Mingus Big Band @ Jazz Standard & the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra revisited

Mingus Big Band @ Jazz Standard

Went to hear the Mingus Big Band @ Jazz Standard, finally . I’ve been curious about that one for a while. It was surprisingly packed over there, seems like Jazz Standard is doing great business. And they deserve it too – in my opinion they have one of the best bookings in the city, really great food, great service, nice atmosphere, very professional attitude, quite reasonable prices (with student discounts), none of that aggressive minimums policy. Which really makes it in many ways the best jazz club in NY. But I was a little disappointed with the actual big band. I enjoyed only a couple of the tunes. I thought quite a lot of it was actually disturbingly out of tune. And for some reason didn’t like the piano player, I thought he was showing some bad taste with all those elevator music clichés and not so classy christmas carols quotes.  So I wasn’t as much into the whole thing. Boris Kozlov sounded great, though. And the lineup in general seemed pretty amazing: Scott Robinson, Donny McCaslin – tenor saxophone, Jaleel Shaw, Craig Handy – alto saxophone, flute,  Lauren Sevian – baritone saxophone, Andy Hunter, Dave Taylor, Marshall Gilkes – trombones Kenny Rampton, Alex Sipiagin, Earl Gardner – trumpets, David Kikoski – piano, Boris Kozlov – bass, Jeff “Tain” Watts – drums.

Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

But yeah. I think as a big band they were also lacking a little with the dynamics and energy. So later on I went to hear the second set of the Vanguard for a fresh comparison between the two. I must say the Vanguard Orchestra sounded way better to me. They weren’t perfect either, though . The Vanguard was really packed as well, even the second set. Seems like the holiday season is favorable for big band music. Speaking of that, I really wish I could have heard Joe Henderson’s Big Band live. I don’t think I would have had anything critical to say about them!

Discovered an inspiring quote by Charles Mingus on Jazz Standard’s website:

“Most people are forced to do things they don’t want to for most of the time, and so they get to the point where they feel they no longer have any choices about anything important, including who they are. We create our own slavery. But I’m going to keep on getting through, and finding out the kind of man I am,

Edmar Casteneda & Ari Hoenig @ Smalls

through my music. That’s the one place I can be free.” (Charles Mingus [1922–1979], from a conversation with Nat Hentoff)

And then finally, saw Ari Hoenig @ Smalls with this interesting Columbian harp player Edmar Casteneda. Never heard seen or heard that kind of harp before, cool

Aki Ishiguro Group featuring Ari Hoenig @ the 55 Bar

Aki Ishiguro Group @ 55 bar

I broke the promise not to go to the 55 Bar anymore – it didn’t make much sense anyway.  Haven’t been there in such a long time, so it was actually kind of nice. And nobody gave me trouble this time and I didn’t give trouble to anyone   Yeah. In fact, the bartenders didn’t even ask if I wanted a drink. Which was good, I’ve been drinking way too much anyway.

So it was Aki Ishiguro’s Group with Alex Terrier on sax, Sean Wayland on keys, Aidan Carroll on bass and Ari Hoenig on drums. I really liked the bass player! Great band, burning young cats – I wonder what Aki eats for breakfast to get that kind of chops So I was sorry that I got there pretty late. Even though I heard them @ Coco 66 a couple of weeks ago. 55 Bar was really packed. Well, I got to go again some other time.

Nir Felder 4 @ the Jazz Gallery

Nir Felder 4 @ the jazz Gallery

With Chris Tordini (bass), Frank LoCrasto (piano), Ari Hoenig (drums). I heard the second set. Ari sounded great with the band! I enjoyed it a lot. I was actually coming from another open bar on 6th Avenue – it was crazy – I never realised what a lot of free vodka and a great DJ can do to a person. Looking back at it I think I had one too many there. But yeah, was really lucky to get a ride back to Brooklyn after Jazz Gallery, because the F - the fabulous- train is doing the shuttle bus thing this weekend.

Kari Ikonen’s Karikko @ Dizzy’s Club and Ari Hoenig’s trio @ Smalls

Kari Ikonen @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

My first time to see a show @ Dizzy’s – went to hear the famous Finnish band, Kari Ikonen’s Karikko. Really enjoyed freaking out Mika Kallio, the drummer, who knows me from Viljandi, Estonia – he probably didn’t expect me to show up at a gig at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, New York . The music was just beautiful and it was great to hear good old Finnish accent in between songs… On contrary to it’s reputation that night @ Dizzy’s wasn’t all that expensive. The cover charge for students was just $10 and the cheapest beer to take care of the drink minimum was $4 – which beats most other venues in NY. Yeah, but Dizzy’s club still has the atmosphere of being a jazz club for the rich people. There was quite a lot of eating and talking going on during the concert. But what a great view . Not a bad place to hang out if one can afford it.

Gilad Hekselman, Orlando Le Fleming, Ari Hoenig @ Smalls

For some reason I had a fixation on going to hear Ari Hoenig @ Smalls that night, even though I didn’t have money for the $20 cover charge. But I’ve been hearing so much music for free lately that I kind of forget about paying already. So me and my companion for the night, Douglas, just walked in to Smalls, just like that,  and heard a whole set of the great drum artistry of Ari Hoenig, who had Orlando Le Fleming on bass and Gilad Hekselman on guitar in the group that night. It was such a great playful concert. Those guys have the best sense of humor, musically. One of the highlights of the night was certainly when Ari played “Moanin’” on the drums. It was just so laid-back and bluesy that  it was

Smalls

almost hard to take. And Gilad Hekselman really won some hearts over when playing the ballad “Embraceable You” painfully beautifully and yet with a sense of humor.  It was also my first time to hear Orlando Le Fleming – he is so enjoyable to watch, I’ve never seen anyone look so comfortable playing the bass, he almost looks as if he’s just chilling out – yet plays with such amazing energy. What a great example of effortless mastery

Kari Ikonen's Karikko @ Dizzy's Club and Ari Hoenig's trio @ Smalls

Kari Ikonen @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

My first time to see a show @ Dizzy’s – went to hear the famous Finnish band, Kari Ikonen’s Karikko. Really enjoyed freaking out Mika Kallio, the drummer, who knows me from Viljandi, Estonia – he probably didn’t expect me to show up at a gig at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, New York . The music was just beautiful and it was great to hear good old Finnish accent in between songs… On contrary to it’s reputation that night @ Dizzy’s wasn’t all that expensive. The cover charge for students was just $10 and the cheapest beer to take care of the drink minimum was $4 – which beats most other venues in NY. Yeah, but Dizzy’s club still has the atmosphere of being a jazz club for the rich people. There was quite a lot of eating and talking going on during the concert. But what a great view . Not a bad place to hang out if one can afford it.

Gilad Hekselman, Orlando Le Fleming, Ari Hoenig @ Smalls

For some reason I had a fixation on going to hear Ari Hoenig @ Smalls that night, even though I didn’t have money for the $20 cover charge. But I’ve been hearing so much music for free lately that I kind of forget about paying already. So me and my companion for the night, Douglas, just walked in to Smalls, just like that,  and heard a whole set of the great drum artistry of Ari Hoenig, who had Orlando Le Fleming on bass and Gilad Hekselman on guitar in the group that night. It was such a great playful concert. Those guys have the best sense of humor, musically. One of the highlights of the night was certainly when Ari played “Moanin’” on the drums. It was just so laid-back and bluesy that  it was

Smalls

almost hard to take. And Gilad Hekselman really won some hearts over when playing the ballad “Embraceable You” painfully beautifully and yet with a sense of humor.  It was also my first time to hear Orlando Le Fleming – he is so enjoyable to watch, I’ve never seen anyone look so comfortable playing the bass, he almost looks as if he’s just chilling out – yet plays with such amazing energy. What a great example of effortless mastery

Seitsmes päev: 55 Bar and Smalls

Magasin pärastlõunani ja siis läksin Toomase poole Chelsea’sse. Tegime lõhet värske spinatiga, üle pika aja sain kõhu korralikult täis . Soe söök on ikka teine asi kui võileivad… Ta andis mulle ka mõned noad-kahvlid, mida mul kodus muidu ei olnud. Üleüldse, kui oleks teadnud, mis värk siin on, oleksin Eestist kodust veel igasugu kraami kaasa võtnud. Võibolla keegi tuleb nüüd varsti külla ja toob… Jalutasime Toomasega Chelsea’st alla West Village’isse, rääkisime juttu. Inspireerivad mõtted, taaskord. Läksin internetikohvikusse aega parajaks tegema, sest polnud enam eriti mõtet enne õhtust “kultuuriprogrammi” koju minema hakata.

Esimesena oli plaanis 55Bar (Christopher St, West Village), kus mängis Dave Alleni bänd. Ma ausalt öeldes ei teadnud enne Dave Allenit, kuigi ta on tegelikult päris kuulus.  DA-l olid ülimalt head ideed ja ehitas soolosid väga intrigeerivalt, samas ei kopeerinud  otseselt kedagi (võibolla siiski Metheny ja Scofield, Rosenwinkel ). Ma täpselt ei teagi, kes seal bändis veel mängisid, programmis oli, et Mark Turner, aga tema see ei olnud… Saksofonistil oli igatahes super sound, mängis jälle nii tenorit, baritoni kui sopranit. (Seamus Blake)

Orienteerumiseks on West Village ja Greenwich Village üsna keeruline koht – erinevalt enamusest NY-st on siin ka diagonaalselt kulgevaid tänavaid ning õigel mitmel puhul tänavad jätkuvad uuelt ristmikult kuidagi nihkes ja pisut teises suunas. Mul õnnestus mitu korda suund 180 kraadi segi ajada ja täiesti valesse kohta kõndida, kui ma ühest klubist teise läksin ja vahepeal veel esimeses peatuspaigas internetikohvikus ära käisin (tuli meelde, et tops nugade ja kahvlitega jäi sinna…) Aga kui mõistus ei võta, siis peavad jalad lihtsalt rohkem käima ma vist kõndisin küll jube pika maa maha seal tiirutades…

Smalls’is mängis Ari Hoenigi bänd: Jean-Michel Pilc (klaver), Gilad Hekselman (kitarr), Hans Glawischnig (bass). Ma sain $5 eest sisse (tegelikult oli vist 20?). Ari Hoenig on täiesti uskumatu trummar! Täiesti lõputu fantaasia. Kitarrist oli ka väga hea. Ja muidugi Jean-Michel Pilc Väga lõbus ja huvitav kontsert oli. Pärast rääkisime nendega veidi juttu. Huvitav, ka nemad ütlesid, et on mind juba kusagil näinud… Mis toimub? Olen siin ju ikkagi ainult nädal aega olnud.

Jazziklubist on senini siin minu lemmikud Smalls, 55Bar ja Fat Cat.