Velvet Lounge

It was hailed as the return of the prairie prophet.

Fred Anderson made his return to the concert stage on Sunday, choosing to make his comeback with the Great Black Music Ensemble, the AACM big band that has been doing a residency under the direction of Mwata Bowden the first two Sundays of each month at the Velvet Lounge.

That Fred chose to play his first show back with the GBME was emblematic of his dedication to the AACM and the music community at large, a commitment that has manifested itself in myriad ways in Fred's life. He made the decision to stay in Chicago rather than head to NYC as many of his peers did. He's mentored many musicians, nurturing their growth. Most of all perhaps, he's run the Velvet Lounge, a venue that has never made Fred rich but has provided a breeding ground for creative music. His return show with the Great Black Music Ensemble helped to shine a light not only on his return, but also on the band and the organization. Fred Anderson, selfless as always.

The Great Black Music Ensemble swelled to 16 pieces on Sunday (18 if you include conductor Mwata Bowden and special guest soloist Fred Anderson). They try and get as many AACM members as possible involved, but the lineup fluctuates from as few as 7 or 8 to as many as 30 for any given concert. Apart from well known names like Nicole Mitchell and Ed Wilkerson, there are a lot of younger and older musicians who come out to play who don't gig out as much otherwise, so it provides a nice showcase for their playing.

Fred's presence certainly made it a special occasion. The concert began as a 360 degree musical experience, with Fred entering from the back of the room alongside the gentle accompaniment of Isaiah Spencer on drums and the pianist whose name escapes me. Fred's huge, bold sound has to be heard in person to be believed (take note New Yorkers, and don't miss him at the Vision Festival), probably the most powerful tenor sound I've ever heard. He sounded as good as ever as he spun his usual sinewy lines through the Velvet audience.

They played one long set, about an hour and a half, playing material from a Fletcher Henderson chart, to Douglas Ewart's Mars Blues. Fred was featured as a soloist throughout, and he brought the house down each time. It was nice to see Fred honored by the community: the pianist got up and said a few words about how much he meant to the musicians and people around him, and he received several standing ovations during and after the show. The band played great, and you can tell that some of the young players really get a lot from playing with their elders and getting encouragement and feedback from them. After an effusive tenor sax solo, the young Kevin Nabors got a fist-pound of encouragement from Ed Wilkerson, and trumpeter Leon Q turned the ensembles' heads when he started spinning around, playing at them as much as the audience.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Fred with a big band, and I'll see another first tonight when I see him with a quintet for his From the River to the Ocean CD release party. Unfortunately I can't make tomorrow night's show due to a prior commitment (although I might drop in for the second set if I get done early), but tonight should be an interesting show, mixing music with a Q&A session with John Corbett. I will report back tomorrow....

I'm a little late on this one, but Tzadik has decided to leave eMusic.

Mwanji has a nice roundup of more blogs for your feed reader.

The American Composers Forum podcast has a cool interview up with Odean Pope, Phillip Schroeder, and Laurie Des Marais. The topic? I'll let them describe:

"What do a jazz sax star, a post-Minimal composer, and a Deep Listener have in common? They once all served on a panel to decide commissioning grants for the American Composers Forum. Here they talk about life on the inside and dispel those tired myths about faceless bureaucrats deciding your future."

An interesting case study of UK Jazz distribution.

The Montreal Gazette has a nice write up about the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival.

I went and saw the Rob Brown Trio with William Parker and Gerald Cleaver on Friday night at the Velvet Lounge. Sometimes I don't have the stamina to write up a full review, and this is one of those times. Briefly, the music was excellent, and they played some very interesting pieces of music written by Mr. Brown for his quartet that includes Craig Taborn, but were altered for the trio format. I had never seen Gerald Cleaver live before and he was absolutely excellent, and had an ease and economy of motion in his drumming that was particularly enjoyable. His rhythmic repoire with William Parker was excellent, and Rob Brown was on fire all night, spitting out intriguing improvisations and leading his compositions with poise.

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the Craig Taborn Trio at the Velvet Lounge. This was the second night of a two night run at the venue, and only the third performance by this particular lineup as far as I know, the first one occurring as part of the first annual Umbrella Music festival that happened last fall.

The lineup consisted of Craig Taborn on piano (a beautiful baby grand, a rare sight at the Velvet - I'm told Mike Reed was responsible for this - nice touch, Mike), Josh Abrams on bass, Mike Reed on drums, and for the second set only last night, a special and unexpected treat of Nicole Mitchell on flute.

As far as I could tell, insofar as there was no sheet music on stage or tunes called, the music was entirely improvised. If they were playing Mr. Taborn's music, I wouldn't have known anyway since I am unfortunately unfamiliar with his own work as a leader. I only know of his playing through his work with Roscoe Mitchell. Maybe someone could help me remedy that situation by recommending a recording of his.

When three patently patient musicians such as these three convene, the music can sometimes take a while to pick up, and I would say that was the case last night. The first set came to a nice simmer about halfway through, and I was consistently impressed by the sensitive use of dynamics by the group. They had no problem improvising at the level of a whisper or a roar, and their interplay displayed an ethic of close listening. Particularly, I found it compelling the extent to which each of the individual members felt comfortable leading, following, reacting, or acting entirely individually, which led to a wide array of improvisations.

Craig Taborn is a fantastic pianist who covers a lot of ground in the course of one concert. His technique is obviously superb and he references myriad genres and stylistic flourishes with a sense of nonchalance. He found two great partners in his musical endeavor in Josh Abrams, one of my favorite, dare I say up and coming,  bassists in Chicago. I don't know if he should be up and coming because in my mind he's already arrived, performing with the likes of Fred Anderson , Nicole Mitchell, Jeff Parker, and many others, in addition to his diverse musical practices with Prefuse 73 and Town & Country. Mike Reed is a member of the aforementioned Umbrella Music group, a tireless advocate and organizer in addition to his excellent drumming and musicianship.

The second set saw the band expand to a quartet with the addition of the definitely-arrived Nicole Mitchell. It was great to see Nicole thrown into the mix here. Her rapport with Craig Taborn was instant, and I would love to see them perform as a duo. Their ideas seemed to meld and compliment immediately, as they took turns leading, following, and generally participating in the music being made.

Nicole's integration of her voice into her flute playing is unparalleled in my listening experiences in this music. She will be singing at one moment and then bring her flute to her mouth and pick up right where the flute playing led off. Sometimes the singing comes almost to a yell (with an excellent sense of pitch, might I add) that brings a sense of catharsis to the proceedings. Who here hasn't wanted to scream out on occasion when listening to some stirring improvisations?

This quartet created some downright otherworldly sounds, and utilized a sense of juxtaposition and contrast throughout the set. At one point, Josh Abrams and Mike Reed held down a minimal groove while Ms. Mitchell and Mr. Taborn spiraled over the top. It was truly sublime music. If the first set simmered, the second set certainly boiled over.

The proceedings were being recorded, I assume for commercial release. I hope that does indeed happen so I can hear what else this group did the night before, and relive some of the thrilling music made last night.

I had the pleasure of seeing Douglas Ewart and Inventions last night at the Velvet Lounge here in Chicago. I've seen this band many times over the years, almost always at the Velvet, and in various configurations. Last night's band was a Septet, featuring: Douglas Ewart on clarinets, sopranino sax, didgeridoo and flute, Ed Wilkerson on tenor and didgeridoo, Mwata Bowden on baritone sax, clarinet, wood flute, and didgeridoo, Dee Alexander on vocals, Duriel Harris on vocals, Darius Savage on bass, and Dushun Mosley on drums.

I've also seen the band as a quintet, an octet, a nonet, and a tentet, with members such as Jeff Parker, Lester Lashley, Hamid Drake, Avreaayl Ra, and Wallace LaRoy McMillan.

Douglas always titles his concerts; last night and the night before were entitled "Good Friend Better Than Pocket Money." Well said Douglas.

The show started off with a quartet of Mwata Bowden, Darius Savage, Dushun Mosley and Duriel Harris taking the stage for a meditative groove that backed the poetry of the lovely Ms. Harris. Mwata played didgeridoo and also used a stick to strike the instrument for percussion, and the Savage/Mosley rhythm section put a nice steady groove behind them.

That segued into a trio of the other three musicians which ended up being a highlight of the show: Douglas Ewart on bass clarinet, Ed Wilkerson on tenor, and Dee Alexander on vocals.

It's too bad Douglas is hiding behind the music stand because you can't see the incredible shirt he's wearing: all of those colors you see on it are buttons sewed on.

In any case, back to the music: this trio played a truly sublime improvisation. Dee can do incredible things with her voice. With my eyes closed I could have sworn I heard an analog synth of some kind coming from the stage, but indeed it was Ms. Alexander's voice. Ewart and Wilkerson have a deep musical repoire they've cultivated over the years and it showed here as they wove their lines together, creating spontaneous counterpoint with incredible results.

A word about Ed Wilkerson: he's one of my favorite tenor players and hugely underrated for both his own instrumental musical abilities as well as his compositional prowess. His work with his big band, Shadow Vignettes (the subject of a recent documentary, Odd Eye O Mumbo Jumbo) as well as his innovative 8 Bold Souls. He's a fantastic player in the inside/outside tradition, and his tone makes me melt every time. There seems to be no note or phrase that escapes the wrath of his enormous sense of conviction that pervades his stage presence and music. Last night he was on as usual, and he is aging very well musically, fitting into every situation with restraint or boldness depending on the needs of the situation.

Another highlight of the evening was the opener of the second set that had Darius Savage switching to fretless electric bass and turned into a steady rocking, rollicking, marching number with an incredibly catchy melody and fantastic solos by Mwata Bowden on clarinet, Ed Wilkerson on tenor and Mr. Ewart on flute.

The didgeridoo numbers are always a treat for me. All 3 players, Bowden, Wilkerson and Ewart are excellent circular breathers so they can get into some deep trance and grooves which I always enjoy.

The only downside of the evening were the chatty folks behind me who stick out like a sore thumb at the Velvet which is well known amongst regular audience members as a sanctuary for quiet listening.

Douglas Ewart and Inventions will be back at the Velvet in June for two nights to celebrate a CD release of material culled from many appearances at the Velvet, a long overdue document of this band. I have no problem saying that every time I see Inventions I hear something magical happen.

I think I'm going to go back to the Velvet tonight to see the Great Black Music Ensemble big band. Word on the street is that Fred Anderson will make a return to performing after a lengthy hiatus by appearing with the band on June 10th. More details later.

Remainder:

Check out the republished articles from Bells, a '70s music 'zine, being reprinted by the folks at Metropolis [via AMN].

"Part One includes reviews and discussions of the work of Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, Marion Brown, Roscoe Mitchell, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Don Moye, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, David Murray, and others."

The new NYC issue of All About Jazz has an interview with Jimmy Cobb, a spotlight on the Black Saint and Soul Note labels, a nice Ted Panken feature on Muhal Richard Abrams, a piece by Marc Ribot about the Tonic situation, a feature on Alvin Batiste, as well as the usual assortment of reviews and listings. You can download a PDF of it here.

As an aside, Mr. Abrams will be gracing Chicago's Millennium Park stage this summer to play a solo set of piano music, in a double bill with MacArthur grant winner and ragtime revivalist Reginald Robinson. Should be an interesting juxtaposition.

And speaking of Black Saint and Soul Note, All About Jazz has an article up about the label.

If you subscribe to the American Composers Forum podcasts here, you can listen to a recent interview with Susie Ibarra.

I'm going to see Douglas Ewart and Inventions at the Velvet Lounge tonight, also featuring Ed Wilkerson, Mwata Bowden, Dee Alexander and others. Will report back with details and maybe even some pictures if I remember to bring a camera.

I had the pleasure of seeing cornetist, composer, and fellow blogger Taylor Ho Bynum's trio, quartet, and quintet last night at the Velvet Lounge here in Chicago. He rolled into town as part of a tour his trio is doing, Chicago representing the western-most stop on the trip. I'm always happy to see out of town artists making it to Chicago, especially people who don't have a built in audiences and are taking a chance on playing here and building one.

Lucky for us Chicagoans we saw not only his trio, but also a quartet with bassist Nate McBride and a quintet that added the flutes of Nicole Mitchell, which allowed Mr. Bynum to display his playing and compositions in a variety of settings, with a range of timbres, and of course some changed dynamics and interplay. The results of all three configurations were fantastic.

I had never heard Mr. Bynum's own music until I walked into the Velvet that night - I had heard his playing with Anthony Braxton and with Jason Kao Hwang's Edge on recording, but otherwise went in ear unheard (akin to sight unseen).

The concert started with the trio and built throughout, adding Nate McBride on bass halfway through the first set and then Nicole Mitchell at the start of the second set.

My first impression of the trio was that Mr. Bynum keeps excellent musical company.

Tomas Fujiwara was fantastic on the drums, lending sensitive accompaniment as well as active musical input all through an astonishing economy of motion.

Mary Halvorson was an unassuming monster on the guitar, utilizing the whole fretboard, a whammy pedal, and her own impressive chops, technique, and musicality to produce some incredible music.

And Taylor himself played adeptly on the cornet, an instrument which I must admit is dear to my heart as my first instrument, a tarnished, beat up horn that I inherited from my father and played amongst a row of shiny rented trumpets in 4th grade concert band.

Mr. Bynum utilizes the horn's full range and all of its timbral possibilities, at times framing the proceedings with textures and interjections and other times taking on the traditional role of melody in the ensemble. I hesitate to say there was much "soloing" during the concert by any member, although of course there was - but this was truly an ensemble situation, and while certain members were highlighted and showcased at times, there was a remarkably egalitarian slant to the compositions and improvisations.

The addition of Nate McBride on bass added quite a lot to the rhythmic interplay with Tomas Fujiwara, and it also fleshed out the range of the ensemble by adding the low end. The addition of Nicole Mitchell added her unique voice to the ensemble and really brought out some of Taylor's compositional skills in a higher relief harmonically and timbrally than is possible in the trio.

I only made it partway through the second set before my drooping Tuesday night eyes led me back home. I did pick up Taylor's sextet's new album the Middle Picture which I look forward to listening to and writing about. I noticed that Mr. Bynum's CDs hold an esteemed spot on the shelf next to Donald Byrd and just a short way down from Mr. Bill Dixon.

Nice to meet you Taylor - thanks for the great music - sorry I didn't make it till the end of the show to chat more. Hopefully we'll see you in Chicago again soon!