If I had to pick just one word to describe Youn Sun Nah & Ulf Wakenius it would have to be “otherworldly,” because they made sounds I hadn’t heard before in this one. Nah came out alone to begin the duo’s first set at the Lutheran Church. With only a thumb piano, she proceeded to […]
Jazz Fest
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Paloma reviews Carmen Souza and James/Sanborn/Gadd
Authentic music. It’s what jazz is. It’s this connection these musicians make when they are so good at their craft that they are released from reality and invite us to come along. It’s what happens when you listen to jazz musicians like Bob James, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, and Carmen Souza. It was a truly […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Ron reviews Ravi Coltrane, Howard Levy, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Zoe Rahman
When I interviewed Ravi Coltrane a few years ago he told me that, because he was an infant when his father died, he hardly knew him. He was, he said, just like all of the jazz saxophonists of his generation who listened to John Coltrane. But when you’re an excellent saxophonist and you’ve got those […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 7: Eric reviews Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Mingo Fishtrap
Maybe I’m too invested in broad cultural stereotypes, or maybe I’m just a sucker for a great pair of legs. Either way I totally expected the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to come out wearing kilts when they played the Xerox Auditorium Thursday night. I even wondered if they’d have bagpipes. But no; this is no […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Paloma reviews Gretchen Parlato, Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson
There was something in her hands that was prayerful, especially as she tipped her head back, eyes closed, and just let her head rock side to side. Even before she sang a note, it was apparent that Gretchen Parlato would be worth every bit of the long line and the wait outside of Kilbourn Hall. […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Frank reviews Lee Fields and The Expressions, Soweto Kinch, Rocky Lawrence
Alright youse guys, let’s talk about life and the quartet of want, expect, need, and get. Tonight’s foray into our beloved downtown — a city resurrected to look like a city we want, expect, and need, but only get one time a year — brought me and the Tin Man, riding shotgun in a blue […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 6: Ron reviews Goldings-Stewart-Bernstein, Aaron Goldberg Trio, Jacob Karlzon & Viktoria Tolstoy
Goldings-Stewart-Bernstein took the stage to a full house at Montage Wednesday night and proceeded to play a couple of original songs. The band is, of course, B3 organist Larry Goldings, drummer Bill Stewart, and guitarist Peter Bernstein, three top players on the national jazz scene. The tunes, by Goldings and Bernstein respectively, gave them an […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Frank reviews David Byrne and St. Vincent
Writing is a process I cherish, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that it brings. But I’ve tried to write this review three times and I still have no clue where to start. Philosophically? Historically? Metaphorically? Blow-by-blow account? I’ve done a lot of letting go as of late, yet find myself still holding on to […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Paloma reviews Michael Wollny, John Nyerges Quartet, Eero Koivistoinen Quartet, Djabe
Repeat after me: Michael Wollny. There were no CDs for sale at a table on the way out, but there are more than a dozen albums since his first cut in 2005. There’s a smattering of European awards, but there were empty seats for his 10 p.m. at Max at Eastman Place Tuesday night. Wollny […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 5: Ron reviews Anat Cohen, John Patitucci Trio, Julian Arguelles, and Alfredo Rodriguez
Xerox Auditorium is not exactly the ideal venue for a jazz concert. It is, after all, a sterile corporate auditorium. But Tuesday night Anat Cohen breathed new life into it by breathing a dizzying array of wonderful notes into her clarinet and saxophones. She and her band were a joy to watch and hear. The […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 4: Frank reviews The Dave Spinner B3 Band, The Sicilian Jazz Project, Violet Mary, and Chris O’Leary Band
With the casual air of a felon who knows he’s guilty, but doesn’t care, The Dave Spinner B3 Band swung vibrantly nonchalant and tasteful in the Big Tent Monday night. The band came out with its take on the Funky Meters before moving into Herbie Hancock territory. The set was even-keeled and steady in the […]
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JAZZ FEST 2013, Day 4: Ron reviews Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Geoffrey Keezer, Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet, Eric Alexander and Harold Mabern
The Alfredo Rodriguez Trio started off well enough at Kilbourn Hall Monday night. During the group’s first tune the dynamics were off the charts. Rodriguez, his bassist, and drummer never fell into a standard pattern. The piece rose and fell like Rodriguez’s hands springing off the keyboard. The sound was impressionistic, with flurries of notes […]
