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CONCERT REVIEWS |
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AARON PARKS QUARTET Skidmore Jazz Concert Series, Bernhard Theatre, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY July 8, 2008 by J Hunter Aaron Parks was a semi-disheveled teenager when he came to Skidmore with Terence Blanchard in 2003, but that doesn't even tell a third of the story: By the time Parks was 14, he had skipped high school and was carrying a triple major at the University of Washington, and he was studying piano with Kenny Barron at the Manhattan School of Music by age 16. Parks is now 23, and he is exactly where he should be – leading his own band and playing his own music, as he did last Tuesday at the Bernhard ... continue ... |
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| TERENCE BLANCHARD QUINTET Skidmore Jazz Concert Series, Bernhard Theatre, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY July 1, 2008 by J Hunter Maybe it was Terence Blanchard's critically-acclaimed set at Freihofer's that had the queue snaking around the Bernhard Theatre almost an hour before showtime. Maybe the crowd had watched Blanchard tear up the Egg in 2005 – three weeks after Hurricane Katrina had destroyed Blanchard's New Orleans home – or they had attended Blanchard's 2002 performance at Skidmore Jazz Institute, accompanied by a band that would eventually become the weapons-grade sextet Flow ... continue ... |
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FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL (Day 1) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY June 28, 2008 by J Hunter THE WEATHER IS HERE, I WISH IT WERE BEAUTIFUL: "This weather and this violin hate each other," Jenny Scheinmann informed us partway through her Gazebo set. It had to happen, given how lucky Freihofer's had been with weather the last few years; we were due for rain, but we also got thunder, lightning, and humidity you could cut with a chainsaw ... continue ... |
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ERICA SEGUINE ORCHESTRA Young Composers Exposition WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium - Albany, NY June 12, 2008 By J Hunter When you're my age (Not "YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN" Old, but definitely within sensor range of 50), just about everyone seems young. But Erica Seguine is young! The charming, bubbly local product is "almost 21" – her words – but she looks even younger, even with the black evening dress and silver low-heeled shoes she wore as she stepped in front of the 18 musicians that made up the Erica Seguine Orchestra – presented in a Young Composers Exposition last Thursday night at The Linda ... continue ... |
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EDMAR CASTANEDA TRIO WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOE LOCKE SPAC Little Theatre Saratoga Performing Arts Center - Saratoga Springs, NY May 29th, 2008 by Randy Treece "Jazz cannot be limited by definitions or by rules. Jazz is, above all, a total freedom to express oneself." -- Duke Ellington Few modern jazz groups epitome more of Ellington's eloquence than the extraordinary, incomparable, and adventurous Edmar Castaneda Trio, with special guest Joe Locke. At first blush, it is difficult to conceptualize the probable voicing about to flow from such an eclectic and exotic ensemble, comprising of a Colombian Harp (Edmar Castaneda), flute (Itai Kriss), vibraphone (Joe Locke), and drummer/percussionist (Dave Silliman). But let me assure you that the music and presentation were rapturous and riveting, and the evening nothing short of enchantment ... continue ... |
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JEFF "SIEGE" SIEGEL QUARTET CD-Release Party @ Justin's Albany, NY May 30, 2008 By J Hunter One of the keys to achieving serenity is accepting that some things will always be out of your control. For instance, a lost set of car keys delayed half of the Jeff Siegel Quartet to just before the show's scheduled start time. As a result, the music got underway about a half-hour late, which Siegel took it in stride, although the new development had me looking at my watch ... continue ... |
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ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY SPAC Little Theatre Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY May 24, 2008 by Tom Pierce The Saturday May 24, 2008 concert at the Little Theatre of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center by gifted singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway of Chicago (long since relocated to Manhattan) wasn't her initial appearance in the Capitol District. She had previously delighted the audience at the 2004 Albany Riverfront Jazz festival. However, it was as she noted her debut in Saratoga Springs - and an artistically successful, enthusiastically-applauded one at that ... continue ... |
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SCHENECTADY MUSICIANS UNION'S 2ND ANNUAL "JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH" CELEBRATION Keith Pray Quintet, Mulligan Stew, The Mellowtones w/Colleen Pratt Muddy Cup Cafe @ Proctors Theatre, Schenectady, NY April 20, 2008 By J Hunter Jazz Appreciation Month makes so much sense, there's probably a politician out there somewhere denouncing it. After all, to reach beyond the already-converted, the music needs to go into "non-traditional" venues like museums, libraries, schools (Especially schools!), and spaces like the Muddy Cup, and the Smithsonian's yearly outreach program makes that happen ... continue .... |
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JOE LOVANO QUARTET w/ ROBERT GLASPER TRIO Williamstown Jazz Festival '62 Center For The Performing Arts - Williams College, Williamstwon, MA April 12, 2008 By J Hunter The day had started well for the Robert Glasper Trio: They'd left Brooklyn that afternoon with new drummer Chris Dave at the wheel, headed for the Williamstown Jazz Festival, and everything was fine. Glasper took a nap, woke up long enough to see Dave getting directions at a gas station… and the next time Glasper woke up, the car was passing a sign that said "WELCOME TO BOSTON." If you don't have a map available (and, apparently, Dave didn't have one, either), let me assure you that Boston and Williamstown are not close to each other ... continue ... |
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EMPIRE JAZZ ORCHESTRA (feat. DAVID "FATHEAD" NEWMAN) Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium Schenectady County Community College, Schenectady, NY April 8, 2008 By J Hunter Where David "Fathead" Newman ranks among past guests of the Empire Jazz Orchestra is up for grabs, given who's appeared with the EJO in the past – Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, and other Hall-of-Famers too numerous to mention. I guess it all depends on what part of jazz history you revere the most. The thing is, Newman's resumé touches on almost all of jazz' modern era: I first heard Fathead with Herbie Mann's wild post-Memphis Underground group Family of Mann, and that was many years after Ray Charles gave Newman his first big break. Almost thirty years after Newman played dueling flutes with Mann, Fathead is still cranking out top-notch recordings like I Remember Brother Ray (High Note, 2005) ... continue ... |
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BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO Filene Recital Hall - Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY April 6, 2008 By J Hunter Skidmore's Filene Concert Series continued its run of spring shows with a visit from Mehldau, one of the best pianists in jazz today. The unfortunate part was the necessity of holding the concert in the Filene Recital Hall, as opposed to the larger Bernhard Theater. A certificate on the wall of the Filene says the hall's capacity is 250. It's safe to say that number was decidedly eclipsed, as every seat in the soon-to-be-steamy house was taken. Those who didn't get there in time to grab one of the steel folding chairs set up on the entrance ways had to press against the back wall; attempts to sit in the aisles were immediately cut short – something I'd love to see happen at Skidmore Jazz Institute's summer shows at the Bernhard ... continue ... |
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CHRIS POTTER'S UNDERGROUND Filene Recital Hall - Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY March 20, 2008 By J Hunter It's kind of fun to watch kids grow up – and when I say "kids", I mean young musicians you're lucky enough to catch early in their careers. In my case, Chris Potter qualifies for this category: I discovered the Chicago native when I heard Concentric Circles (Concord Records, 1994), Potter's first disc as a leader after a four-year apprenticeship with Red Rodney. Although I've seen Potter play with everyone from Eliane Elias to Steely Dan, the high water mark was the truly profound night he and the Dave Holland Quintet gave the Van Dyck a few years ago. The operative word in that last sentence is "was", because Chris Potter's Underground just might have wiped that mark out ... continue ... |
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THE BAD PLUS The Linda - WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, Albany, NY May 13, 2008 by Randy Treece It has been a couple of months since their maiden voyage appearance in the Capital District area, but a surprisingly sizeable crowd came to the Linda to see the purveyors of the nouveau jazz, Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass, and David King on drums, best known as The Bad Plus. Ostensibly this is a testament to their draw and rare distinction in the jazz world and may be an indication of shifting audience demographics, young and grunge, and taste in jazz within the region ... continue ... |
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| MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Proctor's Theatre, Schenectady, NY February 23, 2008 By J Hunter One of the things I really regret is never attending the Monterey Jazz Festival. At one time, I lived only 90 minutes from the State Fairgrounds, where Jimmy Lyons inaugurated the annual event in 1959. That makes this year the festival's golden anniversary, and Nnenna Freelon summed it up the best: "50 years deserves a party, don't you think?" With that in mind, a collective of Monterey alumni rolled into Schenectady to give those who've never been to Monterey Jazz a taste of (in the words of Kendrick Scott) "one of the last festivals that calls itself a jazz festival, and is one!" ... continue ... |
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DIANNE REEVES The Egg, Albany, NY February 13, 2008 by Tom Pierce The term “Diva” has been applied to many well known female vocalists of diverse genres, with various interesting connotations - some positive and some not so positive. The Egg's presentation of the remarkable Dianne Reeves, with an exceptional quartet, provided Capitol District music lovers with one Diva whom the near capacity audience clearly regarded as enormously positive ... continue ... |
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JOEY DEFRANCESCO TRIO The Egg, Albany, NY February 8, 2008 by Randy Treece The ranks of the Hammond B-3 Organ have thinned significantly with the loss of the "mighty burner" Charles Earland, "Brother" Jack McDuff, and the master-himself Jimmy Smith. Still stalwarts of the B-3 are grooving audiences, such as organ guru Dr. Lonnie Smith, legendary Jimmy McGriff, and the undisputed torch bearer Joey DeFrancesco ... continue ... |
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BILLY CHILDS' JAZZ-CHAMBER ENSEMBLE Troy Savings Band Music Hall Troy, NY January 25, 2008 By J Hunter Words mean different things to different people, and that can result in unintended consequences. The blocks of empty seats at Billy Childs' Troy Savings bank appearance could have been chalked up to the weather (Freezing temps, lots of wind chill) or to possible walk-ups being distracted by the many facets of Troy's Night Out. I'm afraid the low turnout might have been due to one word -- "Chamber", as in "chamber music." If that's true, not only is it too bad, but it means a lot of people missed out on some truly challenging music ... continue ... |
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MARCUS ROBERTS TRIO AND THE ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Egg, Albany, NY January 19, 2008 by Randy Treece This month the Egg is presenting the George Gershwin Living Legacy Project and there is no one better to contribute to such a recognition project than Marcus Roberts, who has established himself as a Gershwin torch bearer with two recordings, Rhapsody in Blue (Portraits in Blue), which garnered a Grammy nomination, and Gershwin for Lovers. Roberts, above all modern-day jazz pianists, has been associated with the Gershwin song book, and has often performed this magnificent body of work with a full orchestra ... continue ... |
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THE TOP 5 CONCERTS (AND A LOT MORE OF 2007) by J Hunter First things first: Grab your bow tie and cummerbund, as we present… THE 2007 'LIVING IN THE MOMENT' AWARDS! ... continue ... |
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BIG SOUL ENSEMBLE A Place For Jazz, Schenectady, NY November 9, 2007 By J Hunter A Place For Jazz emcee Tim Coakley wasn't kidding in his introduction when he said, “We like to showcase local talent… and tonight, we have all of it!” Of the 17 players that make up Keith Pray's Big Soul Ensemble - and there isn't a time-waster in the bunch - 6 of them are leaders in their own right, well established in the community with CDs that have received national or international airplay. These guys didn't need to show up once a month at Tess' Lark Tavern, where Pray had gotten the BSE a “regular” gig; these guys had plenty of other fish to fry ... continue ... |
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CHARLES LLOYD TRIO The Egg, Albany, NY October 28, 2007 by Randy Treece Those fans who have been attuned to Charles Lloyd's spiritual and creative journey for nearly a half century, a musical journey akin to John Coltrane's, and attended Sunday's show, were fabulously treated to a spiritual communion with this music icon and his very accomplished musical mates, Reuben Rogers, on bass, and Eric Harland, on drums. And we were sworn not to tell those who are "sleeping walking through the night." "This is between us," Lloyd mused. The only disappointment of the evening was the half-filled auditorium, but that disappointment did not mute the soulful, divine, and inspirational music that cascaded throughout the nearly two-hour concert. And, as you could imagine, there were some grand artistic surprises ... continue ... |
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THE BAD PLUS St. Joseph's Hall, The College Of St. Rose, Albany, NY October 27, 2007 By J Hunter “What the hell happened?” Someone sitting behind me said that. I could understand where he was coming from. The Bad Plus had just finished “Let Our Garden Grow”, a blindingly complex piece from the Minnesota trio's 2005 disc Suspicious Activity? (Sony Records) Like most of TBP's catalog, this composition pulls the listener through a labyrinth of tempo and direction changes most musicians wouldn't even conceive of, let alone attempt. The problem here was that the band had used the piece as their opening number ... continue ... |
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| ANTHONY BRAXTON 12(+1)tet Chapel + Cultural Center, Troy, NY October 19, 2007 by Jeff Waggoner The iconic Anthony Braxton, saxophonist, composer and certified genius, showed up in Troy October 19 with his 12+1tet to give, certainly for many of those in the audience, a memorable concert that provided a vivid example of what can happen when the potentially collapsible recipe of composition and improvisation is executed well ... continue ... |
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| PAT METHENY TRIO Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY October 18, 2007 By J Hunter For the last few years, there's been something good brewing onstage between Pat Metheny, Christian McBride and Antonio Sanchez; we got a taste of it in 2003 when the all-star trio played the Egg, and the world will be getting a taste when Day Trip - Metheny's first recording with this unit - is released this coming January. The new material made up the lion's share of their amazing date at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, which was inspiring for both the audience and the players ... continue ... |
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SHEILA JORDAN TRIO Eighth Step - GE Theater Proctors, Schenectady, NY October 6, 2007 by Tom Pierce Music observers have typically used adjectives such as “unconventional”, “spontaneous” and “unpredictable”, to describe legendary singer Sheila Jordan. But attendees Saturday night Oct 6, 2007 at the Eighth Step productions opening of the new 436 seat GE Proctors Theater would likely have chosen “delightful”. Her warm, open, free-wheeling persona came across as so natural and genuine, one was irresistibly drawn in; and her quick-witted sense of humor and sense of irony inevitably charmed the audience, even before she begins singing ... continue ... |
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RITE OF STRINGS - Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty Hart Theatre - The Egg, Albany, NY September 29, 2007 by J Hunter “So let me get this straight,” the thought went. “These guys have toured together… once?!?” True, we aren't talking about strangers: Al Di Meola & Stanley Clarke were founding members of the seminal fusion group Return to Forever, while Clarke & Jean-Luc Ponty first played together in 1972; Clarke was taking a few moments during their Hart Theatre show to reminisce about Ponty's fashion choices at that time (“Big bell bottoms,” he chuckled) before sheepishly admitting, “I had an extreme Afro back then! One side of my Afro was bigger than most guys!” ... continue .... |
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LAKE GEORGE JAZZ WEEKEND (Day 1) Shepard Park, Lake George, NY September 15, 2007 by J Hunter Notes from a meteorologically-lucky Lake George Jazz Festival: IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR: Adela Dalto negotiated Travel Hell to get to Lake George, and when she finally got here, a cold showed up with her. It was easy to believe her travails with the airlines (I've shown up a day late for my flight, too), but the cold was a non-factor as Dalto charmed the early arrivals with a shining set of accessible Brazilian and Brazilian-influenced music. The magnetic singer's best moments happened when she flushed the sorrow out of standards like Johnny Mercer's “Days of Wine and Roses” and Buffy Saint-Marie's “Until It's Time for You to Go.” Both lyrics are melancholy in the extreme, but Dalto flipped their meanings with effervescent interpretations that banished anything remotely depressing ... continue ... |
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MARK MURPHY A Place For Jazz, Schenectady, NY September 14, 2007 by Tom Pierce Some Whisperdome attendees who were familiar with Mark Murphy's unpredictably, ultra-creative approach to a song, may have wondered if this legendary, but highly innovative artist would possibly be “too hip for the room”. However, his consistently applauded performance proved, as did that last year of one of his many talented disciples, Giacomo Gates, that any such musings underestimated not only the many reasonably accessible aspects of his style, but also the broad tastes and close-listening music appreciation of audiences at A Place For Jazz concerts ... continue ... |
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ALBANY RIVERFRONT JAZZ FESTIVAL Corning Preserve, Albany, NY September 8, 2007 by J Hunter GIVE THE LOCALS MORE LOVE: As in the past, the opening set lasted only 45 minutes, and New Regime was stopped just as they were going to (presumably) introduce their last number. While it's great Albany Riverfront traditionally saves a space for local artists, it would be even better if those artists got at least an hour, like the national acts they precede. It's sort of a gyp to bring in rich, insightful bands to kick things off, and then pull the plug just as they're clearing their throats ... continue ... |
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EITHER/ORCHESTRA Prospect Park, Troy, NY August 21, 2007 by J Hunter You have to keep your head up, because sometimes little gifts get thrown your way. Last year's present was Jim Snidero playing in the intimate space that is Justin's; this year's surprise is Either/Orchestra, a 10-man Bop-Meets-World phenomenon that was only contained by Prospect Park's 8pm curfew. Even so, E/O's encore “Retrograde Perversion” went well over that time. “We'll all get arrested and spend the night in jail together,” group founder Russ Gershon declared, to enthusiastic cheers ... continue ... |
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STEVE BERNSTEIN'S MILLENNIAL TERRITORY ORCHESTRA Hunter Center @ Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA August 18, 2007 by J Hunter This makes three summers in a row where jazz and film have intersected for me. The first time was at the Egg - when Dave Douglas did the second performance ever of music from Keystone (Greenleaf Music, 2005) - and the most recent episodes happened at MASS MoCA, the indescribable modern-art museum in the heart of the Berkshires: The Bill Frisell Trio added an additional twist to Buster Keaton (among other things) last summer; this time, Steve Bernstein brought his Millennial Territory Orchestra up north to play original soundtracks for three Laurel & Hardy silent films ... continue ... |
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KEITH PRAY'S SOUL JAZZ REVIVAL Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, Albany, NY July 8, 2007 by J Hunter There's an old saw that hangs over the head of every performance: “Bad dress rehearsal, good opening; good dress rehearsal, bad opening!” Here's hoping the Capital District Jazz Cooperative's dry run at the Hilton Center - with Keith Pray's Soul-Jazz Revival playing musical guinea pig - defies that maxim ... continue ... |
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FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL (Day 2) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY June 24, 2007 by J Hunter DIZZY AND TONY REMEMBERED: I had worried that taking Slide Hampton's Dizzy Gillespie tribute to a big-band format would rob it of the humor that set Diz apart from the rest. No worries. Aside from the fact that the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band hits you like a freight train (How could it not, given it includes luminaries like Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Claudio Roditi, Jimmy Heath, and James Moody?), there were more than enough fun-loving people onstage to keep the crowd laughing as often as they were cheering. Moody's hilarious scat-song “Moody's Mood” was pure Diz, and Hargrove upped the ante when he engaged Moody in a scat-singing contest. Despite all the great trumpet players in the band, Hargrove is the perfect Dizzy substitute, as he showed on a soaring rendition of “I Remember Clifford.” ... continue ... |
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FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL (Day 1) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY June 23, 2007 by J Hunter TIME IT WAS, AND WHAT A TIME IT WAS: Since it is one of those milepost anniversaries, you do have to look back a little bit, and that's what Freihofer's did, booking players who were on the bill of the first weekend, when the show was called “Newport Jazz Festival/Saratoga.” George Benson, Jean-Luc Ponty and Roy Haynes were part of that weekend, as was Dizzy Gillespie and Tony Williams. The latter two will be remembered on Day 2 with performances by Trio Beyond and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. (Tune in for more on their shows in our next episode - same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!) ... continue ... |
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CHICK COREA & BELA FLECK Proctor's, Schenectady, NY June 14, 2007 By J Hunter It was one of those stories longtime jazz fans love to tell: How this legend and that legend got together in concert and made music that left jaws hanging throughout the hall. For a range of generations, it doesn't get much more legendary than Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, and their dual-acoustic show at Proctor's is going to be the subject of a lot of future tales ... continue .... |
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| ROBERTA GAMBARINI Spa Little Theatre, Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY May 31st, 2007 by Tom Pierce The Thursday May 31, 2007 concert at the Little Theatre of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center by acclaimed vocalist Roberta Gambarini with a truly superior trio (Mulgrew Miller on piano, George Mraz on bass & Victor Lewis, drums) turned out to be a case of high expectations being not only matched, but well exceeded ... continue ... |
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THE JORDAN FAMILY Spa Little Theatre, Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY May 29th, 2007 by J Hunter The Jordan Family is one of New Orleans' major dynasties, stretching from saxophone legend Kidd - composer of the ultimate Bourbon Street parade song, “Kidd Jordan's Second Line” - to the current crop of phenomenally talented musicians: Former trumpet prodigy Marlon, flute virtuoso Kent, classically-trained violinist Rachel, and riveting vocalist Stephanie. Combine that talent with a family vibe that alternates between respectful and playful, and it's a dead heat who had the better time at Spa Little Theatre - the band or the audience ... continue ... |
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BOBBY SANABRIA & QUARTETO ACHE Jazz/Latino, Inc., First Unitarian Society of Schenectady, Schenectady, NY May 25, 2007 by Tom Pierce Master drummer Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché descended on the Whisperdome of the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady like a musical force of nature, Friday May 25, 2007. This was the last in a series of three Latin Jazz concerts produced by the welcome new organization, Jazz/Latino Inc, headed by Dr Jose Cruz. It provided most Capitol District Jazz lovers their first opportunity to witness in person the sheer talent, drive, complexity and charisma that has resulted in so many awards and high level engagements with numerous Jazz & Latin luminaries over the last 25 years, for this South Bronx native of Puerto Rican parents ... continue ... |
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ALBANY MUSICIAN'S AASSOCIATION “JAM” SESSION Polish Community Center, Albany, NY April 29, 2007 by J Hunter There was a lot to celebrate at the AMA's daylong gala at the Polish Community Center. This was the third straight year Local 14 was involved in Jazz Appreciation Month, and the current effort was the largest yet, with a raft of appearances at new venues like Troy's Revolution Hall. Deep down, though, the real success was in the awareness the Local's educators brought to area schools ... continue ... |
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PAT MARTINO Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY April 27, 2007 By J Hunter “I have a terrible, terrible memory nowadays,” Pat Martino admitted, by way of explaining that he was not sure if this was his first appearance at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Hey, it's a major miracle Martino is appearing anywhere. ... continue ... |
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| KARL BERGER & JOHN LINDBERG Brik Gallery, Catskill, NY April 27, 2007 by Jeff Waggoner Talk about hidden treasures. The hills of the Capital Region are filled with them, especially musical ones. Count one as Karl Berger, resident of Woodstock, and a treasure of the Catskills. Indeed, he’s a gold mine as pianist, vibraphonist, composer and musicologist. Berger and his erstwhile student and current collaborator, the brilliant bassist John Lindberg (of Kerhonkson), helped Tom Bellino of Planet arts kick-start the return of Bellino’s Jazz one2one series ... continue ... |
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MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD Hart Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY April 25, 2007 by Albert Brooks Not having seen Medeski, Martin and Wood before or for that matter having heard any of the group's music, I came to the Egg on Wednesday night with no expectations other than that I would likely experience some good jazz music given the band's long tenure playing together ... continue ... |
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KURT ELLING QUARTET & BILL CHARLAP TRIO Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY April 22, 2007 By J Hunter In order to see more than one jazz act on the same bill in the Capital Region, you normally have to wait for summer festivals like Freihofer's or Kingston. This is one of many reasons why Kurt Elling and Bill Charlap's joint appearance at the Swyer was so special. To have either of these great interpreters in the area would guarantee a great evening; to have them both on the same stage is why the theater was almost filled to capacity ... continue ... |
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RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET WILLIAMSTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL Williams College, Williamstown, MA April 21, 2007 by Jeff Waggoner If Coltrane brought them in, it was Ravi who kept them in the seats. Ravi Coltrane has a marquee name, and it is well deserved. And not because of where he came from, but where he is now and who he is -- one of the finest jazz musicians on the scene today. Coltrane was the headliner for the Williamstown Jazz Festival, held through much of the week of April 15 and culminating in the Coltrane concert on April 21 ... continue ... |
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BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUARTET + 1 AS WE KNOW IT CD RELEASE PARTY WAMC Performing Arts Studio's Linda Norris Auditorium, Albany, NY April 20, 2007 by J Hunter The Brian Patneaude Quartet could have played it safe at their CD release party and simply regurgitated their latest effort, As We Know It (WEPA Records): The music is that good, and the overall piece is a logical extension of the BPQ's creative growth curve, so simply repeating the studio performances would have been enough for some people. It wasn't good enough for Patneaude, though ... continue ... |
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 Joe Sorrentino Trio feat. Nat Phipps |
ALBANY MUSICIANS' ASSOCIATION (AFM LOCAL 14) JAM SESSION w/ JOE SORRENTINO TRIO feat. NAT PHIPPS, STEVE LAMBERT SEXTET, & SKIP PARSONS' RIVERBOAT JAZZ BAND Revolution Hall, Troy, NY April 15th, 2007 by J Hunter Hey, no question, the weather was downright dangerous: I passed three multiple-car wrecks (Not fender-benders - wrecks) as I drove slowly home through the wet snow and slush. So if you'd planned to attend Local 14's JAM Session, but a look out the window changed your mind, you had a very good excuse. With that said, you missed a heck of a good time ... continue .... |
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RONI BEN-HUR & SANTI DEBRIANO WAMC Performing Arts Studio's Linda Norris Auditorium, Albany, NY March 31, 2007 by J Hunter One of the first gigs I ever covered for this site was PlanetArts' One2One duet series at the late, lamented North Pointe Cultural Arts Center in Kinderhook. Aside from the fact that you were guaranteed to see (and interact with) terrific players, the One2One series highlighted a change in my preferences in jazz: Twenty years ago I was totally entranced with the big-canvas, rocked-out works of Steps Ahead and the Chick Corea Elektric Band. Now I found more intimate performances could make me just as happy. Roni Ben-Hur made me very, very happy Saturday night ... continue ... |
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 Sarah Pedinotti |
SARAH PEDINOTTI BAND Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY March 29, 2007 By J Hunter It would be both incorrect and insulting to say Sarah Pedinotti is “all grown up now.” The 23-year old Saratoga County native has been navigating the “grown-up” arena for some time, foregoing her last two semesters at Berklee in favor of getting some real-world experience. Since that decision, Pedinotti has become a mainstay on the Capital Region music scene, earning glowing notices from her appearances at last year's Freihofer's and Albany Riverfront jazz festivals ...continue ... |
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 Gene Bertoncini |
GENE BERTONCINI Eclipse Mills, North Adams, MA February 23, 2007 by Jeff Waggoner In yet another step toward the evolution of North Adams, MA, from a decaying mill town to a vibrant arts center, the master jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini performed February 23 for a small, but deeply engaged, audience at the former Eclipse Mills. Bertoncini played many of the tunes off of his most recent, 2004, CD, “Quite Now,” (Ambient Records) including Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life/Isfahan,” and Puccnini’s “Nessun Dorma," ... continue ... |
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 Oregon |
OREGON Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY February 23rd, 2007 By J Hunter It was a study in contrast: neo-hippies milling around the Egg lobby waiting for the Keller Williams show to start, while the real thing (either former or diehard) were going up to the Swyer Theatre to go see Oregon. “The old people are on this elevator,” a woman behind me giggled. We all laughed, but it didn't make it any less true ... continue ... |
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 Maria Schneider |
MARIA SCHNEIDER JAZZ ORCHESTRA Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY February 9, 2007 By J Hunter Maybe this is the Big Band era. A select group of today's musicians is galvanizing the format with an amazingly creative aesthetic: Dave Holland and Charles Tolliver have both contributed ground-breaking large-unit discs within the last year; the Mingus Big Band continues to serve up awesome renderings of their muse's catalog; and PlanetArts had a shot at a Grammy earlier this month thanks to the efforts of Jim McNeely and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra ... continue ... |
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 T.O.P. |
T.O.P. (Terrasson, Okegwo and Parker) Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY January 28, 2007 By J Hunter Reunions are always the same thing: Who got grey, who got fat, who got indicted, who started a cult… Occasionally, though, a reunion can bring joy and beauty to all those who attend. Recently, pianist Jacky Terrasson reunited with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker - the players who backed Terrasson on some of his earliest releases, including his self-titled Blue Note debut in 1994. They were known as the Jacky Terrasson Trio back then; now they are T.O.P., and if I didn't know better, I'd swear they'd never been apart ... continue ... |
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 Bang On A Can All-Stars |
BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY January 26, 2007 by Jeff Waggoner If it isn’t too early, I would like to put in a nomination for a best concert of the year – the Bang on a Can All Stars with Don Byron, who convened at the Egg earlier this year. An artist who wasn’t a headliner at this concert, but should have been, was Iva Bittova, the avant-garde violinist/vocalist from Slovakia whose singing (which included high pitched barks and chirps) was both beautiful and engaging. She led the first half of the concert in a performance-art effort that drove a few people to the door, but left 99 percent of the audience entranced with her ethereal like songs and playing ... continue ... |
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 Bill Leary Quintet |
BILL LEARY QUINTET Savannah's, Albany, NY January 5, 2007 by Guy Flavin Jazz, more than any other musical genre, has refused to die. Not in a Steven Tyler 'that guy's still around?' kind of way. Jazz has defied death by way of evolution. It is a constant flux, forever questioning and broadening its boundaries. Jazz approaches it's past with reverence and it's future with spontaneity: the musicians are deeply aware of where they're coming from and eager to discover where they're going. It's a total fusion of nostalgia and innovation ... continue ... |
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 MMW |
THE TOP 5 CONCERTS (AND MORE) OF 2006 by J Hunter Since there's no way I can run down every great concert moment in a single column, I've decided to follow the Smokey Robinson model: Start with a few quick numbers, do a medley, and then finish with the BIG hits ... continue ... |
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 Jane Monheit |
JANE MONHEIT Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY December 2, 2006 by J Hunter Jane Monheit is a cabaret singer. I'm not damning her with faint praise (not yet, anyway): The list of performers who started in the saloons is, to say the least, illustrious (Excerpt: Sinatra, Bennett, Bobby Short, Bette Midler). Monheit paid her dues in the Long Island club scene before beginning her recording career, and one of the zaftig brunette's biggest discs chronicles a live date at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan. As such, the intimate Swyer Theatre was an appropriate space for Monheit, and she served up a letter-perfect performance that was quite enjoyable for the near-capacity crowd. For me, though, it was a disappointing end to a great concert season ... continue ... |
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 Kenny Garrett |
KENNY GARRETT QUARTET w/ STANLEY JORDAN Charmes R. Wood Theater, Glens Falls, NY November 25, 2006 by J Hunter Those who didn't see it didn't believe it happened. Some people who did see it still didn't believe it happened. The Kenny Garrett Quartet was in the middle of their opening number, the title track from Garrett's new disc Beyond the Wall (Nonesuch). Garrett - who had already referenced “Transcendence” and “Skip to My Lou” - kept taking his alto sax higher and harder, drenching the crowd with primal, passionate fusillades that deeply rooted in the heart of Garrett's hero, John Coltrane ... continue ... |
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COALITION OF THE WILLING Red Square, Albany, NY November 15, 2006 by J Hunter During a pre-show talk last year at North Pointe Cultural Arts Center, Dave Leibman lamented the decline of jazz-fusion since the time of Miles Davis' mind-blowing album Bitches Brew. Leibman's contention was that the genre (as Miles defined it, on Brew and other releases) degraded as new iterations arrived until, as Leibman tartly put it, “You got Jeff Lorber.” While Leibman's premise was true on its face, it ignored a new generation of musicians combining lessons from the past with elements of late-20th-century musical schools. The result is a slew of exciting young groups that have been embraced and nurtured by the Jam Band movement, as well as by old-school fusion fans that were tired of the same old saxed-up Prog Rock. This new sound is spectacularly represented by Bobby Previte's Coalition of the Willing, who just laid waste to Red Square ... continue ... |
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 Sonny Fortune |
SONNY FORTUNE QUARTET WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium, Albany, NY November 3, 2006 by Jeff Waggoner Sonny Fortune is an unheralded force of nature on the woodwinds. An acolyte of Coltrane, few can blow in a non-stop, circular breathing, sheets-of-sound fashion like Fortune does ... continue ... |
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| STEFON HARRIS Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY October 20, 2006 by J Hunter As far as Stefon Harris was concerned, things couldn't get better. “I'm just at home,” he exulted. “I'm happy!” The Albany native was home - in a theater packed with fans, friends and family. He was also accompanied by a top-notch octet, packing a set of tunes from African Tarantella: Dances with Duke. The new Blue Note release features music either written or inspired by the man Harris calls “my greatest inspiration” - the one and only “Edward “Duke” Ellington ... continue ... |
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| T.S. MONK SEXTET 2nd Annual Pittsfield City Jazz Festival Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA October 14, 2006 by Jeff Waggoner Tight and Tasty. That just about sums up the elegant sound of the T.S. Monk Sextet that played October 14 in the newly renovated and spectacular Colonial Theater in Pittsfield as part of the 2nd Annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival. While Thelonious Sphere Monk Jr. has the unenviable task of following in his legendary father’s giant footsteps, he is acquitting himself magnificently as a drummer, singer, band leader, educator and co-founder of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a non-profit education organization. A better advocate of Monk’s music can’t be had ... continue ... |
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BILLY TAYLOR TRIO & METTA QUINTET 2nd Annual Pittsfield City Jazz Festival Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA October 14, 2006 by J Hunter The Colonial Theatre is a big piece of Pittsfield's heritage. It was a major player on the circuit up until the Depression, presenting everyone from Maude Adams to Eubie Blake; in 1937, it re-opened as a movie house, showing films that are an integral part of the Turner Classic Movies catalog. Pictures and posters from both eras are on display in the lounge area that is a small part of the stunning refurbishment that began the Colonial's third life as a performance venue ... continue ... |
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| GIACOMO GATES A Place For Jazz, Schenectady, NY September 29, 2006 by Tom Pierce On Friday Sept 29, 2006 the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady's magnificent venue, the Whisperdome, reverberated with the sounds of Jazz singer par excellence, Giacomo Gates and his trio. The concert certainly extended the 21st century unbroken circle of exceptional Jazz vocalists presented annually there by A Place For Jazz (APFJ) - starting with Rebecca Parris in 2001, followed annually in succession by Rene Marie, Patti Wicks, Philip Manuel and Roseanna Vitro, in 2005 ... continue. |
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| LAKE GEORGE JAZZ WEEKEND (Day 1) Shepard Park, Lake George, NY September 16, 2005 by J Hunter MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING: This year, Lake George Jazz program coordinator Paul Pines got to spread his wings, not just filling both days with national acts and finishing off the first-ever Saturday evening performance with a fireworks display. There was also enough money to bring Stanley Jordan and the Kenny Garrett Quintet to the Charles Wood Theater in Glens Falls later this year ... continue ... |
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LAKE GEORGE JAZZ WEEKEND (Day 2) Shepard Park, Lake George, NY September 17, 2005 by J Hunter SPARE CHANGE? FUHGEDDABAHDIT: I only just made the start of the Sunday bill, thanks to the parking space I had to take four blocks from Shepard Park. Last year, the village had hooded the meters around the park, giving festival attendees a freebie. No such luck this year, and co-emcee John Strong repeatedly advised the crowd to keep feeding their meter, or they would be ticketed. I realize it's almost the end of the season, and revenue will soon be scarce, but this was simply ridiculous .. continue .. |
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ALBANY RIVERFRONT JAZZ FESTIVAL Corning Preserve, Albany, NY September 9, 2006 by J Hunter No new amphitheater - no ground broken for one, either. What happened to all that money Senator Clinton procured (and then-campaigning Mayor Jennings took credit for)? The mayor was at this year's festival, but was too busy putting things on “Pause” to address the issue ... continue ... |
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BEN ALLISON QUARTET WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium, Albany, NY September 8, 2006 by J Hunter Ben Allison listens to the Carpenters. (“Super cheesy,” he admits.) Ron Horton puts Al Hirt on the same level as Louis Armstrong. Gerald Cleaver's first influences on drums were John Bonham and Ringo Starr. Steve Cardenas' high school big band worked out of a chart book that was three inches thick ... continue ... |
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CHRISTIAN SCOTT The Van Dyck, Schenectady, NY August 19, 2006 by Randy Treece Billboard exclaims New Orleans bred Christian Scott's Rewind That as one of the ten best jazz albums of this year, and our own J. Hunter, albanyjazz.com cognoscenti, believes he may lead the wave of a "new coming" in jazz. After hearing this artist with his band of young jazz lions, I attest to both assessments. Even at the tender age of twenty-three, he is already a simmering light on the scene and making an indelible mark on the music ... continue ... |
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DEREK TRUCKS BAND Linda Norris Auditorium - WAMC Performing Arts Center, Albany, NY August 14, 2006 by Randy Treece A standing room only audience, comprised of an unexpected demographics ranging from pre-teens to those near post-mortem, experienced one of Rolling Stone's 100 best guitarists and his stellar band perform on a sweet and musically splendiferous evening. Those who adore testosterone-driven guitar interplay were steadfastly bundled together with their eager faces pressed against the stage to observe, first hand, the mighty guitar licks of slide-guitar phenomena Derek Trucks, and he certainly did not disappoint a single soul ... continue ... |
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THE BAD PLUS w/ SCREAMING HEADLESS TORSOS Fox Hollow Estate, Lenox, MA August 12, 2006 by J Hunter Count Basie said, “It's the notes you don't hear that matter.” With The Bad Plus and Screaming Headless Torsos, it's the notes you hear, can't quite identify, but still knock you out! The Bad Plus chose the Berkshires as the place to warm up for their Sunday main stage gig at the Newport Jazz Festival. (Sorry, Mr. Wein. Corporate sponsorship aside, it'll always be “Newport” to me.) I use “warm up” in the figurative sense: Take the comfortably cool temperatures we've had these past few evenings, subtract ten degrees or so, and you have the environment TBP faced as they mounted the small portable stage that had the Stockbridge Bowl as a backdrop ... continue ... |
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EITHER/ORCHESTRA Sanctuary For Independant Media, Troy, NY August 4, 2006 by Randy Treece The Sydney Morning Herald got it exactly right when it pronounced that the Boston-based Either/Orchestra was "the best-kept secret in jazz." What a band! Either Orchestra's detour to Troy was not serendipitous. The Sanctuary had been negotiating with Russ Gershon, the founder and leader of Either, for nearly a year and it all came to fruition on this Friday evening ... continue ... |
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| BILL FRISELL Courtyard C @ Mass Moca, North Adams, MA August 4, 2006 By J Hunter It is completely appropriate that Bill Frisell won “Best Guitar” in Down Beat's recent critics poll. Aside from being a remarkable player and composer, his music is so unique. Regularly eschewing traditional jazz structure, Frisell uses almost every variety of American music - jazz, blues, bluegrass, country - to sculpt his pieces like a storyteller, placing the listener in a structured environment while offering imagery completely open to interpretation ... continue ... |
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BETHEL WOODS JAZZ FESTIVAL Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, Bethel, NY July 22, 2006 By J Hunter Notes from the first day of the inaugural Bethel Woods Jazz Festival: “BY THE TIME WE GOT TO WOODSTOCK…” This one's a drive (Three hours or better from the Capital Region. Don't be an idiot - like me - and do it in one day…), but when you get there, the site knocks your socks off! Split-rail fences, Victorian-style halogen lamps, brick walkways lined with wooden benches, and a hillside that's been landscaped within an inch of its life. A state-of-the-art pavilion sits at the bottom of the hill. Nearly every artist commented on the facility; George Benson declared, “From up here, the acoustics are perfect!” ... continue ... |
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RYAN COHAN SEXTET Bernhard Theatre, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY July 5, 2006 By J Hunter At the risk of repeating myself, I believe everyone has potential - no more so than the student body of the annual Skidmore Jazz Institute. The key is to realize that potential, and several graduates of the two-week seminar have made that grade: Christian Scott just blew the doors off the Sunday bill at Freihofer's, and drummer Kendrick Scott (no relation) developed a last-minute stand-in gig with Terence Blanchard - at Skidmore, by the way - into an integral role with Blanchard's phenomenal group Flow ... continue ... |
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ROBERT GLASPER TRIO Bernhard Theatre - Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY June 28, 2006 by J Hunter If there's one thing that defines jazz, it's the music's ability to think outside the box - that is, to take an established matrix and present it in completely different terms. That said, it's amazing how many jazz fans view new musical ideas with the same horror a Warner Brothers cartoon elephant displays when confronted by a field mouse. For example, you mention the legendary record label Blue Note to your average jazz fan, and images readily spring to his or her mind: A certain look to the albums and the musicians, a certain sound to the music they play. The Robert Glasper Trio confounds that imagery, and while I think it's a good thing, some of the standing-room-only crowd at the Bernhard Theatre didn't agree ... continue ... |
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FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL (Day 2) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY June 25, 2006 by J Hunter If the Weather Channel were infallible, this fest would have been a washout. As it happened, the first drops didn't start falling until Sonya Kitchell came on to close the Gazebo bill. (I have only one thing to say about Kitchell: This is what comes from record labels insisting, “One Norah Jones just isn't enough.”) ... continue ... |
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FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL (Day 1) Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY June 24, 2006 by Randy Treece Conceptually, jazz blazes a broad swath through the musical landscape and has more than meandered through multiple artistic and cultural influences. Concededly then, we can see a jazz festival undertaking the task of presenting the multitudinous phases and faces of this revered musical form and invite a cross section to the affair. However, one has to wonder how elastic is the jazz tent and how many divergent influences can it cover. Saturday's concert was no exception to Saratoga's perennial formulaic approach that everything goes. Whether the promoters succeeded on this day truly lies in the ear of the listener ... continue ... |
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KINGSTON INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (DAY 2) "Down In The Rondout", Kingston, NY June 24, 2006 by J Hunter Your perspective gets challenged at Kingston Jazz. The stage is in a parking lot, under an overpass that takes Route 9W over the Hudson River. It's a bit like a breakdancer setting up his cardboard outside of Grand Central Station. But then you check out the surroundings - the historic buildings of the Rondout District, the park across the way that runs parallel to the river - and you say, “Yeah, I can hang here.” ... continue ... |
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| BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUINTET Guilderland Performing Arts Center Tawasentha Park, Guilderland, NY June 22, 2006 By J Hunter It's right there in the fine print below the Guilderland Performing Arts Center's summer concert schedule: “In the case of inclement weather, the audience will be seated up on the stage.” Since I hadn't been at GPAC in over 15 years, my reaction was, “Yeah, right.” Later that night at the Brian Patneaude Quintet's pre-Kingston Jazz Festival tune-up concert, I had a different reaction: “Thank goodness for the fine print.” ... continue ... |
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DAVE'S TRUE STORY Caffe Lena, Saratoga, NY June 17, 2006 by Albert Brooks “Ned has a big Dutch wife. She sweeps the floors and makes the beds. Ned leads a simple life; but Ned doesn't know his wife!” So begins one of the many tales, penned with original words and music by former playwright Dave Cantor, and vivified by the marvelously talented Dave's True Story at Caffe Lena in Saratoga, NY before an enthusiastic audience this past Saturday. Over the course of two sets, and a two song encore, DTS presented a rich and synchronous tapestry of seductive narrative and harmony, weaving Cantor's craftily inventive lyrics, spinning stories of beauty, woe, longing and irony, among other emotions, with spare but effective instrumentation, perfectly channeled by Kelly Flint's beautifully versatile voice ... continue ... |
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VERNON REID & MASQUE w/ LIQUID SOUL Hunter Center @ Mass Moca - North Adams, MA May 28, 2006 By J Hunter Ever feel like you've been someplace before? I got that feeling one more time - for good and ill - thanks to Vernon Reid & Masque and Liquid Soul, the featured actors in the opening night of Mass MoCA's summer concert season ... continue ... |
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KEITH PRAY CD RELEASE PARTY The Muddy Cup - Albany, NY May 13, 2006 by Albert Brooks Let me put it to you like they used to say: Keith Pray plays so much saxophone it's a crime! And, in two sets Saturday night at the Muddy Cup here in Albany, he was aided and abetted in his endeavors by a very talented group of accomplices. The group included Pray on tenor and alto saxes, Dave Solazzo on Hammond B-3, Tim Reyes on guitar, Joe Barna on drums and Lee Russo, sitting in on tenor for 4 songs ... continue ... |
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| JIM SNIDERO w/Dave Calarco Otto Gardner & George Muscatello Justin's - Albany, NY May 6 2006 by J Hunter Dave Calarco has a favorite saying: “It is what it is.” I never asked the dynamic drummer what that means on a deeper level, but if I were to guess, it'd be: “That's life. That's reality. Don't bitch about it; deal with it.” Calarco had a fair bit of reality to handle last Saturday night, and he dealt with it splendidly ... continue ... |
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2ND ANNUAL JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH GALA CELEBRATION Marriott Hotel, Colonie, NY April 30, 2006 by J Hunter Looking forward while looking back. That pretty much sums up both the Smithsonian's Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians' 2nd annual celebration at the Marriott. I remember the trepidation in AMA President Neil Brown's voice when he called last year's event the “first annual Jazz Appreciation Month celebration.” Local 14 hadn't been involved in JAM before 2005, so there was no track record to show whether people would be back, or would be involved in any future activities. Brown needn't have worried. Once again, people filled the Marriott ballroom to see pieces of the jazz community's history, as well as a possible glimpse of the future ... continue ... |
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STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT '62 Center For Theatre & Dance, Williams College, Williamstown, MA April 22, 2006 by J Hunter Everyone has potential; I truly believe that. But potential is nothing if it isn't realized, and that takes hard work, dedication, maturity, a willingness to listen, and an undying love for what you do. This package was on display when Stefon Harris & Blackout closed this year's Williamstown Jazz Festival ... continue ... |
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BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY April 18, 2006 by J Hunter Back in the day, when Freihofer's was still known as the Newport Jazz Festival/Saratoga, the opening act one Saturday turned the crowd's attitude from “Who cares?” to “Who the (BLEEP) are those guys?” The “guys” in question were a young group called Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. All most people knew about them was the video for their song “Sinister Minister” was all over VH1. This weird-looking quartet took the normally jaded SPAC crowd from blasé inattention to boisterous applause in just under an hour ... continue ... |
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 Hugh Masekela |
HUGH MASEKELA Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY April 13, 2006 by J Hunter Jazz musicians have to be survivors, given the economic and cultural roadblocks they face. Then again, all that is ephemeral when compared to what Hugh Masekela had to go through to reach this time and place. The 68-year old South African horn player was an exile for over two decades from a country that persecuted him and imprisoned him in the days of apartheid. That is a survivor! ... continue ... |
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 Ralph Lalama |
RALPH LALAMA & DON FRIEDMAN North Pointe Cultural Arts Center, Kinderhook, NY April 8, 2006 by Jeff Waggoner Jazz fans in Kinderhook recently heard a rare sound. It came out of the bell of Ralph Lalama’s silver-plated Selmer Mark VI on April 1 at the North Pointe Cultural Arts Center. Lalama has a huge, fat tone. It’s the kind of sound that seems to have largely have died with Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins. Lalama – 50 percent of a piano/sax duo at the concert – roars. His big sound was the perfect complement to the spidery, Bill Evans-style runs that pianist Don Friedman served up in a concert that consisted mostly of straight-ahead standards -- with two originals stirred into the mix ... continue ... |
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MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD Hart Theatre @ The Egg - Albany, NY April 5, 2006 by J Hunter This was not your grandfather's jazz show - unless your grandfather wears Phish t-shirts and has a Gov't Mule bumper sticker on his New Beetle. Medeski, Martin & Wood has never tried to steer by any star but their own. With the 1993 release of It's A Jungle In Here (Grammavision), MMW - keyboardist John Medeski, drummer/percussionist Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood - slammed the organ-trio tradition roughly onto its ear and treated it the way David Beckham treats errant soccer balls ... continue ... |
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THE IVEY-DIVEY TRIO (DON BYRON, JASON MORAN & JACK DeJOHNETTE) Swyer Theatre @ The Egg, Albany, NY March 24, 2006 by J Hunter Before he began, reed player/UAlbany professor Don Byron mentioned that his wife Susan, a fellow educator, was not in attendance because she was presenting a paper at Princeton. As such, Byron said he would have to mentally “call her up” in order to be able to play part of Ivey-Divey (Blue Note), Byron's most successful disc to date. “You know you met the right woman,” a smiling Byron confided to us, “when you play incredibly sentimental music and really mean it!” ... continue |
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