Nicole Mitchell and Ben Goldberg gigs

I managed to get out to a couple of gigs this week. Saturday night I was up at Constellation for the 20th anniversary of Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble. There was a nice turn out and the two sets were full of good vibes. I particularly enjoyed Mitchell's solo work along with that of pianist Jim Baker (although at times I struggled to hear him clearly during his ensemble work), Tomeka Reid (cello) and JoVia Armstrong (percussion) and the overall energy of the ensemble sound.

Tonight it was off to Experimental Sound Studio for the Option Series. This week they presented "Practitioner" - the duo of Ben Goldberg (clarinets) and Michael Coleman (keys). The two delved into Steve Lacy’s "Book of H" from his solo album Hocus Pocus. I’ve heard Frank Gratkowski talk about the blendability of the clarinet (due it the overtone structure). It was on display tonight as Goldberg attained a great blend with the rhodes and synth. Nice to see them delving into one of Lacy’s more obscure albums, and fascinating to hear it reimagined in the duo setting. It was a very enjoyable set. I wasn’t familiar with Coleman and I really enjoyed his playing. And yes, I picked up the album. 

Tackling Lacy has become bit of a (minor) trend - The Whammies, Lacy Pool, ROVA. So far I these groups haven’t let me down with their takes on Lacy (I’m sad to say I haven’t listened Ideal Bread yet). 

Nick Mazzarella Trio & Tom Rainey Trio

I thought I'd share a couple of photos from a couple of gigs I attended recently. On the 15th Nick Mazzarella's trio, with Patrick Mulcahy (bass) and Jeremy Cunningham (drums), were at Andy's. I had been up since some ridiculous hour so I only stayed for the first set (it was a long one.. almost 90 mins - a nice mix of originals and standards. I hadn't really heard Mazzarella play many standards so this made a nice change. And considering it was a freezing cold Monday night, the crowd wasn't too bad.

Last weekend Tom Rainey's trio, with Mary Halvorson (guitar) and Ingrid Laubrock (tenor/soprano), were at Constellation. I've heard both Rainey and Laubrock in the past but have managed to miss Halvorson when she's been in town, so I was keen not to miss this concert. It was the final engagement of a brief tour and the two sets of free improvised music had plenty of cohesion. There was a great turnout, with the smaller of the two rooms totally packed.

Nick Mazzarella Trio at Andy's

Tom Rainey Trio at Constellation

Straight Horning: Tony Malaby at Constellation

Due to computer error we're running a little late this week...... a week late.
The trio of Tony Malaby (ts/ss), JT Bates (d) and Anthony Cox (d) were at Constellation on Saturday night (7th) and it was during the set break that I decided to scribble (well, type on the phone) some notes for a straight horning post.

While I've been to Constellation many times, this was the first time I've been in the smaller of the two rooms. It seats about half as many people and was about 3/4 full (maybe 45 or so for the first set ....  not bad considering that there were less than 10 not long before the scheduled kick off). Acoustically it was pretty good, but maybe not quite as nice as the larger space.

I heard Malaby live a couple of times several years ago (with mixed results), and although I've heard a little from him on soprano, I've always considered him a tenor player. Still, I was excited when saw the soprano set up last night. I didn't have to wait long for him to switch horns, and as it turned out, he pretty much split time evenly between the two horns over the two sets.

The soprano wasn't treated as "tenor up an octave" (as can be the case when soprano is the secondary horn). Malaby took advantage of the sonic differences he has on the two horns - the lighter, fleetness of soprano and the robust tenor with lush subtone. He has a well balanced soprano sound with plenty of depth and a nice crisp edge. Add to that the bends, growls, altissimo, multiphonics, dynamics, air sounds and a bit of "sax can moo" (as Lacy would say) - it's a very flexible approach to the horn.

Just as his sound had variety so too did the improvisations - melodic and lyrical, dense and rapid, and textual/sound oriented playing kept things from getting bogged down. There was plenty of ebb and flow throughout the sets and the textural and dynamic elements were important factors.

I haven't followed Malaby's work that closely, and maybe he's playing soprano more these days, but it's rare that soprano as a second horn hits me the way it did on Saturday night. I could have listened to Malaby on the straight horn all night .

Lambic Jazz Vol.5

I'm running a little behind schedule, last night I did get to some lambic and jazz but I'm only just getting to write about it now.

Steve Coleman & the Council of Balance: Synovial Joints (PI). A few years back I used to listen Coleman's albums on a fairly regular basis at the library, but I haven't really heard anything after his solo saxophone album Invisible Paths. The factor that swayed my choice this time around was the ensemble size. I don't associate Coleman's music with a large ensemble (approximately 19 or 20 piece) and there were some surprises for me. It was not nearly as dense I imagined and led to quite a light feel at times with a floaty buoyancy.  A contributing factor may have been that the drums were less busy than on some of his other projects. I like the way that he managed the weight and balance of the ensemble sound and texture well balanced ensemble, although the album is a little static and same-y dynamic-wise. (a criticism that can be lobbed at a lot of music... mine included).

In general the writing grabbed me more than the soloists - of whom Coleman is the dominant voice throughout (other contributors include Jonathan Finlayson, David Bryant, Miles Okazaki and Maria Grand). Maybe it's not the place to start if you are new to Steve Coleman (check out some of his small group work), but definitely recommended for those interested in large ensembles and jazz composition.

Last night's listening was accompanied by Oud Beersel's Oude Geuze Ale. I may need to grab a couple more Lambics to carry this series through to the end of the semester.

Also pictured is Robert E. Sweet's Music Universe, Music Mind: Revisiting the Creative Music Studio, that I started reading this morning. Earlier in the year I noticed that there were a couple of 3 disc sets that had been released from the Creative Music Studio workshops. I wouldn't mind checking them out some time.

I picked up Synovial Joints on Monday night at Constellation at the Steve Coleman and Five Elements gig. This had been on the calendar for a while and I enjoyed getting out to some live music (I've been pretty slack this year) and of the venues I've been to in Chicago, Constellation is my favorite. This edition of Five Elements is comprised of  Steve Coleman (as, perc, vocal), Jonathan Finlayson (trpt, per), Kokayi (vocals), Anthony Tidd (bass), Sean Rickman (drums), and I have to say I enjoyed this gig more than the last time I heard the Five Elements (albeit with a slightly different line-up) a couple of years ago. I'm still not convinced by Finlayson. I'm not sure what it is exactly... intent maybe. The others in the group are very much, "here it is!" but sometimes I feel Finlayson is more, "is it here?" He seems like the odd one out at times. In saying that, I though he played much better than when I heard him with Coleman at the Chicago Cultural Center mentioned above. I enjoyed the effortlessness of Tidd on bass and Kokayi's vocals were the surprise package for me -great energy and he fit into the group sound well. It should be noted that they played one 2 hour set plus an encore - not bad!

Previous Lambic Jazz entries can be found here: Vol.1 -- Vol.2 -- Vol.3 -- Vol. 4

Jazz April: week 1 listening

Here's a rundown of my listening over the past week.

Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (Blue Note) Of Shorter's albums, I'm most familiar with this one but I'm still giving it attention as I make my through his work on Blue Note (one album per month). It had been a while since I last gave this a spin. Top playing, great tunes and a stellar line-up. Hard to go wrong really.

Steve Swell: Kende Dreams (Silkheart)
Released last year (I picked it up last week) the presence of Connie Crothers made this a must-have and it hasn't disappointed. The album features interesting tunes (all by Swell) and a very cohesive group [Swell (trb) Crothers (p) Rob Brown (as) William Parker (b) Chad Taylor (d)]. The improvising and accompaniment from all involved is dynamic. This one is set for many more listens. Recommended.

Jochen Rueckert: Introduction (Jazzline)
I'll keep things very brief as I am planning to write about this one at some stage. My accidental introduction to the world of Hayden Chisholm.

Ran Blake: Film Noir (Arista)
I picked up this one (along with two others) when Blake played at Constellation at the end of last month. Recorded in 1980 (reissued late last year) and comprised of varying line-ups from solo to 11 piece ensembles, this album sounds remarkably fresh.

Sal Mosca: Too Marvelous For Words (Cadence)
I've been listening to disc 2 from this 5 disc set of a 1981 concert tour of the Netherlands. A "must have" for Mosca fans but I urge pianists and fans to solo piano to check out this album. I remember Don Messina's enthusiasm as he told me about this upcoming release (6 months or so before its release) and I can hear why - staggering stuff.

Yusef Lateef: Before Dawn (Verve)
I've been meaning to check out more of Yusef Lateef and now I'm finally getting around to it having picked up a few albums (including this one) recently. I only managed to have one listen to it this week but the bluesy-bop brought to mind my friend Johnny Lippiett.

A few different versions of Thelonious Monk's song "Jackie-ing" have been getting a run. 5 by Monk by 5 (Riverside) and The London Collection (Black Lion) got me started. I can't think of a better Charlie Rouse solo on the former (Thad Jones is excellent too) and the latter is a great solo rendition with a different feeling to the quintet recording. Steve Lacy's More Monk has been another source too.

ICP Orchestra at Constellation

The ICP Orchestra was in town Saturday thru Monday, although prior commitments meant I could only get along to the opening concert of their tour of the United States on Saturday night (May 2) at Constellation. I've heard them live a few times now and have come to expect it to be an excellent night of music - they did not disappoint.

There's always plenty of variety in a set from the ICP. Moments of free improvisations, interludes from small ensembles leading into the full band, fun,  classic swing (Michael Moore provided a great arrangement of "Moten Swing"), Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk (arrangements of "Blue Chopsticks" & "Jackie-ing" by Mengelberg) and originals from the band members including Ab Baars and Tristan Honsinger as well as ICP co-founder Misha Mengelberg (the piano stool is now filled by Guus Janssen).

Everyone in the group has room to move and here are some scribbles from my notebook. A very cohesive improvisation from the string section as the intro a tune from Baars. "'Round Midnight" was a great feature for Tobias Delius' tenor. Thomas Heberer's cornet tone makes me want to check out his work in other settings. Moore and Baar's joint solo chorus on "Moten Swing" was lovely and the ensemble horn parts sounded tight.

I jump at the chance to hear Han Bennink. He deserves extra credit for having flown in from Greece that afternoon and still swinging up a storm at age 73. His "antics" (see left) get plenty of attention but I dig his playing (even when he's playing on the floor) in addition to being a creative soloist and accompanist, he can really lay down a groove. It's kind of an "old fashioned" groove that oozes swing and personality yet it never feels dated to me.

If there was one minor quibble, it was that they only played one set. But I would prefer to hear once excellent set than a multiple average sets!
Following the gig I picked up their latest release East of the Sun which I have on as I write, and I 'm looking forward to giving it plenty of spins in the future.

For those of you in (or visiting) Chicago, make sure you get along to Constellation - it's a fantastic venue with excellent programming.

Chicago Reed Quartet at The Hideout

I was at The Hideout on Wednesday evening for the Immediate Sound Series. This week they were presenting the Chicago Reed Quartet - Mars Williams (tenor/alto/soprano/sopranino saxes) Ken Vandermark (baritone/tenor saxes, clarinet/bass clarinet) Dave Rempis (baritone/tenor/alto saxes) and Nick Mazzarella (alto sax). Earlier this year the quartet had a weekly spot at Elastic which, due to school, I was unable to attend so I was keen to check them out this time around.

The two sets were comprised of about a dozen original compositions evenly spread between the quartet's members. The pieces sounded well rehearsed with nice tight ensemble passages and the countless combinations of instrumentation provided plenty of colour and textural variety. There was plenty of rapport during improvised sections too as evidenced in the solo trading section of Mars Williams' "Inner Circle" (I tried scribbling down the song titles but missed a few… apologies if I got them wrong) with brief solos getting "passed" around the quartet. I also noted the smooth transitions between the written and improvised sections and the overall balance of composition and improvisation.

I was a little surprised that the audience wasn't larger (at a quick glance it looked to be between 20-30). Perhaps late nights mid-week put off those that need to rise early for work (I live relatively close and I usually don't get home until around 1am). For those that would like to catch them a bit earlier, The Chicago Reed Quartet will be playing at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday evening (August 12) from 5.30-8pm.

During the set break I hit the merchandise table and picked up a copy of Vandermark's recent release from his group Audio One - The Midwest School. This group will be playing at Constellation on August 22 & 23. I heard them at the Green Mill last year and it's a group worth checking out.

The Whammies at Constellation

Jorrit Dijkstra (Alto Sax/Lyricon) Pandolis Karayorgis (Piano) Jeb Bishop (Trombone) Mary Oliver (Violin/Viola) Jason Roebke (Bass… Nate McBride on the albums) &  Han Bennink (Drums) make up The Whammies. And they were at Constellation on Saturday night playing the music of Steve Lacy (with one from Thelonious Monk added along the way).

Being a fan of Lacy I was interested to hear not only what compositions they played, but where they took the music.
A lot of the music Lacy debuted during the 1970s and there was quite a bit I had not heard or wasn't that familiar with such as "Skirts," "Threads" & "Lumps." Others I was more familiar with - "Feline", "Revolutionary Suicide", "As Usual" Monk's "Shuffle Boil"

The addition of the lyricon to the line-up had me curious. My only other experiences with similar instruments (the EWI) left me disappointed. This was not the case with Dijkstra who was creative in sonically and as an improviser. He displayed plenty of taste and didn't over do things.

For me, the second set seemed a little stronger overall with more variety in the tunes and improvisation. Mary Oliver had a very nice solo on "Pregnant Virgin" and "Feline" was hauntingly beautiful - the trio of piano, violin and lyricon blended superbly. The sextet finished off the night with "As Usual" which included the most perfectly timed smashed glass in the audience I've heard. In one of the quieter moments and right at the end of a phrase…. SMASH!!… It fit so well into the music I wouldn't have been surprised if the culprit was Han Bennink (who roared with approval and rushed to the front of the stage as the audience cracked up). A wonderful moment.

I left with a smile and a copy of the groups latest album, The Whammies Play The Music Of Steve Lacy Vol.2 (Driff Records 1303) - mostly due to Vol.2 having a few more tunes on it - Time to add it to this week's playlist.

Michael Moore Quartet at Constellation

Saturday night was spent at Constellation. The venue's excellent programming continued with the Michael Moore Quartet. Joining the alto saxophone and clarinet of Moore were locals Josh Berman (cornet) Jason Roebke (b) Frank Rosaly (d).

There was an intimate feel musically and atmospherically. The quartet huddled together, close to the hushed audience in the darkened concert hall (my notebook was surprisingly readable when I opened it this morning). The acoustics allowed for the quartet to play quietly and clearly, though there was still plenty of clarity when the dynamic level shifted gears.

The two sets of all original material from Moore had a nice mix of freedom and form etc. Considering the material was new to 3/4 of the band they still managed to create a create a fine ensemble sound.  In particular, Moore and Berman were a pairing I would like to hear more from - their blend was superb.

I've been lucky to catch Moore in concert about half a dozen times over the last 8 or 9 years. In fact, the very first time I hear him was in concert in at the jazz festival in Wellington - a quartet with Han Bennink (off the top of my head the rest of the personnel escapes me... anyone care to fill me in?). Moore has a melodic conception and tone that a greatly admire - a player who has developed a personal approach to the instrument and to improvisation.

You can find many of Moore's recordings on his record label - Ramboy Recordings. Also, be sure to check out this playing with the ICP Orchestra and Clusone Trio.

Roscoe Mitchell at Constellation

More catching up to do.....

Mitchell in flight on Sopranino

The night following the panel discussion at the Cultural Center the Roscoe Mitchell (Alto/Soprano/Sopranino Saxophones, Baroque(?) Flute) Mike Reed (Drums/Percussion) duo were at Constellation.  As I mentioned in the last post I had been listening to a bit of Mitchell lately so this was a concert not to be missed. 

Not quite a sell out - perhaps not quite as many as for the ICP Orchestra which I found a bit surprising with Mitchell's music being such an important part of the music to come out of Chicago I figured people would be beating down the doors to get in. All the same it was good to see people getting out on a less than pleasant evening (last night of snow for the season).
The set started out with a solo piece from Mitchell on alto sax. Starting with multiphonics and sustained quiet notes the piece grew in intensity as Mitchell added more and more notes to the mix.

Reed joined Mitchell for the rest of the set playing two long improvisations. The piece had Mitchell starting on flute before working his way through his saxes from high to low. At times he was alternating phrases on sopranino and soprano and finished off flying around the lower register of the alto at a burning tempo. The second duo started off with Reed playing solo. Mitchell entered playing simple melodies on alto - quite the contrast to the end of the last duo - reminded me of what he had to say at the panel discussion about studying opposites.

Whether he was using sticks, brushes, mallets, or what appeared to be an amplified tank drum, Reed's playing was superb throughout the evening.

Following the gig I only had to wait ten minutes for the snow to stop making waiting for the bus somewhat more pleasant.

An ICP Weekend

The Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra have been in town this weekend - there has been plenty to keep me busy.

ICP Orchestra

Saturday night was the much anticipated opening of Constellation - Chicago's latest venue for creative music and the arts. A full house (not sure the exact number but there were more than 120 people) was on hand for the ICP Orchestra - Han Bennink (d) Tobius Delius (ts/cl) Michael Moore (as/cl) Ab Baars (ts/cl) Wolter Wierbos (trb) Thomas Herberer (trpt) Mary Oliver (Violin/Viola) Tristan Hosinger (cello) Ernst Glerum (b). The space got a real workout with everything from solo drums through to the 9-piece group in full roar with plenty of other combinations in between - one of the great things with the ICP Orchestra is that throughout a performance the group breaks down into various duos/trios/quartets etc - don't expect your typical large ensemble gig. From where I was sitting the sound was nice - perhaps some definition was lost when the full group opened up but nothing too major. My third time hearing them live and each time has been a rewarding experience. A very fitting group to open the venue.

Sunday was particularly busy...
First up was Ab Baars playing an afternoon solo set at Corbett vs Dempsey. A modest crowd (a little over 30... I was expecting more) were nestled amongst the glass sculptures of David Hartt's "For Everyone A Garden". Half a dozen pieces - free improvisations and his own
compositions played on Tenor Sax, Clarinet and Shakuhachi. A powerful, full-throttle sound on both tenor and clarinet Baars leapt between dynamic levels with great effect. He exploited the live acoustic of the gallery nicely too - intense high register notes bouncing around your head. I enjoyed his presentation too: relaxed and with some humour he gave the pieces a little background - tunes inspired by/dedicated to John Carter, Misha Mengelberg, and Sidney Bechet. In the case of Bechet he mentioned an Evan Parker interview in which he related the story of Bechet practicing scales/long tones (all the usual saxophonic things) and then finishing off by exploring the instrument creating animal sounds etc. When as why he did it Bechet replied he was contemplating the nature of sound and music - What is music? What is sound? ... I must track down that Parker interview.
Baars finished off with a piece of his titled "Von" - a tribute to tenorist Von Freeman. I have enjoyed both concerts I have attended at Corbett vs Dempsey - nice, relaxed atmosphere, with a audience keen to listen and plenty of warmth from the gallery owners. Looking forward to Ned Rothenberg there this weekend.

ICP meets Links Hall at Constellation

That evening it was back out to Constellation. This time members of the ICP where performing with dancers from Links Hall dance company. The set could be divided into 3rds - first up Han Bennink (perc) Mary Oliver (Viola/violin) and dancers Lisa Gonzalles & Julie Ann Graham. Followed by Michael Moore (clar) Tristan Honsinger (Cello) and dancers Taisha Paggett & Travis Robb. Ending with both groups sharing the stage. Quite a contrast between the two groups - the unpredictability of the first and the continuity of the second. Not as packed out as the previous night - 50 or so there at a guess.

I had the added bonus of getting there nice and early - sitting by the door listening to Han Bennink warm up with brushes on snare. Michael Moore joined in on clarinet for an informal duo too - sweet.

I look forward to getting back to Constellation - Roscoe Mitchell is there in a couple of weeks but I may be out of town for Joe McPhee & Peter Brotzmann in J
une... need to double check my calendar. If you are in Chicago be sure to check out there performance calendar.

Set 1 Hungry Brain April 7 2013

Following that it was off to the Hungry Brain (just around the corner) for Sunday night sets presented by Umbrella Music. Two quartets mixing the ICP with Chicagoans:

Set 1: Thomas Heberer (trpt) Ernst Glerum (b) Tomeka Reid (cello) Jason Stein (B.Clar)

Set 2: Toby Delius (ts/clar) Wolter Weirbos (trb) Nate McBride (b) Michael Zerang (d)

Set 2 Hungry Brain April 7 2013

Whilst both sets had their moments I wasn't as into it as I would have liked - perhaps I ears needed a break! I'm still glad I got along to it though. Sitting next to Han Bennink added to the experience - shouts of approval, percussive stamps of the feet, and grunts of disapproval - the only person who can get away with talking through a set at the Brain??