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MarcNebo Jan 24 2024 at 11:30 PM	Last night I saw my first live jazz show for 2024, the Branford Marsalis Quartet. I think I have seen this lineup at least six times and I enjoyed this show the most. Fourteen years together has made them an extremely tight band and they are all excellent musicians. Instead of writing a thousand words for me to explain how great the band and show was, try to catch their current tour. Last night was the first of many shows. If you can’t make it to their show pickup any of their current records. My Favorite is "FOUR MFs PLAYIN’ TUNES" from 2012 or a close second "THE SECRET BETWEEN THE SHADOW AND THE SOUL" from 2019. Both have everything from ballads to burners and are very well recorded. Every instrument can be clearly heard.
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tiny_tim Nov 02 2024 at 6:35 AM	This past week I have been to 3 major gigs in a row...starting with Pat/MoonDial Solo in Geneva on the 28th Nov, in the wonderful venue Victoria Hall...one of the most amazing gigs I have ever witnessed by Pat in any setting. I was tipped off by my great fellow PatHead from BRUX to absolutely see that gig, after he had witnessed in the Bozar in Brussels a couple of nights before...Both he and I adore Pat in all settings, but perhaps least in a solo setting...but this time Pat brought the full arsenal with him, which an added bonus was him giving alot of story telling between charts...I will not give away the surprises that were produced....for anyone out there....this is a must see gig...then the 29th Nov in Lausanne (JazzOnze+ Festival) I witnessed Avishai Cohen Trio, with wonderkind drummer Roni Kaspi from Tel Aviv, and now 24 years old, totally sending this gig the the heavens....first time to see Avishai and Roni live....and then on the 30th Nov in a new-ish basement jazz club in Lausanne (les Jumeaux, first gig they had 07 Jan 2024 was Michael League/Bill Laurence!), still part of the JazzOnze+Festival.... Roni Kaspi played with her electric trio and I had a possee of 6 of us in tow....we were all blown away by the entire group, and Roni just put on the turbo chargers herself with this gig....I could truly recommend witnessing this amazing musician in her electric trio setting...never have I been as excited about a drummer ...as when Antonio Sanchez hit the scene with PMG all those years ago.....Tiny Tim.
MarcNebo Oct 31 2024 at 4:34 PM	Last Friday I caught a double-bill with A Wayne Shorter Tribute and the Charles Lloyd Quartet. I was very disappointed in the Shorter band, so no review on them. Charles Lloyd’s band featured Aaron Parks (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass) and Eric Harland (drums) Lloyd played tenor sax and flute. All four musicians were excellent with brilliant soloing and very tight group playing. Larry Grenadier is one of my favorite bassists and he provided a great pulse for the whole show and had several creative solos. I have seen Harland many times before as a leader or a sideman and have always enjoyed his playing, but he had a very creative drum solo that night that blew me away.
MarcNebo Oct 14 2024 at 8:34 AM	foxesfred: I will be going to Jazzmeia Horn’s show at Northwestern University in November. I bought the twofer ticket deal earlier this year, the second show is the Billy Childs Quartet. Jazzmeia is on my short list of vocalists that I like, she always puts on a good show.
MarcNebo Oct 13 2024 at 11:39 PM	Friday night I caught Christian McBride and Ursa Major, one of his new bands. Christian as usual was excellent, but it wasn’t a great show or band. About half the show was Funk and Fusion. I preferred his acoustic bass playing, but he was excellent on a Fretless Electric Bass.
foxesfred Sep 08 2024 at 10:46 AM	I caught Jazzmeia Horn last night in Santa Monica.All I can say is don’t miss her if she comes around.What an amazing vocalist and musican. New CD coming this October-Messages
MarcNebo Aug 29 2024 at 8:57 PM	On Sunday I saw the John Pizzarelli Trio at a club at ten-minute walk from my home. I saw the same trio and lineup and my favorite musician in the band was the pianist Isaiah J Thompson. A young man with the chops and poise of a musician twice his age. He received the most applause after his solos and when Pizzarelli announced his name. I am trying to get the club to book his quartet in the near future. Last year Pizzarelli played "James" and "Last Train Home" solo for his encore, and I was disappointed he didn’t do it on Sunday. The bonus was he was very funny telling jokes and stories during Sunday’s show.
MarcNebo Jun 30 2024 at 10:47 PM	I was really hoping and expecting some US shows this year from Pat, but it looks like he will be spending time with his family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was planning to go anywhere in the US this year after I turn seventy- years-old in August. That was a the top of my list of how I wanted to celebrate 70. I’ll just have to extend the 70th Celebration until August 2025. Pat should have a US show somewhere near Chicago by then or have money, will travel to see him. Since 1977 I have seen him in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Michigan and Washington DC. I have relatives all across Canada so maybe one day I will see him in Canada.
MarcNebo Jun 24 2024 at 10:00 AM	Last night I saw the Steve Turre Sextet at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Last time he was there was back in 2019. One of my favorite trombone players. I caught both the 4:00 & 8:00 shows. At the second show the person sitting next to me hadn’t seen Steve Turre live. I told him that he ends his shows with a really big surprise. Turre uncovered an on- stage table filled with about twelve different sized Seashells (Conch). He played all of them one at a time and played two at once several times. There is a great video of this at his website steveturre.com. Extremely cool, check it out.
MarcNebo Jun 20 2024 at 8:24 AM	Last night I saw vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant with her trio at a small (250-seat) venue near me. The trio was very good, especially pianist Sullivan Fortner (Roy Hargrove) who has been with CMS for several years. She is considered by many jazz critics as the best female vocalist and typically plays much bigger venues. IMHO, I preferred to see her in this club instead of Chicago’s Orchestra Hall next year. Last night my favorite songs were the several duets she did with Sullivan Fortner, especially the Simon & Garfunkel song American Tune (encore).
tomm Jun 11 2024 at 3:02 PM	I saw Kurt Elling and Danilo Perez in Austin last month. Elling has the most amazing voice and range I’ve heard in ages! Totally different setting than his current work with Charlie Hunter, but both are excellent.
MarcNebo Jun 09 2024 at 11:53 PM	Tonight was my fifth live jazz shows for the week. Monday was the Bill Frisell Trio (Thomas Morgan, bass and Rudy Royston, drumkit), Tuesday Brad Mehldau (solo piano), Wednesday Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Saturday Fred Hersch (solo piano) and tonight the Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo duo. My favorite show was tonight’s show with Miguel and Luis. He is my favorite alto saxophonist and Luis has been his pianist for 24 years. Both the Mehldau and Hersch shows were excellent. I enjoyed the bassist and drummer in Frisell’s trio more than Bill’s playing. He plays the same songs the last three or four times I have seen him. I like Pat and John Scofield more than Frisell.
MarcNebo May 09 2024 at 7:59 PM	I finally got the lineup for the Chicago Symphony Center 2024/2025 Jazz Series. First show is a double-bill Charles Lloyd Quartet and a Wayne Shorter tribute quartet with three/fourths of his last band. Other highlight Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters, Oscar Peterson’s Africa Suite (an All-Star quartet w/a Chicago Big Band, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (two nights). There are several more shows that I won’t attend and several undecided ones. The Logan Center at the University of Chicago announced their 2024/2025 Jazz Series. I will probably only attend one of the four shows, pianist Gerald Clayton Also three concert venues in Wisconsin announced their 2024/2025 Jazz Series. I might go see the Branford Marsalis Quartet, if they don’t come to Chicago.
MarcNebo May 05 2024 at 10:54 PM	I forgot to mention in my last post (below) that this August I turn seventy-years-old. To celebrate I will travel to see Pat somewhere in the US this year.
MarcNebo May 05 2024 at 11:15 AM	I only have two shows on my May schedule, but have nine in June. One week in June I am going to shows six nights, with three of them a ten minute walk from my home (one minute from my workplace). I am waiting for the Chicago Jazz Festival and Hyde Park Jazz Festival (Chicago) to announce their lineup.
MarcNebo Apr 04 2024 at 11:37 AM	Last night I caught the John Scofield Trio at SPACE (Evanston IL). Excellent trio and show with Vicente Archer (acoustic bass) and Bill Stewart (drums). I saw Bill Stewart last week with the Goldings, Bernstein, Stewart Organ Trio. Bill is one of my favorite drummers and is excellent at adjusting his style for whomever he is performing with. I loved the Pat trio that he was in (Trio 99>00). Scofield played a wide variety of music from The Grateful Dead to Carla Bley and more. Very appreciative audience for two sold-out shows. If the trio is in your area check them out.
MarcNebo Mar 28 2024 at 9:39 PM	Anyone else at the AG going to any shows this year? I am also surprised that there aren’t more US Dream Box reviews being posted. Lots of activity live jazz-wise in Chicago.
MarcNebo Mar 28 2024 at 12:05 AM	Sunday I caught the Eric Alexander Quartet at the Jazz Showcase (Chicago). Excellent and one of my favorite tenor saxophonists joined by his pianist Mike LeDonne and local bassist and drummer Excellent shows (4;00 & 8:00). Last night I saw Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart Organ Trio at nearby venue. They have been together for thirty years so it is a very tight band. An excellent show marred by a bad organ that Larry Goldings, the organ player tried to fix. Peter Bernstein is a very good guitarist that I can’t compare to anyone else. Bill Stewart has played with Pat, John Scofield, Maceo Parker and many more bands. Up next John Scofield Trio next Wednesday.
MarcNebo Mar 20 2024 at 11:11 PM	Next week I will report on two shows, one this Sunday and another on Tuesday. It looks like June will be a very busy month for me with five shows already in one week. There is a chance it might end up six days that week. A venue a half mile from my condominium has become my favorite place for live jazz. Previous years I typically saw two or three shows. This year I already have tickets for five shows from March thru June. I am sure they will have more TBA for the rest of the year.
MarcNebo Feb 18 2024 at 12:06 AM	Last night I caught Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio at the Chicago Symphony Center. Russell Malone (guitar) and Donald Vega (piano). Excellent show by an excellent band with a very appreciative audience. Ron mentioned several times that he was giddy to see that it was a full-house (2500 seats). Ron’s solo was amazing with great playing a dropping quotes from other songs frequently. I was disappointed by the act that followed in the double- bill, The Blue Note Quintet. It was led by pianist Gerald Clayton and featured to you Jazz musicians getting a lot of critical acclaim, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and vibraphonist Joel Ross. Kendrick Scott was the drummer and Matt Brewer was on bass. I expect more and the music didn’t knock me out. Seeing the legendary Mr. Carter made it an unforgettable night, so I was very glad I made it. Ron just got back from a several night gig in Tokyo playing with Pat and Joe Dyson.
MarcNebo Feb 01 2024 at 11:34 AM	Here in Chicago there are a lot of great Jazz shows being announced. I already have six shows scheduled in March and April, the John Scofield Trio, Emmet Cohen Trio, Joshua Redman Group, Vijay Iyer Trio, Eric Alexander Quartet and Goldings, Bernstein, Stewart Organ Trio. I am sure more to come and all the big venues will be announcing their 2024/2025 Jazz Series (October-June) in the next three months. Looks like it’s going to be a good year for live music, but I will still go for quality over quantity this year.
MarcNebo Jan 26 2024 at 11:55 PM	djangocat: I saw the quartet back in June in 2023 and rated my sixth favorite show of the year. I closely follow the annual Downbeat Critics Poll and use it for another one of my concert files (Bands & Musicians. In the 2023 edition the BMQ was voted #5 Jazz Group, Branford was #4 Soprano Sax and #6 Tenor Sax, Eric Revis #15 Acoustic Bass (I would rate him in the 10 or higher) and Justin Faulkner was #2 Rising Star Drummer (agreed by me). I was very disappointed that the pianist Joey Calderazzo was not on the list (he would be in my top ten list. The band is one of my favorites and I would probably rate them fifth. Like I said in my post above it was an excellent show and probably end up in my Top Ten list for 2024. So far I have a lot of great bands on my calendar. Up next the Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio with Russell Malone (guitar) and Donald Vega (piano). I have seen this band several times and expect it to make it to my Top Ten list.
djangocat Jan 26 2024 at 10:02 AM	It’s been awhile, but both both times I’ve seen Branford, I’ve been impressed with how good he and his band mates were.
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