Left to right: Eric Reed, Hamilton Price, Kevin Kanner. Jazz Showcase, Chicago, 10/2/2011.

I had the pleasure of hearing the Eric Reed trio this afternoon (which happens to be my 39th birthday). The Jazz Showcase, one of the best jazz clubs in Chicago, offers a “Save the Children” matinee on Sundays. It was $20 for me to get in and $0 for her. Good deal, and thank you, Jazz Showcase, for helping save my child.

Eric Reed has released a trio record of Monk’s music this year. The Showcase set was all Monk, save one (tribute) original. The show was great, just great. Eric Reed is a master jazz pianist — 41 years old and very much keeping the tradition alive. The set was a sort of Monk’s greatest hits — they didn’t venture outside the core repertoire of Monk’s most famous tunes, at all — but sounded fresh anyway. Also, Eric Reed did not at any point fall into a Monk impersonation — an easy score for any jazz pianist — not even for a bar. This was an album-like set in that the tunes were compact and polished — very little in the way of sprawling explorations.

I heard all kinds of influences in Reed’s fluent playing — Bud Powell, Tommy Flanagan, McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson — and a big scoop of church too. He played the instrument at more or less all dynamics, from soft whispers to violent pokes at the keys. After one such hard poke, I wondered whether Alfred Brendel would be able to play a note like that if you paid him a hundred bucks — perhaps not, because he’s spent his whole career disciplining himself otherwise.

In any case, if you want to enjoy a stimulating musical discourse on the history of the jazz piano trio, go check these guys out. I would recommend this show to anyone, from novice to die-hard fan.

Hamilton Price played bass, and Kevin Kanner the drums. It’s a different band than the one on the record. Here’s an annotated set list.

1. “Stuck in Traffic on State Street” That’s not the tune, that’s where I was.

2. “Rhythm-a-Ning” Burning rhythm changes. Reed doesn’t sound like Monk.

3. “Reflections” How can you play a ballad at the slowest of slow tempos, with the bass playing giant half notes that seem to last an hour each, and still swing?

4. “Pannonica” Hard swinger, more up than usual for this tune. Bass feature. Prefaced by a nice chat (explaining the tune’s title) by Reed.

5. “Evidence” Largely a drum feature. Kevin Kanner is terrific — a strong traditionalist, intense and smooth as silk.

6. “‘Round Midnight” Delightful. Pretty much your basic “Round Midnight” performance (with intro and coda), but an expert one. Reed talked about Kelley’s Monk book beforehand. (I’ve read it — it’s very good, although painfully thorough.) According to Reed, they edited 400 pages out! It’s pretty long even so.

7. “The Dancing Monk” Original Reed tribute piece. Good. Largely a drum feature.

8. “Blue Monk” This took the cake. Here’s a straightforward jazz blues, played at a medium tempo, and Reed turned it into a showstopper. They threw in a bit of the shout chorus from “Night Train.” People were spontaneously clapping along. Churchy and exhilarating. Is the world oversupplied with pianists who can take a medium-tempo blues and blow the roof off a room? Hell no!

9. “Ruby, My Dear” Reed says, “If you want to know who Ruby is, read the book.” Lovely rendition. Great trio.

So you wanna hear me play something? OK then, sure. Here’s Wayne Shorter’s “Limbo”.

Here’s a wonderful holiday gift for the music lovers in your life — my esteemed friend Noah Baerman’s new record “Know Thyself.” Buy thyself a copy! It is soulful, joyful, uplifting, and many other good things too. Here is all you need to know:

1. about the record: http://www.noahjazz.com/kt_info.html

2. download or buy physical disc here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/noahbaerman

3. streaming here: http://www.noahjazz.com/disc_knowthyself.html

At the very least, listen to the stream. What’s your excuse? 

My congratulations to Noah on producing this fine music and I wish him all the best moving forward.

I love Drew Gress’s bass playing. He plays on (at least) two discs in my collection — Don Byron’s “Romance with the Unseen” and Fred Hersch’s “Live at the Village Vanguard”. His playing has a magical aura.

When I heard Drew Gress was coming to town in Ravi Coltrane’s quartet, I immediately made plans to go. I didn’t know the band’s music at all but now I’m so glad I do. The group is dynamic, colorful, and energetic, and the advanced rhythm section playing reminds me of my old favorite, Miles Davis’s Herbie-Ron-Tony rhythm section.

Ravi Coltrane himself looks a lot like his father. It’s exciting in itself seeing those familiar wide eyes and the big mouth clamped down on the horn. He doesn’t sound like his Dad to me — rather he just sounds like a really capable tenor player. Good for him.

I loved the music. It thrilled, it attracted, it enticed, it threw open the door for reflection and introspection on matters large and small. They didn’t hurry, either in the moment, or to finish a tune, or to finish the set. Thanks gentlemen.

The set list:

1. “Nothing to Hide” (Bob Dorough) 8:30 - 8:59 
2. “October” (Ravi Coltrane?) till 9:11 
3. “Prelude” (Ravi Coltrane?) till 9:20 
4. “Epistrophy” (T. Monk) till 9:38 
5. “Ballad” (Ravi Coltrane?) till 9:46 
6. “Round Midnight” (T. Monk) till 10:04 

The band:

• Ravi Coltrane, tenor saxophone
• Luis Perdomo, piano
• Drew Gress, bass
• E.J. Strickland, drums

Here’s a post that’s just for me, really. This is another step in this blog’s transformation into a thorough personal musical journal.

I played a trio session this past Friday with friends Bruce Anderson (bass) and Doug Mitchell (drums). The piano was a freshly-tuned Mason Hamlin grand (one I’ve played a lot) and it was really at its best that night. Here’s what we played:

• Take the Coltrane
• Bye Bye Blackbird
• If I Were a Bell
• Great Pumpkin Waltz
• Bolivia
• Black Nile
• Green Dolphin Street
• Soon
• In a Sentimental Mood
• Yesterdays

I think “Pumpkin”, “Black Nile” and “Mood” came out best. Black Nile is one of my absolute favorites. The changes always sound so fresh, every time they come around. You can blow for a hundred choruses.

Caught Geof Bradfield’s sextet again tonight, this time a few blocks from my place at an inconspciuous, cozy spot called Room 43. They host a Sunday night jazz event each week. The audience is men & women, black & white, young & old, just like it oughtta be. The personnel was the same as at the Showcase a few nights ago (see my previous post), and the set list was the same except they omitted Central Avenue. The playing was again terrific, although the Room 43 performance lacked the transparent sound of the Showcase. Their sound guys should do a bit of fiddling.

Geof Bradfield is a Chicago-based reed player and composer. He’s got a new record out called African Flowers. (Geof’s toured Africa in the past.) I heard Geof and his outstanding sextet at last night’s 10 PM set at the Showcase, playing music mostly from that disc. It was terrific! The whole band was featured to great advantage, and my friends and I were delighted with the colorful repertoire and the fiery playing.

Geof Bradfield

Here’s the set list. Selections fom African Flowers are starred and (I believe) are all Geof’s compositions.

* Prelude
* Kampala
* The Nurse from Nairobi (featuring extended solo bass intro)
Skylark (piano/tenor duet)
Central Avenue (brand new piece)
* Harare (with extended trumpet and drum solos)

I have too many CDs already but after last night I’m sorely tempted to grab a copy of this one.

Geof played tenor and soprano saxophone and flute; Ryan Cohan, piano; Victor Garcia, trumpet, flugelhorn, and percussion; Jeff Parker, guitar; Clark Sommers, bass; George Fludas, drums. It’s worth mentioning that Ryan and Jeff, on piano and guitar, blended beautifully in a rhythm section combo that can be muddy in less skillful hands. I especially enjoyed Jeff Parker’s comping: clear, sonorous and spacious.

the view from my seat @ Chick show

Chick Corea with Christian McBride and Brian Blade

Oct 8 2010 8 PM

Symphony Center, Chicago

I scribbled some notes during this show. Here’s an edited transcription.

8:03 Bounding up the red-carpeted steps at the Symphony Center and so excited. The crowd is large — in the thousands — and I feel like I’m going to a playoff game: something newsworthy is definitely about to happen in the next few hours, but no one yet knows what the news will be.

Take my seat on the left side of the lower balcony: B17 — a great view and pretty close to the action. I can see the whole keyboard and Brian Blade will be facing me.

8:06 Here’s a dude to announce some stuff. Upcoming events and thanks for coming. Next time I take notes I’ll bring a pen that doesn’t click.

8:08 Here’s the trio. These seats are great! The musicians are right there in front of me, big and easy to see, and I’m not looking down at the tops of their heads. Chick looks well. He’s slimmed down and is sporting a small moustache. The other two wearing blue jeans. 

Tuning notes melt into a solo piano intro for the first tune. Chick’s playing a giant Yamaha concert grand as always. The piano sounds really great, clear and vivid. They’re playing Kurt Weill’s “This is New.” (I don’t know this tune.) Terrific arrangement and one already hopes this trio makes a record.

8:23 Pretty tune in E major (I don’t have perfect pitch, but I can see the piano keys.) It’s later announced to be a Scriabin prelude, Opus 11 No. 5? (hard to hear).

8:32 Thelonious Monk’s “Work.” I like this one. Transcribed a piano solo (Petrucciani) from this from a Joe Lovano record years ago, in college. Chick is taking a Monkish tack in his improvisation. I’m almost sure he’s told himself “No licks!” It’s good and skillful and the audience is digging it. Seems a little strained to me.

Problem with Symphony Center acoustics. The trio doesn’t sound quite right somehow. All piano and cymbals. The bass is kind of missing. You can hear the notes, but…it’s not really there. This would sound a thousand times better in a club.

8:41 Original tango-ish tune in e minor, a Chick original called ”Homage.” Good stuff.

8:50 Holy moley, it’s “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs”! This is worth the price of the ticket. Jeez Louise. They’re playing the tune faithfully but it sounds so different. Brian Blade is so intense. I’m trying to think if I’ve ever seen a drummer play mezzo-piano with such electricity. You just gotta hear this. It’s so modern and so historic. Those crazy Chick changes. Hard to imagine they’ll top this tonight. I wonder how many people here know what they’re hearing.

Chick patter after the tune. He says he first recorded this with Roy Haynes and Miroslav Vitous in 1918. Big laugh. Also says he’s never performed it before. That’s interesting. Gets another laugh talking about the “lyrical Scriabin prelude, beautifully titled … ‘Opus 11 No. 5’.”

9:10 McBride original “Sister Rosa”. Medium tempo swinger. Very very nice. Christian McBride makes playing the bass look just so easy, but executes like pretty much no one else.

9:21 “Alpha and Omega,” Brian Blade tune. I know this from “Season of Changes.” I won’t say it tops the original, but it’s very interesting to hear the Chick take on it. McBride accompanying so attentively. Rubato the whole way.

9:27 “Fingerprints,” a Chick tune from 10 or so years ago. Heard this a bunch of times with the Cohen/Ballard trio. Again, it’s so interesting to hear this trio’s new take on familiar material. It sounds very much the same as the original “Fingerprints” and very much different. Now the trio is relaxed and locked in. It seems Chick’s no longer challenging himself to do this or that — he’s just ripping. McBride quotes “Footprints” in his solo. Brian Blade takes a big dramatic solo and brings the house down. Unfortunately I get lost during the drum solo — the train came off the rails. Hate that. Chick and Christian definitely don’t get lost and they both seem delighted. And they come in at exactly the same moment. Crazy.

And that’s all folks! Standing ovation and encore is demanded.

Here’s the encore: a C blues with a boppish head. I don’t know it. Chick takes a very quiet solo and makes the other guys play softer and softer. Funny. McBride quotes “Pfrancing.” Chick trades with Blade, and let’s call it a night. By 10 PM I’m walking up Michigan Ave to catch the 10:20 train.

I for one wouldn’t have minded a bit more music, but this was a good show. Hopefully some of their audiences have more sympathetic acoustics to hear them in. Are they playing any clubs? I was lucky to hear McBride at the Showcase last year. That was BASS. I so hope this band makes a record or two.