Performance Center
3/27-29- Bill Frisell 858 Quartet, Regattabar
3/5 John Pattituci, Regattabar
3/13-14- Kurt Rosenwinkle Group, Regattabar
3/14-3/15- Elian Elias, Scullers
3/16- Metheny/McBride/Sanchez, Somerville Theatre
3/20- David Torn & Prezenz (w/Tim Berne, Craig Taborn), Reggatabar
3/20- Insight, Ryles
3/21-22- Kenny Barron, Regattabar
3/25- Aruan Ortiz w/Greg Osby
3/25- Dave Holland with Robin Eubanks, New England Conservatory
3/28- Leo Genovese, Ryles
More to come- please let me know what I missed.
Best bets: 3/7- SFJazz Collective, Berklee Performance Center
3/27-29- Bill Frisell 858 Quartet, Regattabar
3/5 John Pattituci, Regattabar
3/13-14- Kurt Rosenwinkle Group, Regattabar
3/14-3/15- Elian Elias, Scullers
3/16- Metheny/McBride/Sanchez, Somerville Theatre
3/20- David Torn & Prezenz (w/Tim Berne, Craig Taborn), Reggatabar
3/20- Insight, Ryles
3/21-22- Kenny Barron, Regattabar
3/25- Aruan Ortiz w/Greg Osby
3/25- Dave Holland with Robin Eubanks, New England Conservatory
3/28- Leo Genovese, Ryles
More to come- please let me know what I missed.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Intergalactic, academic
This is a good month for improvised music in Boston. Full rundown coming, but first, this evening New England Conservatory is presenting a concert of the music of Sun Ra, led by Allan Chase, great saxophonist, teacher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on Ra's music. (Well, who hasn't played with him) It's at 8pm in the St. Botolph building, for free. Highly recommended.
P.S. I know blogging has been slow lately, for reasons I'm hoping to detail soon, all good things. But I'm hoping to pick things up shortly...
P.S. I know blogging has been slow lately, for reasons I'm hoping to detail soon, all good things. But I'm hoping to pick things up shortly...
Monday, February 25, 2008
Doctor doctor
First, thanks much to the folks that came out on Saturday night. It was fun to visit, or revisit in some cases, so many cool tunes. And even some less cool tunes. Sadly, there weren't enough of us to send a big check Andrew D'Angelo's way, but every bit helps I suppose. To that end, Nate Chinen wrote a piece for the Times that we all hope will help, Darcy commented, then reviewed the Tea Lounge benefit in Brooklyn, and Andrew continues to blog about his progress. For those of you have never heard Andrew play, there is a straight line from the way he writes to the way he plays, no question.
I've been thinking about health care a fair bit lately, even before the situations with Dennis Irwin and Andrew surface. You see, for the non-Bostonians, I am one of about 40,000 guinea pigs in Massachusetts great experiment in mandatory health care. I was compelled by the state to buy health care, at a prorated monthly fee based on my tax return income. My plan starts this month. On paper, at least, it's a good deal- I pay less than $40 per month in premiums, the co-pays are in line with the going rate, and I badly need health insurance. My plan kicks in March first, so I have no idea what will actually happen when I need services- stay tuned.
That said, while I'm grateful, I'm also equally skeptical that this can work. For one, even before this law went into effect, primary care physicians (PCPs) were in short supply in this area. My roommate, who has Blue Cross, was told last week the next time his doctor could see him was August(!) To my knowledge, nothing in the law addresses that. Second, the state is already projecting billions of additional costs in the next few years, with no idea of how to pay for it. It's my (limited) understanding that both the Obama and Clinton plans are similar to the Massachusetts law. While I think it will make some things better, get ready for the same problems.
Second, I don't see anything, at least in my coverage, that adequately addresses diet and lifestyle issues, which are the two biggest factors in most common American maladies. Of course, that would mean taking on the food industry, and what are the odds of that...
Honestly, I don't see any way we really "solve" health care in this country without a national single-payer system. Sure it'll ration care, but what do you call what we have now? And more importantly, talk to anyone working in the system (I was a secretary at a hospital in one of my many day jobs). Medicare covers more, and hassles less, than any private insurer, with about one eighth of the overhead costs. (I need sources) So explain again why private is so much better???
I've been thinking about health care a fair bit lately, even before the situations with Dennis Irwin and Andrew surface. You see, for the non-Bostonians, I am one of about 40,000 guinea pigs in Massachusetts great experiment in mandatory health care. I was compelled by the state to buy health care, at a prorated monthly fee based on my tax return income. My plan starts this month. On paper, at least, it's a good deal- I pay less than $40 per month in premiums, the co-pays are in line with the going rate, and I badly need health insurance. My plan kicks in March first, so I have no idea what will actually happen when I need services- stay tuned.
That said, while I'm grateful, I'm also equally skeptical that this can work. For one, even before this law went into effect, primary care physicians (PCPs) were in short supply in this area. My roommate, who has Blue Cross, was told last week the next time his doctor could see him was August(!) To my knowledge, nothing in the law addresses that. Second, the state is already projecting billions of additional costs in the next few years, with no idea of how to pay for it. It's my (limited) understanding that both the Obama and Clinton plans are similar to the Massachusetts law. While I think it will make some things better, get ready for the same problems.
Second, I don't see anything, at least in my coverage, that adequately addresses diet and lifestyle issues, which are the two biggest factors in most common American maladies. Of course, that would mean taking on the food industry, and what are the odds of that...
Honestly, I don't see any way we really "solve" health care in this country without a national single-payer system. Sure it'll ration care, but what do you call what we have now? And more importantly, talk to anyone working in the system (I was a secretary at a hospital in one of my many day jobs). Medicare covers more, and hassles less, than any private insurer, with about one eighth of the overhead costs. (I need sources) So explain again why private is so much better???
Thursday, February 21, 2008
my jukebox still only costs a nickel
I wanted to put out one more last-minute call for one or two more pop chestnuts to mutilate, er, cover on my gig Saturday night. I'm honestly flummoxed. I'm looking for something, well, overplayed and despised that we can knock around some, a la TBP doing "Chariots" or Frisell doing "Live to Tell". (And I know, I know, Ethan didn't mean it that way.) So far, the plan is to do some Beatles and Beach Boys tunes I've player before with Ooomph, my friend Jeremy Udden's great reworking of "Eternal Flame", and new reworkings of stuff by Feist and Journey. What else fits...
On a more serious note, a portion of the proceeds from the gig (and please god there will be some) will go directly to the fund for Andrew D'Angelo, the great NYC musicians who is fighting a rare form of brain cancer. If you can't come, please consider contributing via Andrew's website. He is an amazing musician and a true original (see Ethan's wonderful tribute), and we need him here for awhile longer...
On a more serious note, a portion of the proceeds from the gig (and please god there will be some) will go directly to the fund for Andrew D'Angelo, the great NYC musicians who is fighting a rare form of brain cancer. If you can't come, please consider contributing via Andrew's website. He is an amazing musician and a true original (see Ethan's wonderful tribute), and we need him here for awhile longer...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pat Donaher Sells Out! This Saturday at the Lily Pad
Sell*out- Informal. a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement. (from dictionary.com)
That's right, despite six years of conservatory training, many hours spent playing Bach suites and Hanon exercises, years of playing very strange noises in artistic, underground hipster venues, it's come down to the Bangles. And Journey. And (gasp) maybe even the Monkees. I'll be pandering to the masses with these chestnuts this Saturday night in Cambridge. For a mere $10, you can be part of the debasement...
I'm kidding, of course; this was going to be a Johnny Carcrash gig, but we had to push that back due to scheduling constraints, so I thought it'd be fun to do something a little less intense and compositional than my last few outings. And I needed an adversising gimmick. As I've said before, I'm totally down with covering pop tunes, and at this point one could argue that the Beatles, who we'll also cover, are well ensconsed in the jazz songbook. But the band is happening, and I hope you'll check out all the merriment.
Pat Donaher Quartet
featuring Kai Ando and Jakub Rojek
Saturday, Feb, 23, 7:30pm
Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge Street
$10 cover
That's right, despite six years of conservatory training, many hours spent playing Bach suites and Hanon exercises, years of playing very strange noises in artistic, underground hipster venues, it's come down to the Bangles. And Journey. And (gasp) maybe even the Monkees. I'll be pandering to the masses with these chestnuts this Saturday night in Cambridge. For a mere $10, you can be part of the debasement...
I'm kidding, of course; this was going to be a Johnny Carcrash gig, but we had to push that back due to scheduling constraints, so I thought it'd be fun to do something a little less intense and compositional than my last few outings. And I needed an adversising gimmick. As I've said before, I'm totally down with covering pop tunes, and at this point one could argue that the Beatles, who we'll also cover, are well ensconsed in the jazz songbook. But the band is happening, and I hope you'll check out all the merriment.
Pat Donaher Quartet
featuring Kai Ando and Jakub Rojek
Saturday, Feb, 23, 7:30pm
Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge Street
$10 cover
Monday, February 11, 2008
Tea Leaf Prophecies
After last year's debacle, I didn't stay up for the Grammys this year, so I have to admit I was a little surprised when I picked up the paper this morning and saw that the big winner last night was... Herbie Hancock. Herbie?? Anyone else know what to make of that? As the times article mentions, Herbie has won ten of them, since the Grammys seem to favor known, famous commodities over quality, though Herbie certainly offers both. And he has contributed two of my fonder Grammy moments, this really swinging bit with Natalie Cole (this was recorded just days after Tony Williams died, which apparently lent some extra push to the performance), the famous Rockit blowout. and the hilarious '85 synth medley (see Thomas Dolby's amazing post on the event.)
I've stated my skepticism of award shows, and the Grammys in particular, in these pages before, and it's rare when I'm willing to tag any record, no matter how much I like it, the "best of the year". (Note also that my most of my jazz category picks, made with no lack of cynicism, came to pass.) But what I've seen of the show, and the coverage it's getting, seems to confirm what we already know- the industry proper, even more than the rest of us, is confused as hell about how to address the changing marketplace, the "long tail" and the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital world. If you had any doubt, read the transcript of the Grammy's president. You decide to fight hard to ensure proper renumeration for traditional radio play... a piece of the economic pie which shrinks more and means less each year. You promote the grand future by... playing an Oscar Peterson tune. Way to go guys.
I did catch up with a few of the performances online, and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not exactly a fan, but Amy Weinhouse put on a monster mini-set, as did Kayne- it's unusual for me to react when a performer's charisma jumps off the screen, but his sure did. And Feist's performance, half solo, half with (somewhat half-assed) brass band was pretty happening- reminded me of Darcy's review of her set this summer, which sums it up nicely.
Look at the Globe's photo montage, with all it's diversity, and tell me how many artists, or even categories, you recognize. After the first twenty or so, save Blanchard and The Shins, I'm clueless, and I like to think I keep up. I have no idea what it all means, except maybe that the Grammys grow less relevant with each passing year.
UPDATE: read Ben Ratliff's astute take on Herbie's victory. His article from a few years back on the Diana Krall phenomenon is worth reviewing as well. And David Ryshpen as well.
I've stated my skepticism of award shows, and the Grammys in particular, in these pages before, and it's rare when I'm willing to tag any record, no matter how much I like it, the "best of the year". (Note also that my most of my jazz category picks, made with no lack of cynicism, came to pass.) But what I've seen of the show, and the coverage it's getting, seems to confirm what we already know- the industry proper, even more than the rest of us, is confused as hell about how to address the changing marketplace, the "long tail" and the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital world. If you had any doubt, read the transcript of the Grammy's president. You decide to fight hard to ensure proper renumeration for traditional radio play... a piece of the economic pie which shrinks more and means less each year. You promote the grand future by... playing an Oscar Peterson tune. Way to go guys.
I did catch up with a few of the performances online, and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not exactly a fan, but Amy Weinhouse put on a monster mini-set, as did Kayne- it's unusual for me to react when a performer's charisma jumps off the screen, but his sure did. And Feist's performance, half solo, half with (somewhat half-assed) brass band was pretty happening- reminded me of Darcy's review of her set this summer, which sums it up nicely.
Look at the Globe's photo montage, with all it's diversity, and tell me how many artists, or even categories, you recognize. After the first twenty or so, save Blanchard and The Shins, I'm clueless, and I like to think I keep up. I have no idea what it all means, except maybe that the Grammys grow less relevant with each passing year.
UPDATE: read Ben Ratliff's astute take on Herbie's victory. His article from a few years back on the Diana Krall phenomenon is worth reviewing as well. And David Ryshpen as well.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Yes we can
Okay, just disregard most of that last post... (coughs and looks at floor) Maybe us Bostonians were due for some come-uppance.
Yesterday as I was coming home from teaching, I passed through Coolidge Corner to be met by sign-wavers from Clinton and Obama. To me, this is remarkable- this is the first time in my lifetime that Massachusetts has mattered in a presidential campaign. We've voted for the Democrat every time except '84 by large margins, and the primaries have always been too late to mean much. Not this year, so go take advantage.
Some of you have seen this video making the rounds. Barack's my guy this time too. I have real questions about Obama- in Massachusetts we've seen the hot glow of Gov. Deval Patrick's rhetoric has been extinguished by the cold realities of governing, (And a few boneheaded decisions at the outset, not the least of which was trying to take us headlong into the casino business) and while that may not be a fair comparison, it sticks in my brain. But he has captivated the American imagination, particularly that of young people, in a way that I've never seen, and offers us an opportunity to put new face forward that the world can embrace more readily.
While I'm not convinced that he can deliver, I know Hillary will deliver the same tone and harshness of politics that we've seen for the past 15 years, and I believe is much more vulnerable to McCain in the generals for just that reason. I want change, and believe in the power of hope. So I'll vote Obama tomorrow, and hope you consider it. (But for god's sake, vote! It really matters this time)
Yesterday as I was coming home from teaching, I passed through Coolidge Corner to be met by sign-wavers from Clinton and Obama. To me, this is remarkable- this is the first time in my lifetime that Massachusetts has mattered in a presidential campaign. We've voted for the Democrat every time except '84 by large margins, and the primaries have always been too late to mean much. Not this year, so go take advantage.
Some of you have seen this video making the rounds. Barack's my guy this time too. I have real questions about Obama- in Massachusetts we've seen the hot glow of Gov. Deval Patrick's rhetoric has been extinguished by the cold realities of governing, (And a few boneheaded decisions at the outset, not the least of which was trying to take us headlong into the casino business) and while that may not be a fair comparison, it sticks in my brain. But he has captivated the American imagination, particularly that of young people, in a way that I've never seen, and offers us an opportunity to put new face forward that the world can embrace more readily.
While I'm not convinced that he can deliver, I know Hillary will deliver the same tone and harshness of politics that we've seen for the past 15 years, and I believe is much more vulnerable to McCain in the generals for just that reason. I want change, and believe in the power of hope. So I'll vote Obama tomorrow, and hope you consider it. (But for god's sake, vote! It really matters this time)
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Links for groundhogs, goalposts and other creatures
Nate Chinen reviewed Trio M at Hotel Kitano in New York. A different, but equally positive take on the band to my reactions.
Ethan Iverson scores again with a parsing of Oscar Peterson and his notable critics. My reaction to come. And staying in the family, Ethan's fantastic wife Sarah reposts her amazing essay about vacuum cleaners and loss.
One concert note, my friends Prana Trio will play the Lily Pad tomorrow night. I would be there, but I'm afraid I'm a homer, and there's this little football game. But if that doesn't interest you in the least, go check 'em.
One note on that game. There has been a lot of blowback this week in the papers against the Pats, which I understand. It's hard to like a juggernaut for very long, especially one whose boss sometimes resembles a cross between a poorly dressed Dr. Frankenstien and a football Grinch who may have used, er, less then ethical scouting tactics. But those of us who live here are still pinching ourselves. My first football memory is watching an horribly inept Patriots squad on television give up a game winning pass to Buffalo (1979? 1981? someone help me here). We had three defensive backs in the area, they had one receiver- guess who caught the pass? That pretty much set up the football of my youth. I also remember losing to Tampa Bay back when they were god awful, and had lame pastel orange uniforms to boot. Likewise, my first baseball memories are 1.) seeing Dwight Evans on TV getting hit in the face with a beer while trying to catch a fly ball in Yankee Stadium, and 2.) having to leave my first ever game at Fenway Park because my grandfather had broken his hip. Paged over the stadium PA and everything. I'm not making this up. So forgive me and me ilk for reveling in our good fortune. And enjoy the game!
(Shakes head in disbelief that someone actually put up a Dewey Evans page on Wikepedia...)
Current listening: Bobby McFerrin, Medicine Music. Was reminded of this album recently, so I went out and finally got it on CD. (I had it on cassette 15 years ago.) Am I the only one that thinks that McFerrin is criminally underrated, partially due to his pop success?
UPDATE: One of the few bright spots of the aforementioned Pats from my youth, the amazing linebacker Andrew Tippett, was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame today. That makes me happy.
Ethan Iverson scores again with a parsing of Oscar Peterson and his notable critics. My reaction to come. And staying in the family, Ethan's fantastic wife Sarah reposts her amazing essay about vacuum cleaners and loss.
One concert note, my friends Prana Trio will play the Lily Pad tomorrow night. I would be there, but I'm afraid I'm a homer, and there's this little football game. But if that doesn't interest you in the least, go check 'em.
One note on that game. There has been a lot of blowback this week in the papers against the Pats, which I understand. It's hard to like a juggernaut for very long, especially one whose boss sometimes resembles a cross between a poorly dressed Dr. Frankenstien and a football Grinch who may have used, er, less then ethical scouting tactics. But those of us who live here are still pinching ourselves. My first football memory is watching an horribly inept Patriots squad on television give up a game winning pass to Buffalo (1979? 1981? someone help me here). We had three defensive backs in the area, they had one receiver- guess who caught the pass? That pretty much set up the football of my youth. I also remember losing to Tampa Bay back when they were god awful, and had lame pastel orange uniforms to boot. Likewise, my first baseball memories are 1.) seeing Dwight Evans on TV getting hit in the face with a beer while trying to catch a fly ball in Yankee Stadium, and 2.) having to leave my first ever game at Fenway Park because my grandfather had broken his hip. Paged over the stadium PA and everything. I'm not making this up. So forgive me and me ilk for reveling in our good fortune. And enjoy the game!
(Shakes head in disbelief that someone actually put up a Dewey Evans page on Wikepedia...)
Current listening: Bobby McFerrin, Medicine Music. Was reminded of this album recently, so I went out and finally got it on CD. (I had it on cassette 15 years ago.) Am I the only one that thinks that McFerrin is criminally underrated, partially due to his pop success?
UPDATE: One of the few bright spots of the aforementioned Pats from my youth, the amazing linebacker Andrew Tippett, was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame today. That makes me happy.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Trio M @ Brookline High School
Myra Melford, Matt Wilson and Mark Dresser are three tremendously accomplished musicians, recording artists, grant winners, etc. who I've admired on record for years, and seen play before in much bigger or trendier venues. So it was a little jarring at first to walk into a little workshop room in a high school, replete with silly high school in-jokes and pictures of teenage big bands on the wall, and 2-Liters of soda in the hallway and be greeted (I was late) by Myra's swirling cluster lines and the sound of Matt's drums. Wilson said towards the end that this gig was a somewhat last-minute, and I guess there was a perfomance/workshop session with the high school jazz ensemble beforehand.
Another jarring thing walking in was how quiet this band was. I've never taken enough note of Mark Dresser's playing, but Matt and Myra have always struck me both live and on record as big, brawny players. (Anyone who saw Matt's wacky quartet at the old Detour can back me here) Matt played primarily with brushes and "swizzle sticks", and while Myra was certainly aggressive, she didn't pound the piano the way I've seen her do in the past. (The rather quiet sound system probably contributed to this too. And Matt did wear a really, really loud orange shirt.) The quietness of the quartet highlighted the equality of voices in the trio- through the first tune I heard, there was a level interplay between Mark and Myra, no solo and accompaniment, but a two voice conversation.
With the exception of "Be Melting Snow", a tune I know from a Same River Twice album, the tunes were simple on the surface, with striaghtforward melodic lines and gospel-ly, traidic harmonies. The last tune, "Freakonomics", even had a quasi- calypso 3/2 groove. "Snow" was more twisty, starting with out of time bass/piano unisons and spreading out into bigger harmonies from there. At the end of the tune, a thorny 8 beat groove served to punctuate everything that preceded it.
Myra's improvising continues to fascinate me. When she plays she hunches her shoulders and wrinkles her face like she's writing at an old typewriter. Her lines alternate between clear single-note melodies and these clustery, whirling lines. It's not simply gestural- there's a direction and shape to the lines, but the individual notes serve the color first and the harmony a distant second. It reminds me a little of shape note singing, or what it might sound like on the piano.
Trio M's tour continues in New York and points west- details on Myra's Myspace page.
Tickets for this concert were provided by DL Media.
Another jarring thing walking in was how quiet this band was. I've never taken enough note of Mark Dresser's playing, but Matt and Myra have always struck me both live and on record as big, brawny players. (Anyone who saw Matt's wacky quartet at the old Detour can back me here) Matt played primarily with brushes and "swizzle sticks", and while Myra was certainly aggressive, she didn't pound the piano the way I've seen her do in the past. (The rather quiet sound system probably contributed to this too. And Matt did wear a really, really loud orange shirt.) The quietness of the quartet highlighted the equality of voices in the trio- through the first tune I heard, there was a level interplay between Mark and Myra, no solo and accompaniment, but a two voice conversation.
With the exception of "Be Melting Snow", a tune I know from a Same River Twice album, the tunes were simple on the surface, with striaghtforward melodic lines and gospel-ly, traidic harmonies. The last tune, "Freakonomics", even had a quasi- calypso 3/2 groove. "Snow" was more twisty, starting with out of time bass/piano unisons and spreading out into bigger harmonies from there. At the end of the tune, a thorny 8 beat groove served to punctuate everything that preceded it.
Myra's improvising continues to fascinate me. When she plays she hunches her shoulders and wrinkles her face like she's writing at an old typewriter. Her lines alternate between clear single-note melodies and these clustery, whirling lines. It's not simply gestural- there's a direction and shape to the lines, but the individual notes serve the color first and the harmony a distant second. It reminds me a little of shape note singing, or what it might sound like on the piano.
Trio M's tour continues in New York and points west- details on Myra's Myspace page.
Tickets for this concert were provided by DL Media.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Music to see this week
Updated 1/28
Monday night- Happy Apple feat. Dave King at the Lily Pad. Hoping to make it.
- also, Bob Moses with his guru for his 60th birthday at Jordan Hall. (Globe article here. Note how the ole Pheonix mess pops up here even 7 years later. And he says he was "speaking from love"... Uh-huh)
Tuesday- gig o'the week. Trio M, with Myra Melford, Matt Wilson and Mark Dresser will play at Brookline High School, 8pm. Myra comes through Boston once a year at best, so be sure to check it.
Of more interest to me at NEC, over the next few weeks the Piano department will be playing and talking about lots of Messien. I'm hoping to make some of it.
Finally, at some point very soon I think Myra Melford is giving a workshop in town- details when I have them.
Monday night- Happy Apple feat. Dave King at the Lily Pad. Hoping to make it.
- also, Bob Moses with his guru for his 60th birthday at Jordan Hall. (Globe article here. Note how the ole Pheonix mess pops up here even 7 years later. And he says he was "speaking from love"... Uh-huh)
Tuesday- gig o'the week. Trio M, with Myra Melford, Matt Wilson and Mark Dresser will play at Brookline High School, 8pm. Myra comes through Boston once a year at best, so be sure to check it.
Of more interest to me at NEC, over the next few weeks the Piano department will be playing and talking about lots of Messien. I'm hoping to make some of it.
Finally, at some point very soon I think Myra Melford is giving a workshop in town- details when I have them.
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