Archive for November 2009
Lars Dietrich 4 & Andy Arnold 3 @ Rose Live Music – The Brooklyn Experiments Series
Lars Dietrich 4 @ Rose
Lars Dietrich -sax & compositions, John Escreet – piano, Zack Lober – bass, Jordan Perlson – drums. Featuring Maria Neckham on vocals. I really liked the music and arrangements. Almost bought a CD, but I didn’t have $15 that time. I think it would be worth it though. Anyway, what a funky piano they have at Rose, never seen anyone use it yet. 
Then the guitar trio of Andy Arnold, Moto Fukushima on bass and Jared Schonig on drums, heard them @ the Shrine quite recently. I like how they sound, it’s fusion with a happy funky vibe 
But I was tired somehow. Didn’t stick around for the last band, the Funky Miracle, even though it featured guitar player Chris Conly, the famous curator of Sunday nights @ Rose and Brad Whiteley on keys – met both of them ages ago…
Bad news is that I broke my camera. Taking pictures with Nokia 7373 again.. Really hope that not for long.
Jazzmuusika kursus Tartus
Kevadel tulemas see huvitav jazzmuusikat tutvustav kursus – jazzmuusika teejuht ehk kuidas kuulata jazzi. Nüüd ka Tartus. Mõeldud neile, kes soovivad jazzmuusikat enda jaoks rohkem avastada – kuidas ja mida kuulata.
Mõned märksõnad, mis tulevad käsitlemisele: Jazzi juured ja alused, esteetika, traditsioonid, ajalugu, teooria, terminoloogia, improvisatsioon, mõtteprotsessid, levinud repertuaar, stiilid ja teerajajad, tänapäev
ja mis põhiline, hea muusika! See tähendab siis, kuulamist.
Kursuse kava ja muu info leiab siit: JAZZ
Kalkun ja kõrvitsapirukas
Giving a lot of thanks
Ameerikas on vist aasta kõige tähtsam püha Thanksgiving, tänupüha. Väga lahe idee iseenesest. Kõik, kellel vähegi võimalus, lähevad selleks ajaks koju. Niisiis jääb New York sellel õhtul eriti vaikseks. Aga jah, ma sain ka elu esimese Thanksgiving elamuse – läksin oma korterikaaslasega tema tuttvate poole East Village’isse, kus ootas ees meeletu söömaaeg. Jube head söögid… Kalkun, brüsseli kapsas ingveriga, kõrvitsapirukas, mandriinisalat, ahjukartul, juustud, pasteedid. Hästi tore seltskond oli ka – erinevad rahvused, enamus külalisi kusjuures sakslased. Nii palju nalja sai Pärast tekkis veel pikk vaidlus Euroopa Liidu ja rahvusluse teemadel. Ma väitsin, et Eesti on liiga väike, et vene keelele liiga palju õigusi anda – et Eesti ei saa seda endale lubada, sest meid on niigi vähe. Aga nemad (sakslased just) arvasid, et midagi pole parata, inimõigused, blablablaa. Nad ei tea mitte mõhkugi eestlaste ajaloost ikka. Ma jõudsin järeldusele, et peab varsti Eestisse minema, eesti mehega abielluma ja 10 last saama . Oeh. Aga jah, super tore kalkuni-õhtu oli.
Maria Schneider Orchestra @ Jazz Standard
Maria Schneider Orchestra @ the Jazz Standard
Heard two sets - and sat so close to the band for the first one that I could actually see Ben Monder’s sheet music and all the voicings. That was so cool . The music was great, some really happening solos by Ben Monder, Donny McCaslin and Ingrid Jensen. This has been their regular Thanksgiving week @ Jazz Standard (for 6 years i think) – totally sold out. It was so great to be Ben Monder’s guest for that one
Mara Rosenbloom Quartet @ Korzo – the Konceptions series
Mara Rosenbloom Quartet @ Korzo
Darius Jones – Alto Saxophone, Maeve Royce – Bass, Nick Anderson – Drums, Mara Rosenbloom (piano, compositions). I loved the music! What a great band Mara is amazing – to see that kind of people is such an inspiration. She’s doing her thing and it’s so killing Beautiful sensitive original music… Sounded so real.
And Korzo restaurant (667 5th Avenue, Brooklyn) has become a lot cozier place to have live music since the last time I was there. Just a nice walk away from home.
Jason Lindner's Now vs Now album release party @ Drom
Now vs Now @ Drom
One of my favorite bands… Jason Lindner (keys), Panagiotis Andreou (bass, vocals) and Mark Guiliana (drums). I was so excited about the album release party – Now vs Now with guests such as Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Anat Cohen (tenor), John Beaty (alto), Jeff Taylor (vocals). And a string quartet.
There is something really special about this band - they actually sound hip in a really optimistic, energetic, fresh way – somehow giving a feeling that the good times are coming now…
Atmosphere @ the release was great. Lots of people, digging on the music. I wasn’t that much into the opening act though – Brazz Tree. But Now vs Now show was great – I’m loving the music and the band and the concept. The videoscreen and all those guest artists were amazing. But i’ve gotten a little spoiled hearing them at those small intimate places like Rose and Rockwood – I think there the live energy can get to be even more up.
As one of those Facebook people who actually reads the event listings (sometimes), I noticed that First 3 people to name the rapper on our CD get a free one. Whisper it to the person at the merch table. Well I was definitely the first one to go for that. Answer, of course, being Baba Israel 
Now I’m listening to the CD – has Meshell Ndegeocello and Kurt Rosenwinkel on it, among others! I’m loving the rapper as well…
Jason Lindner’s Now vs Now album release party @ Drom
Now vs Now @ Drom
One of my favorite bands… Jason Lindner (keys), Panagiotis Andreou (bass, vocals) and Mark Guiliana (drums). I was so excited about the album release party – Now vs Now with guests such as Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Anat Cohen (tenor), John Beaty (alto), Jeff Taylor (vocals). And a string quartet.
There is something really special about this band - they actually sound hip in a really optimistic, energetic, fresh way – somehow giving a feeling that the good times are coming now…
Atmosphere @ the release was great. Lots of people, digging on the music. I wasn’t that much into the opening act though – Brazz Tree. But Now vs Now show was great – I’m loving the music and the band and the concept. The videoscreen and all those guest artists were amazing. But i’ve gotten a little spoiled hearing them at those small intimate places like Rose and Rockwood – I think there the live energy can get to be even more up.
As one of those Facebook people who actually reads the event listings (sometimes), I noticed that First 3 people to name the rapper on our CD get a free one. Whisper it to the person at the merch table. Well I was definitely the first one to go for that. Answer, of course, being Baba Israel
Now I’m listening to the CD – has Meshell Ndegeocello and Kurt Rosenwinkel on it, among others! I’m loving the rapper as well…
Tim Collins Group @ Solo Kitchen Bar
Tim Collins Group @ Solo Kitchen Bar
With Danny Grissett on piano, Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, Eric Doob on drums and Tim Collins on vibes. Heard the second set – was great! I love Tim Collins’s approach – seems easygoing and simple, but is also really well balanced and dynamic. Sometimes have the energy of a rock band, with vibes ! Really good compositions as well. I heard Tim’s New Tune again My favorite one… Yeah, that band was amazing! Who is that drummer, sounded really good!
Haven’t been to Solo Kitchen Bar in a while. They have great news – beer on tap and brick oven pizza coming soon… Wow And I just discovered that the bus from my neighborhood, B68 comes and goes there in every 7-8 minutes, all night. Is that possible? Anyway, B68 line is special – they say that this is the perfect vehicle for observing the multicultural thoroughfare of Brooklyn. The line starts right where I live, Bartel Pritchard Square and goes all the way to Coney Island. Going to try taking the full ride one day
Orrin Evans Quintet featuring Jeff "Tain" Watts @ the Jazz Gallery
:D Jazz Gallery art
I just really wanted to hear Jeff “Tain” Watts… - guess I wasn’t the only one – the 1st set was actually sold out! That doesn’t happen too often. So after a lot of waiting around (thank god i had company), got to hear the second set. Orrin Evans (piano), Ben Wolfe (bass), Steve Wilson (alto, soprano), Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums). And then there was that guy on tenor, who actually wasn’t listed to be in the group, played a lot of clichés!. Roy Hargrove sat in for the last tune – that was cool
It was definitely great to hear Jeff “Tain” Watts, but to be honest, other than that I had really mixed feelings about the whole concert. I’ve heard Orrin Evans once as a sideman (with Sean Jones) and he was killing. But with his own group I thought the music wasn’t that great and some of the things seemed really random. Already how they started the evening by making people watch a DVD concert (filmed in an empty parking lot with Orrin Evans’s band playing the national anthem – what was up with that and ??) felt kind of suspicious to me. So yeah, all things considered I was thinking I should maybe have gone to Cornelia St instead, to hear Ellery Eskelin with John Hebert, Mary Halvorson and Tyshawn Sorey. People just turn into such snobs in New York when it comes to jazz…
