Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano Sound Prints Quintet at the Bass Concert Hall

Good thing I read the Chronicle

Living in Austin, I have a weekly ritual where I make sure to obtain an Austin Chronicle on Thursday, and check the local music listings. Fortunately, I just happened to spot a Jazz show at the Bass Concert Hall, for the Dave Douglas and Joe Lovano quintet, on Friday night.

I had to go to this show, because I know Dave. He was in fact, indirectly responsible for helping me find my Jazz piano teacher and mentor, John Esposito back in 1987. I worked with one of his trumpet students, and Dave and John were working together in the band, Second Sight.

Over the remaining 5 years that I lived in the Mid-Hudson Valley, I saw Dave perform with multiple bands, and as part of the FM Artists Coalition in Woodstock, NY. (The FM Coalition was primarily a series of multi-medium, House Shows long before anyone had conceived of the term, House Concert).

I arrived at the Bass about an hour early, and had to wait to enter the hall. They are pretty strict about not allowing photos during the show, so I took this one of the empty stage beforehand.

The members of the band included:

• Joe Lovano - Saxophone
• Dave Douglas - Trumpet
• Lawrence Fields - Piano
• Linda Oh - Bass
• Joey Baron - Drums

The musicianship of this quintet was exceptional. It was a real treat to hear a group playing Jazz at this level.

They played a single set, which lasted about 90 minutes, and at one point of the show, Joe and Dave did share the mic and announce the first group of songs. They neglected or forgot to repeat this later for the remainder of the program. My understanding is that the music selected was inspired by Wayne Shorter, and I heard various homages to Shorter's work hidden within these original compositions.

The following list is an incomplete set list of what they played:

• Sounds Prints (Lovano)
• Sprints (Douglas)
• Dream State (Douglas)
• Weather Man (Lovano)
• Ups and Downs (Douglas)
• Mystic
• High Noon
• Power Ranger (Douglas)
• Be Breath (?)

After the show, I was able to track down Dave, say hello, and get a CD signed. I also discovered that he has played Austin quite often, so I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for future shows.

Samples

Although not from this show, I found this link on the NPR site of the quintet playing at the Village Vanguard, in NYC.

Neil Young Solo at the Bass Concert Hall

SxSW 2006

Ever since my junior high school days, I have been a Neil Young fan. Unfortunately, I had never seen him play live, having to satisfy myself with seeing him deliver the keynote speech, at SxSW 2006. I was disappointed at that time, because Neil didn't perform during the festival.

Afterward, I purchased a copy of the Jonathan Demme documentary, Neil Young: Heart of Gold on DVD. While watching the film, I made a mental note to myself, to try and catch Neil soon.

Fast forward to 2010

When they announced that Neil was playing a solo show at the Bass Concert Hall, I made plans. However, I anticipated problems getting tickets, since UT's ticketing system sucks, when there's high demand.

Initially, it appeared my prediction was correct, and my friends and I failed to get into the website. Miraculously, I was able to secure a single ticket in the Orchestra section several hours later. Sometimes it pays to be lucky.

Preshow

Several days before the show, a email was sent out by the TX Performing Art Center. The note advised ticket holders that they would only be allowed to be seated during song breaks (a policy I actually liked). In addition, the note said that cameras and recording devices would be prohibited, and the artist had asked that people not use cell phone cameras either.

This seems to be a growing trend now by some artists, beyond just Robert Fripp and Van Morrison, now. I honor these requests when they're made, but looking around, not everyone complied.

As I entered Bass, I discovered that my 10th row seat was right in the middle, which was absolutely perfect for both the visual and auditory experience.

Opening Act

The opening act was Bert Jansch. Bert is a relatively unknown, but highly influential Singer/Songwriter from Scotland. Neil lists him as an influence, and after hearing Bert perform, it's easy to see why. The packed house gave him a well deserved, standing ovation at the completion of his set.

Stage

The stage set for Neil's show had four stations:

• Front and center there were two microphone stands, one for seated performance, the other for standing performance. There were 3 or 4 Fender or Mesa Boogie Amps, I was just far enough away, I couldn't tell what they were.
• In the rear and in the center on a riser, there was a small Reed Organ, the type you pump with your feet.
• Stage right, there was a console/tack piano.
• And finally, stage left, there was a weathered Baby Grand.

As for the guitars themselves, Neil used 4 different guitars. Playing whatever was appropriate for the particular song.

• Neil used two acoustic guitars. The first appeared to be a Martin, and was used to open the set with My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue). The second guitar had a dark finish, and an absolutely incredible deep resonant tone, on the lower strings.
• A Black Les Paul was brought out, as he played Down By the River.
• Last but not least, a Gibson Hollow-body, was used to introduce the very recognizable intro to Ohio.

Along with the guitars, he also had the requisite harmonicas, as well, with appropriate neck straps. The tack piano was used starting with Leia, and the organ made its appearance with After the Gold Rush

Songs

Surprisingly, the setlist for the Bass Show was already posted at the Sugar Mountain site, by the time I had arrived home. While slightly disappointed that I didn't get to hear Heart of Gold, Sugar Mountain, or the The Needle and the Damage Done, there was enough material to keep any Neil Young fan happy.

I would also like to add, that I was awed by Neil's stage presence. Even performing solo, his performance almost demanded your attention. I'm anxiously looking forward to seeing Neil again.

Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer at the Bass Concert Hall

An eclectic, but interesting show. Bela Fleck, was accompanied by Tabla Master, Zakir Hussain, and Acoustic Bassist, Edgar Meyer. I've seen Bela 3 times within the past two years at ACL and SxSW, with the Sparrow Quartet and the Flecktones. It is also the second time that I have seen Zakir, who is incredible. This is the first time that I have ever seen Edgar play.

The show last night, consisted of two sets of approximately 1 hour, with a short intermission, and a single song encore. The acoustics were fantastic, with this trio being almost tailor made for the Bass Hall.

All I can say about this show is that it was a fascinating fusion of Indian Classical, Bluegrass, and American Jazz, by 3 masters. Plenty of room was left for improvisation by each musician. Any further attempts at a description would fall into the Dancing about Architecture category.

This trio did record a CD, The Melody of Rhythm which I highly recommend.

Sonny Rollins at the Bass Concert Hall

When I noticed this show, I had to get a ticket. Sonny Rollins is a living Jazz legend. He was there when BeBop was born, and played with Miles, Monk, Max, and Trane (just to name a few). Now at 78 years of age, he is the last man standing... and still going strong.

The show tonight started promptly at 7PM, and as I entered, I was surprised to see a much denser crowd than the Five Peace Band. My seats were no where near as good as for that show either. I was almost in the last row, and my attempts to capture a picture at that distance were futile.

The band for tonight's show totalled six members:

1. Sonny Rollins - Tenor Sax
2. Clifton Anderson - Trombone
3. Bobby Broom - Guitar
4. Bob Cranshaw - Electric Bass
5. Victor Y. See Yuen - Congas and African Percussion
6. Kobie Watkins - Drums

The first number was an ostinato groove, with Sonny soloing all over the place. For the first 5 or 6 choruses, however, his sound was very low. This was remedied by a microphone replacement mid-song, during the Trombone solo. Sonny was greeted with thunderous applause, when the new microphone made his playing more audible.

I estimate the show lasted approximately 1 hr and 45 minutes, with a single encore. About 8 tunes in all, and two of which were ballads. Unlike Dizzy, Sonny still has the stamina to belt it out. I was particularly impressed with several long sustains, and his ability to draw upon every book of the Jazz Tenor canon.

From the band, the standouts for me were the 2 percussionists, and the Trombone player. I only wish that they had let the Trombonist solo more. I also enjoyed the several occasions, where he and Sonny played in unison.

At the end of the evening, Sonny went to the Mic and mentioned that it was the first time he had played in Austin, since playing Armadillo WHQ. Last but not least, he sang during part of the encore, a straight ahead Blues number.

Do I really need to convince you to try and see him? (I hope not).