Ralph Alessi with Drew Gress, Jason Moran and Nasheet Waits @ Cornelia Street Cafe

Jason Moran, Drew Gress, Ralph Alessi, Nasheet Waits

Ralph Alessi (trumpet and compositions), Drew Gress (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums) and Jason Moran (piano). I heard Thursday 10:30 set. It was quite packed (many seemed to be  students or musicians). As a listener I felt this music didn’t speak to me that much – maybe one has to be Ralph Alessi’s composition student to grasp the ideas? I also wished he had introduced the songs just a little bit… Maybe that would have built some kind of connection. I thought Drew Gress played great, and naturally it was a pleasure to hear Nasheet Waits, but I guess it was just one of those night when the magic didn’t happen with the actual music.

Charlie Parker Festival @ Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem

Charlie Parker festival @ Marcus Garvey park

Part of the New York  Summer Stage, the annual Charlie Parker festival celebrated Bird’s 90. birthday this year (Aug 29th). I went to hear the concerts on Saturday @ Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem. I really liked the all-star tribute band MC Raydar Ellis’s Revive Da Live band with Ben Williams on bass (sounded really great), Justin Brown on drums, Jaleel Shaw on alto, Marcus Strickland on tenor, Marc Cary on keyboard, Corey King on trombone, Ingmar Thomas on trumpet.

I also heard J.D Allen’s group &  Jason Moran’s Bandwagon, which was great because one of my very favorite drummers Nasheet Waits was playing. But I didn’t understand the band leading concept of using old Billie Holiday and Eddie Jefferson tracks and playing along with them. It didn’t sound like a live concert at that point, it felt like the band is having a break.

Drummers that seemed to ignore the Charlie Parker festival

And last but not least, they had McCoy Tyner on solo piano. He played some really nice (mostly original) tunes – Fly With the Wind (he actually played it twice), I Should Care,  Blues on the Corner, African Village. A lot of people are saying how he doesn’t have the facility on the piano that he used to, but I think he still sounds totally extraordinary. At 86. And he is actually one of the very few of the real giants who’s still playing, so it’so feels really special to hear him live.

It was such a lovely day at the Marcus Garvey park and the weather was just perfect. The only REALLY annoying thing was how the folks at the Drummer’s Circle (not far from the main stage!) were drumming the whole time through the event. How come there are people that wouldn’t have courtesy to such a lovely event and great musicians, not to mention that on the big stage there were drummers like Nasheet Waits, Rudy Royston, Justin Brown playing? The sound in general was a bit too silent for the whole lawn area, and for that reason the drumming near by was especially painful for the interested listener. But despite all that, a really nice day in Harlem, was worth going! 🙂

Komeda Project Listening Party

I really like this album All About Jazz has on their site for free listening this week – REQUIEM by Komeda Project, a contemporary tribute to the music of renowned Polish composer/pianist KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA.

Featuring pianist/composer/arranger Andrzej Winnicki and saxophonist Krzysztof Medyna – the driving force behind Komeda Project, they say –  with trumpeter Russ Johnson, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Nasheet Waits. I think it’s really killing. I wonder how long they’ll keep it up there.

Taylor Haskins & Recombination / John Escreet Project double bill @ Drom

John Escreet with Dave Binney, Joe Sanders and Nasheet Waits

A Search & Restore event with two really exciting bands! On that snowy Sunday night. I was very glad I made it out there.

First, John Escreet featuring Dave Binney on alto sax, Nasheet Waits on drums and Joe Sanders on bass. I was quite late for it, but what i heard was just incredibly good! Can’t get enough of Nasheet Waits! They were all really killing, totally love that band.

And then – Taylor Haskins & Recombination featuring Ben Monder on guitar, Henry Hey on keys, Todd Sickafoose on bass and Nate Smith on drums and a special guest appearance by Samuel Torres. Great music with a really hot hot luscious groove, I loved it.

Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital & Nasheet Waits @ Rose Live Music

Woody'n You

The same band as in 55 Bar about a week ago. I’d say @ Rose they were a lot more mellow with the playing, was definitely more on fire the other time. But what a beautiful trio. I really like them. Played mostly Avishai’s tunes, but also Dizzy’s Woody’n You (a tenor player sitting in) and Monk’s I Mean You.  Looking forward to hearing their recording 🙂 Yeah. It’s weird. I feel like now that the season has changed it takes so much more determination to go out for music, especially if it’s somewhere that’s a bit more far away. I’ve heard it gets a lot more boring at certain months because people just rather stay in. There’s still so much cool stuff going on now, but even I am

Omer Avital & Nasheet Waits

getting kind of reluctant to go out just out of curiosity. So something better be really good, either the music, the hang or the drinks 😀 And since I’m taking antibiotics, the drinks are out for a while, anyway. But yeah, the weather is getting kind of nasty here now. (In Estonia it’s -15 degrees C though. I wonder which one is worse…)

But this is one of those bands I’d go out for, no matter the weather 😀

Not going to miss any of Nasheet Waits’ gigs in NY. I’m so obsessed. Keep watching this video.

Avishai Cohen's Triveni @ 55 Bar

Nasheet Waits, Omer Avital, Avishai Cohen

Hanging @ the Jazz Gallery that night I realized that the place to go after the Members’ Party was 55 Bar, no other way, really.  Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Omer Avital (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) – just can’t miss it if these guys are playing together. The 1st set, especially, was out of this world. Yeah. There is actually even an overload of talent when they get together – one can get really overwhelmed with all that goodness happening from three such unique ways, all at once. Omer Avital really freaked my brain out with his chops as well. And Nasheet Waits was just so good it made me want to cry. I think, in the sound of his drums is the pure soul of jazz.

They’re going to record an album next week. And play on Tuesday @ Rose. Can’t wait.

Avishai Cohen’s Triveni @ 55 Bar

Nasheet Waits, Omer Avital, Avishai Cohen

Hanging @ the Jazz Gallery that night I realized that the place to go after the Members’ Party was 55 Bar, no other way, really.  Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Omer Avital (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) – just can’t miss it if these guys are playing together. The 1st set, especially, was out of this world. Yeah. There is actually even an overload of talent when they get together – one can get really overwhelmed with all that goodness happening from three such unique ways, all at once. Omer Avital really freaked my brain out with his chops as well. And Nasheet Waits was just so good it made me want to cry. I think, in the sound of his drums is the pure soul of jazz.

They’re going to record an album next week. And play on Tuesday @ Rose. Can’t wait.

John Escreet Project @ Jazz Standard

John Escreet Project

Another Wednesday that had too much great jazz to choose from. I thought I was going to be working that night and not see any of it, but by some weird coincidences I actually made it to John Escreet Project concert at Jazz Standard.  I was really happy about it since they only got one night booked there. Heard both sets – was really good! Not too many people were there for the first one, though.  John Escreet (piano, compositions), David Binney (tenor, effects), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Zack Lober (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums). I loved the compositions! Perfect balance between improvisation and composition, I was thinking. And so much interplay going on in the band – I know trios can often be so dynamic and full of interaction, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much active awareness of space in a quintet. Was really organic, dynamic and well balanced.  Great musicians, that’s why, I guess :D. Found myself another favorite trumpet player – Ambrose Akinmusire.

And another thing – I happened to sit next to Adam Schatz and found out about this really cool website he’s doing – http://searchandrestore.com/ A great one for New York Jazz, really! Glad I found it 😀 Tried to make it to Nir Felder’s gig @ Smalls that night as well, but was too late.

Avishai Cohen with Nasheet Waits and Jason Lindner @ Rose Live Music

Avishai Cohen with Jason Lindner and Nasheet Waits @ Rose

Stopped by from Rose on my way home to check out their newest residency band – Avishai Cohen. Found myself another favorite drummer – Nasheet Waits. And Jason Lindner was on keys – I can’t believe I didn’t like him when he played with Mark Guiliana the other time… He was amazing. One adjective that might not yet be overused in the blog – that was superb 😀 They were so good with letting spaces and silence really touch the listener… Incredibly beautiful trio playing (without a bass).

Had a great time going to a reggae bar with them later on. Didn’t even know there was one so near by.

I’ve been thinking to move to a cheaper neighborhood, but seems like I can’t really do that – it’s good to live so close to where Mark Guiliana plays regularly. And now this 😀

Neighborhood hang - Bembe (South 6th @ Berry St)

Dave Douglas and Brass Ecstasy @ Jazz Standard and “Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman” @ Birdland

People just love Kurt Elling

Had a lot of fun hanging out with trombonist (and sea-shell-player :D) Stafford Hunter yesterday (I met him last Saturday when he played with Abdullah Ibrahim). We heard a set of Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy (featuring Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, Nasheet Waits on drums, Dave Douglas on trumpet) @ Jazz Standard (E 27th St). I’ve heard Dave Douglas before (In Tallinn, 2008, totally loved it) –  this time it was an all-brass band and the music was more playful and fun. It was their first gig of a long tour that’ll be heading to Europe soon. After that we walked (it’s so nice to walk in NYC in the summertime) all the way to Birdland (W 44th St) and heard the Kurt Elling Quartet featuring Ernie Watts on tenor sax. The concert was “Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman”. That kind of title and Kurt Elling himself brought in lots of crowds, of course – Coltrane/Hartman music is a favorite for so many people. But it made me miss hearing the real thing so much! Ernie Watts is not really a match for Coltrane. But it was a good concert – the real thing was just so good that it’s quite impossible to go out and do it again these days. Oh, and they actually did a Stevie Wonder song (Golden Lady). People seemed to love it all.

Stafford Hunter and Kurt Elling

I discovered that musicians here besides being so much fun to hang out with, get in to the clubs for free (with companions)  if they have been playing at the clubs long enough. We had some Sex on The Beach and Gin at the bar with Stafford and I met everybody’s favorite bartender around there – James. Birdland is a a nice club for hanging out, seemed really big.  It was the last one of the famous expensive ones to check out, I think.