I went to a terrific concert here in NYC last night at the 92nd Street Y. It was called Brilliant Corners: The Music of Thelonious Monk.

Every summer the 92nd Street Y puts on summer concert series. Last year pre-bop pianist Dick Hyman turned over the reins as artistic director to Bill Charlap, who has modernized the series, now featuring modern jazz concerts.

The Monk gig was too good to be true as he corraled a number of ringers, including the incomparable trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. I had read where Marsalis had to cancel gigs due to lip trouble and was curious to see if he lost his chops.

Well, I'm happy to report Wynton is back in fine fettle. In fact, he opened the concert with tenor saxist Jimmy Greene as his front-line partner backed by the Charlap/Peter Washington/Lewis Nash rhythm section. They opened the show with Monk's "Green Chimneys."

Wynton closed the first half of the concert, this time with trumpet stud Jeremy Pelt as his front-line partner, with a rousing version of "Four in One." If Wynton is the king of the jazz trumpeters, if not the current king of jazz, Pelt could be considered the upstart, the hottest young trumpeter on the New York City scene. He was ready to do battle with Wynton. So it was lots of fun watching those two go mano-a-mano to close out the first half of the show.

After the bravura opening "Green Chimney's" Wynton and Greene left and vibes player Steve Nelson joined Charlap, Washington & Nash for a shimmering version of "Mysterioso."

The Charlap played with his rhythm section mates only on back-to-back Monk tunes, "Monk's Mood" and another tune whose name escapes me.

Then Pelt took the stage and played a tune with the rhythm section. Again the tune's name excapes me, but it might have been "Crepuscule with Nellie" but I'm not sure that was the tune, though I know they played it. I know they also played "Bye-Ya" before closing the first half with "Four in One."

In the show's second half, pianist Cedar Walson came out and played with just Washington and Nash on four tunes, including "Blue Monk" and "Ruby, My Dear."

Charlap & Wynton also did a duet, a moving version of Monk's signature tune, "Round Midnight."

They concluded the evening with everyone on stage playing a tune that they didn't call out.

A terrific jazz concert.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ChrisFromAstoria,

I caught the early set of pianist Carlton Holmes' gig last night at the club Smoke. Holmes, who is one of those musicians who somehow has flown under the radar (I don't think he has a recording out under his own name) played in the classic trio format.

He is a terrific player playing with a lot of confidence and authority. His trio mates were Donald Edwards on drums, who I have heard many times before, and Brad Jones, who I am unfamiliar with, though he was the bassist on a Muhal Richard Abrams gig I caught years ago.

Holmes played a nice mix of tunes. One of the highlights was the set opener, "Aquarius Rising" I think it was called and it was penned by left of center 'bone player Frank Lacy. He also tackled Monk with his "Little Rootie Tootie." He also played a few standards and one Herbie Hancock tune that I am unfamiliar with.

Not a bad night. I hadn't seen Holmes as a leader in 10 years. I don't know where he's been.

I caught a couple of jazz gigs this past weekend. On Friday I made a return visit to Smoke where pianist Mulgrew Miller and vibist Steve Nelson were leading a quartet that included Ray Drummond on bass and Carl Allen on drums. The set was terrific, but I was kind of pissed that Miller didn't show until 8:45 for a set that was supposed to begin at 8:00 p.m. so Nelson, Drummond & Allen played as a trio. They delayed as long as they could, but hit at 8:20 and quit at 9:20 or so so I only got Mulgrew for a short 35 minutes and they second set was sold out so they wouldn't let me stay through. I can't remember the tunes, though I know they did one Monk tune.

On Saturday I headed down to the Jazz Gallery to catch pianist Danny Grissett, who was playing in the piano trio format. Grissett's gig was billed as a "CD Release Party" for his new, debut disc on the Criss Cross label. Grissett played mostly originals and his trio included Dwayne Burno on bass & Kendrick Scott on drums. A good disc. Grissett is relatively new to the New York scene -- he's moved from L.A. -- but has fast made a name for himself.

I made my first trek up to the Caramoor Jazz Fest, which is held outdoor in Northern Westchester County, about 50 miles outside of New York City. Caramoor has a lot of classical concerts, but a few years ago hired sax player Joe Lovano as an artistic director/consultant and now programs several jazz evehts each summer at its outdoor stage.

There were four bands on the bill on Saturday, the first of which was the ex-pat pianist Kirk Lightsey, who about a decade or so ago relocated from NYC to Paris so until recently we haven't had a chance to hear him live. He played mostly solo for the first set, but was joined by Lovano on two tunes and by flutist Elise Wood on a couple of others. The late, great John Hicks was originally booked for the spot, but he passed a couple of months ago. Wood is Hicks' widow so there was a poignancy to the gig.

The second band was led by trumpet stud Jeremy Pelt and his quartet. His set was a mixed bag. The first two tunes were acoustic and his pianist Frank LoCastro played on this beautiful Fazioli F-278 concert grand piano. They take three years to make these pianos and produce only 14 a year. So, what does Pelt do in the second half of his one-hour set? He has his pianist LoCrastro playing the Fender Rhodes. Oy, vey. Pelt's band also included Richie Goods on bass & Eric McPherson on drums.

Caramoor pulled out all the stops for Steve Kuhn, hiring a dozen or so strings to back him and his regular bassist David Finck. It was a nice and mellow set -- too mellow maybe -- with the greatest flaw in the set being the fact that all the tunes sounded the same.

The grand finale at night was a septet that pianist McCoy Tyner is currently leading and is touring to tout the terrific new history of Impulse Records that was just released and was written by Ashley Kahn.

The disturbing part of the set was to see what McCoy Tyner looked like. He reportedly was ill in Europe and he looked it. He did not look like he had fully recovered, but his played fine. They put together a first class septet that included the ex-Messenger Donald Harrison on alto, David Leibman on tenor & soprano sax, Steve Turre on 'bone & shells, and Miles' heir, Wallace Roney on trumpet. Eric Gravatt, with his vertically placed ride cymbal, and Charnett Moffett on bass rounded out the band. Lovano sat in for at least one tune.

For me the best tune of the night -- in fact of the entire day -- was Curtis Fuller's "A La Mode," which was a staple of Art Blakey & his Jazz Messengers.

I satisfied my weekly live jazz jones by heading up to 125th & Lenox to catch the Bruce Williams Quartet at the Lenox Lounge. A pretty good set by a relatively unknown alto player. I can't remember the tunes, but I know they played a Monk tune, which every gig I go to seems to include one.

Williams had a good rhythm section behind him, featuring Brandon McCune on piano, Corcoran Holt, new to me, on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums.

Not a well attended gig for 9 p.m. on a Friday night as there were only 11 of us in attendance.

Just a quick note, CfA. Don't think for a moment that just because you're getting little in the way of response here means your contributions aren't appreciated. Jazz gigs I attend these days are few and far between (Henry Grimes in Indy last October!), but I'm having an awfully good time living vicariously through your listening and it's always cool to hear who's gigging around NYC.

Thanks!

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Since it is past midnight EST, last night I went down to the Vanguard -- my favorite jazz club -- to catch tenor sax player David Sanchez and his quartet. His rhythm section included Edsel Gomez on piano, Ben Street on bass & Adam Cruz, a favorite of mine, on drums.

A nice 65-minute set that was well-attended. Sanchez & company stretched out, playing only five tunes. The first was a Sanchez original, whose name escapes me, where the band sounded like it wasn't completely warmed up, a common problem when you attend the first sets of jazz gigs. I thought the band hit its stride, particularly Gomez, when the band covered Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus." Then in what is becoming de rigueur on jazz gigs, they covered a Monk tune, in this case "Monk's Mood."

The band playing two more tunes, which Sanchez didn't call out, before heading for the break. A pretty good set.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to make a live jazz gig this week, but if I do go it will be to check out the incomparable Geri Allen who is playing in the classic trio format at The Village Vanguard. I forget who she is using on bass, but the legendary Jimmy Cobb will be on drums.

I caught him earlier this year at the Vanguard, but another legendary drummer, Roy Haynes, starts his six-night run at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at the Jazz @ LC complex tonight in celebration of his latest CD release.

I'm amazed by Roy Haynes. He's 80 years old and doesn't seem to ever slow down. Unfortunately I've only managed to see him live once, with Chick Corea's "Tribute To Bud Powell" project some time in the early 90s. Amazing performance obviously.

You would never know Roy is 80. He has indeed found the fountain of youth. He can still bring it.

Speaking of aging jazz musicians, I forgot to mention that Oscar Peterson, who is 80+, is playing at Birdland all week. The "Times" reviewed his Tuesday show in today's paper and the reviewer, Nate Chinen I believe, said he is starting to show his age.

Meanwhile, I won't be seeing either of those two legendary octogenarians this week, but I did just get back from a sold out show at the Village Vanguard to hear Geri Allen and her trio that featured the legendary Jimmy Cobb, still a septuagenarian I think, on drums and Darryl Hall on bass.

Allen is touring/gigging to support her new Telarc release, which, quite frankly, I don't care for. I did like tonight's gig though where she stretched out on a half-dozen tunes in the one-hour plus set. Her first tune was an original called "Mount" something. She followed that up with a tune I am familiar with, Bird's "A-Leu-Cha" (his birthday is this month).

Then she surprised the heck out of me by covering a pop tune, Smokey Robinson's "Tears of a Clown." The fourth tune was an original, an homage to Billie Holiday.

As a special, unadvertised guest, singer Carmen Lundy sat in on one tune that is on the disc. I don't remember the name of it, but it was written by Jimmy Lattimore.

Lundy sat back down and the band closed the set by playing one more tune that was a tribute to Rosa Parks, that is also on the new disc.

Not a bad set. Geri is one of my favorites and the classic piano trio format (piano, bass, drums) is one of my favorite configurations.

I hope to catch one more gig this week, Jim Rotondi has put together a killer quintet at Smoke that will be playing tunes written by or associated with Bird. I hope to catch Saturday night's second show.

quote:

Originally posted by ChrisFromAstoria:
Speaking of aging jazz musicians, I forgot to mention that Oscar Peterson, who is 80+, is playing at Birdland all week. The "Times" reviewed his Tuesday show in today's paper and the reviewer, Nate Chinen I believe, said he is starting to show his age.

I believe it, but it still makes me happy that Peterson's still out there. I've never had the opportunity to see him live, and expect I never will. I'm sorry for that. He's a true original.

quote:

Allen is touring/gigging to support her new Telarc release, which, quite frankly, I don't care for.

You'd said before that you had your doubts. This is the one with the choir, right? When you described it, I had in mind something like Donald Byrd's A New Perspective, but that's probably not the case.

Carmen Lundy's great, though. I loved her debut, which was on the Black Hawk label that I've mentioned elsewhere. I wonder if Herb Wong will ever manage to find a home for that catalog again. There were a lot of great sides there including an album from Sathima Bea Benjamin that had a great version of "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child."

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Last night I caught the second or 10 o'clock set at Smoke where trumpter/flugelhorn player Jim Rotondi organized a quintet that was charged with playing tunes written by or associated with Charlie "Bird" Parker, whose b-day it was this weekend. This Bird homage is an annual thing at the Upper Westside jazz venue.

There was a full house on hand and Rotondi, a trumpeter I like quite a bit, didn't stint on his sideman. In fact his band was essentially One For All, with the *great* alto player Vincent Herring substituting for the *great* tenor player Eric Alexander. David Hazeltine, Peter Washington & Joe Farnsworth were in the sizzling, finger poppin' rhythm section.

The cats really stretched out, playing only five tunes in the 70-minute set.

They opened with "Milestones," a tune Bird recorded on Savoy with Miles Davis in tow. I don't think this tune is the later, more famous, version Miles recorded. Tune 2 was a standard whose name escapes me. Something like "This Time The Dream Is On Me." For Tune 3, another tune Bird loved, "My Little Suede Shoes."

They took things down a notch by playing a ballad whose name escapes me. Something like "My Revelation." The closed the set with a burning version of "Love For Sole," the Cole Porter standard.

Nice set.

Last Thursday night I went down to Dale Fitzgerald's Jazz Gallery to check out a quartet led by drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, who was putting together a band that was dedicated to the memory of pianist Kenny Kirkland, a long-time associate of Watts in both Wynton & Branford Marsalis' bands. The gig is an annual event.

Watts played tunes written by or associated with Kirkland and opened the set by playing the first three tunes on Kirkland's lone CD. He played a few other things, including an original he recently penned.

Watts was joined in the rhythm section by Matt Brewer on bass, who was subbing for Eric Revis; Lawrence Fields, new to me, was on piano and was impressive. Watch that name; he's still a student at the Berklee School of Music in Boston; rounding out the band was Marcus Strickland, now a young, seasoned veteran, on tenor and soprano saxes.

A nice gig and a full house, which was nice to see.

I just got back from the Jazz Standard club where I caught the second and last set of Branford Marsalis' opening night. The set sold out so Branford had a full house to strut his stuff. And strut he did.

He was backed by his regular rhythm section of Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass and Tain Watts on drums. Ben Wolfe sat in for Revis on the evening's last tune.

The opener was a Tain original called "Blackzilla" than ran for about 25 minutes and really felt like an out tune. Lots of abstraction, which really isn't to my liking. I like swing and swing was intermitant, at best, on this tune.

Branford took things down a notch and played his soprano on a tune he said was influenced by Wagner. I think he called it "Fateless" and I assume Branford wrote it. Real nice tune and a nice change of pace from "Blackzilla."

Well, Branford wasn't shy about featuring tunes penned by his long-time cohort Tain because he played another tune penned by the voluble drummer called "Vodtato" or something to that effect. This one was a real swinger.

He played one last tune, Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek," which is the tune where Ben Wolfe substituted for Eric Revis. I love the Great American Songbook and this was a nice set closer.

Nice set. And nice to see the Jazz Standard packed to the gils.

On the subject of Oscar Peterson:
As some of you might know, he suffered a stroke at some point in the early 90s just after releasing the series of Blue Note live recordings on Telarc. I got to see him live a short while after the incident, and unfortunately he was a shadow of his former self despite being back up by Martin Drew and Niels-Henning Ørsted-Pederson at that particular date. Peterson's strengh was always his brilliant virtuorsity but at this point his left hand/arm was in a very bad shape, leading him to change his playing a lot, using only basic chords and combing in the lower registry. Because of that, the session consisted mainly of ballads and midtempos. Alltogether, it wasn't an enjoyable evening and I felt rather sad when leaving.
Rumour has it his in a better shape nowadays than 10 years ago, but old age must be kicking in now as well.

I never caught OP live pre-stroke so I've only heard him before the stroke on CDs. I have seen him live post stroke, in '95 at Carnegie Hall and again in '97 in a club setting, specifically the Blue Note. I thought OP played fine on both occasions. If I didn't know he had a stroke I wouldn't have known that anything was wrong with him.

OP must have been way better shape in 95 and 97 then. I believe the concert I attended was in 1993 and after the gig OP was signing autographs from a wheelchair.
I never heard him pre-stroke either but if the records are anything to judge from, he had way more energy before. His output on Pablo in the 70s and early 80s clearly show that. But of course he was younger back then too.

I made my first visit to the newly reopened Minton's Playhouse in Harlem on Friday night. The legendary club, where bebop was born in the early 1940s, had been closed since 1974. There had long been rumors it was going to reopen, most recently in the 1990s and Robert Deniro's name was mentioned. Well, it finally reopened this year and I don't know who owns it, but Ronnie Mathews and his quartet were playing Friday night. It doesn't take much arm-twisting to get me out to see a hard swinger like Ronnie.

The club itself was nice -- it is shaped like a rectangle -- and Ronnie was in fine form during his lengthy 70-minute plus set. There was a good crowd on hand too.

I don't remember all the songs, but I know he played a lot of standards including "Love For Sale" I think and maybe "You Don't Know Anything About Love." He also played one of his own tunes, "Syeeda's Love Dance" or something to that effect.

Ronnie has been holding down the piano chair in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's band in recent years and two of his sidemen last night were pulled from Roy's quintet: Dwayne Burno, perhaps the most in-demand basssist in New York City, and one-time young lion Justin Robinson, doubling on alto and soprano saxes. Neil Smith, best known at the drummer in pianist Cyrus Chestnut's swingin' trio, rounded out the band.

I noticed bassist Mickey Bass in the house and he introduced the quintet. He booked the Lenox Lounge until its renovation and I used to go there often when he was in charge of the bookings so I'll probably be making the trek up to 118th Street frequently if he is in charge of the music.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ChrisFromAstoria,

I caught pianist Michael Weiss' gig last night at the Village Vanguard. Weiss -- best known for his long stint as tenor legend Johnny Griffin's pianist of choice -- was making his debut as a leader at the Vanguard, the world's longest lasting and most legendary jazz club. I went to the first set on the first night.

Weiss, played mostly his own tunes and in addition to being a terrific player -- he can swing with the best of 'em -- he is a terrific writer. I usually roll my eyes when musicians play their own tunes, in lieu of standards, but Weiss has some real writing ability. He opened the show with a tune Billie Holiday played -- I forget the name of it -- but after that he played mostly original tunes, all of them good.

There was a good, if not sold out, crowd on hand for the first set. Weiss brought in a quintet that included Steve Wilson on alto & soprano saxes; Ugonna Ukegwo on bass; George Fludas, who blew in from Chicago, on drums; and Daniel Sadownick on percussion.

A nice set!

I caught the second set of opening night of the Ira Sullivan/Eric Alexander Quintet that is gigging at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola all week. I have long wanted to see Sullivan live, but he lives in South Florida so he rarely, if ever, makes it to New York City. I finally got my chance last night and I wasn't disappointed.

The gig was actually billed as "The Eric Alexander Quintet" featuring guest Ira Sullivan, but Ira was the leader on the gig, calling the tunes and taking charge on the bandstand. Sullivan is an interesting musician because he doubles, with equal facility, on brass (trumpet, flugelhorn, flute) and reeds (all the saxes, though last night he stuck to soprano sax only).

Eric & Ira were backed by what is essentially George Coleman's rhythm section consisting of the hardest swinging pianist in all of jazz, Harold Mabern, bassist John Weber and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

The band opened with "Softly as a Morning Sunrise" and then played another standard that I was familiar, but that I didn't know the name of.

Tune 3 was I believe an Alexander original called "Blues for Illinois Jacquet," the late, great saxophonist most famous for his frenzied playing on "Flying Home."

I can't remember the rest of the 7 or 8 tunes the band, other than the fact that they played "Have You Met Ms. Jones" and closed with "Amazing Grace." Sullivan and Alexander laid out on one tune that Mabern chose for the trio to play, but I didn't know the name of that either.

It was a long set -- 85 minutes -- a good crowd on hand for a late (9:30 set) set on a Tuesday night.