Audiences were good, and some of the gigs. Can't agree with Mrs Rumbaba about Overtone. An exceptional set, with Larry Grenadier (depping for Dave Holland) playing the bass solos of the festival. Eric Harland's drumming was remarkable - swinging, in the tradition, but at the same time inventive, different and original. Judge for yourself whether the John Taylor JL was dull. He is a quiet man (pace IDS), but lot of what he had to say was extremely insightful and interesting. Goes out on Saturday week (next week is Django Bates). Pharoah Sanders took the p**s, playing for less than 14 minutes of the first hour, and leaving his well below par UK rhythm section (Jonathan Gee, Mark Hodgson and the well-known import Gene Caldarazzo) to sweat it out, playing endlessly boring solos, while Pharoah dozed at the back of the stage. My very brief round-up in Tuesday's Times - and yes, Jamie Cullum was good. His solo set, one and three quarter hours of just him and a piano, was really well done. Hugh Laurie was OK himself, but his band was the pits. His genuine and quite heartfelt attempts to sing and play the blues struck a chord with the crowd, but the band just did not know how to swing. Low points: Outhouse, Spin Marvel. High points: Taylor/Arguelles duo, Andy Sheppard trio, Django Bates TDE band, Tord (I can't play anything quickly) Gustavsen and Overtone.
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I don't have the best hearing and really struggled to hear John Taylor, so that may have contributed to my perception of the interview. I love his playing but I don't think he will be doing stand up anytime soon. That said, the record choices were good and he has had an interesting career.
I love Chris Potter's playing and the Overtone Qrt was my idea. It was a mistake to bring the other half and I couldn't really get into it as she was stressing out next to me. I didn't see Pharoah Sanders, so I can't comment directly on that, BiL didn't mention him taking the p.
I listened to Hugh Laurie on the radio and it sounded like pastiche. He seemed to believe, from his between-song banter, the band was the best in the world but I thought they were all over the place. I don't know where these guys come from but I suspect it isn't New Orleans. He sings and plays okish but it sounded a bit false. I saw Dr John a couple of times fairly recently (bizarrely, in my home town of Tunbridge Wells in the summer of last year) so maybe I am a bit spoiled.
Attendances were good, a lot gigs were sold out - all of the ones I attended were. Well done Cheltenham and well done the BBC for recording some of the concerts.
A note to Alyn: I saw Billy Jenkins play at the London Jazz Festival, with Iain Ballamy and the BBC big band. It was on radio (I think R3). He was interviewed but, unfortunately, not by you. Now, that I would like to hear!Last edited by Guest; 03-05-11, 11:32.Comment
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Cor Rumbaba you'd have to have a long memory for the last time I interviewed Billy on R3. It was in 1996 at the Purcell Room with the Voice of God Collective, including Iain Ballamy and Martin France, for Impressions.Comment
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"Pharoah Sanders took the p**s, playing for less than 14 minutes of the first hour, and leaving his well below par UK rhythm section (Jonathan Gee, Mark Hodgson and the well-known import Gene Caldarazzo) to sweat it out, playing endlessly boring solos, while Pharoah dozed at the back of the stage."
Pharoah is the ONLY jazz musician I have ever fallen asleep to, listening to him in concert (St David's Hall, Cardiff c. 1984) ~ just dire and totally uninvolved, BUT followed by a once in a lifetime trio set by an "on fire "McCoy Tyner with the magnificent Louis Hayes playing his heart out a la a Elvin and reducing all watching drummers to tears.
Not all Trane's choices were good ones.
BN.
Hugh Laurie's Cheltenham set was on R2 last night - gastly, self regarding and absurd, my mate down the pub does le pub blues better and he's Bin Laden Jnr.Comment
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In 1996 John Surman and I went down to hear Pharoah at the Iridium in NY, with Alvester Garnett on piano and Wynard Harper drums (can't remember the bassist) and he was ON FIRE, not doing his Coltrane tribute schtick, but playing originals and material from all over the place. Brilliant! But in all the times I have heard him since he's never managed to come close to that level...Comment
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Just to add (off thread) that Louis hayes is one of the GREAT drummers ~ up there with Elvin (and Frank Butler)
IMHO BN.Comment
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Blimey Alyn, that goes back a bit! He was really good in November last year, I think it was the Purcell room again. The first part with his Blues Suburbia Trio (+ Iain Ballamy) and the second half with the BBC big band (and IB). He doesn't gig much, I think due to the carpal tunnel syndrome and he is a very physical player.Originally posted by Alyn_Shipton View Post
I liked the Joe Lovano interview you did recently, having seen him with Us Five at Ronnie's. How was the Django interview at Cheltenham? My ticket actually said 'Django Bates' instead of John Taylor (a printing error) but we knew in advance it was JT. Until the Bird Trio at Cheltenham, my last Django gig was at The Barbican with Loose Tubes (God knows how long ago that was). The Tube guys keep popping up. I saw Mark Lockhart at a free gig in T.Wells last year (I think he lives locally, as does Alan Barnes and John Etheridge, who sometimes pop up for our free 'Jazz on The Pantiles' season in the summer ).Last edited by Guest; 03-05-11, 16:54.Comment
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Overtone Quartet on R3 June 6th
Originally posted by Alyn_Shipton View Post
Just flagging up the Overtone Quartet on Radio 3 June 6. Judge for yourself. Mrs Rumbaba won't be listening
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