Jon3 18.vii.11 New York artists featured

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Jez Nelson presents trumpeter Byron Wallen in a specially recorded session with saxophonist Steve Lehman and his trio, plus New York group Paradoxical Frog at the 2011 Vision Festival.

Wallen has carved an international reputation within and beyond jazz, playing with everyone from Wynton Marsalis and Freddie Hubbard to Chaka Khan and William Orbit. His Indigo band has earned renown in recent years, and he is joined for this one-off encounter by US saxophonist Steve Lehman and his trio.

Paradoxical Frog explore free improvisation within long, spacious forms. The trio formed after F-IRE Collective saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock moved from London to New York and features pianist Kris Davis and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. For this performance they are joined by violinist and viola player Mat Maneri.

Also on the programme, writer Geoff Dyer pays homage to Keith Jarrett ahead of his forthcoming London gig.

looks most interesting ....

[Serial_Apologist]

looks most interesting ....

Indeed it does

Funny that the trio formed to play free improvisation, after Ingrid laubrock left for New York to concentrate more on... free improvisation

I know it doesn't actually *say* that in the blurb, but it's what actually happened...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

listening now to the Wallen Lehman ensemble with great pleasure, impressive and engaging soloing, tight ensemble, not the exuberance of MOPDTK but in a more refined part of that bag ... recommended

[handsomefortune]

thanks for the reminder to listen calum.

yes, a really interesting bunch of contrasting musicians.

i particularly enjoyed the bass solo, and drums in the vibrant lehman/wallen set on jo3.

up next, was the keith jarrett homage from jo3 guest, geoff dyer. although tbh, i didn't think of a 'space shuttle launch' (even once), as mentioned by geoff dyer apparently in response to listening to jarrett's band. although i do think ticket prices are still rocketing, despite the economic downturn.

it's positive that keith jarrett insists on a silent, attentive audience obviously. however, he needs to take more care when he 'sings', but his piano playing is really coming along!

but seriously, as with the snippet of discussion about the allegedly 'unwanted' divide between 'jazz journalism and jazz musicians' (as per brief chat last week on jo3), the jarrett homage was particularly worthwhile, due to the snippet of discussion about 'free playing standardised' ....but (again) potentially interesting discussion was over far too quickly imo.

last up, 'paradoxical frog'. imo mat maneri's viola/violin sounded a bit like a glass harmonica in parts, reminscent of victorian health warnings, theories about pitch, and 'music causing madness'! tyshawn sorey is obviously a fabulous drummer, and there's evidently quite a bit of ingrid laubrock/kris davis on utube, including material from previous outfits, 'anti house' and 'sleepthief' respectively. 'the noise upstairs' looks like an interesting venue, for those interested in experimental performance, and living north of 'watford uk'.

perhaps an incidental measure (of sorts) of just how diverse jo3 is, from week to week, is unwittingly provided by the classical playlist following jez's show. this week, jo3 last track, 'lonely woman' was followed by a predictably cliched intro, reflecting a sweet tooth in mainstream classical music taste. that is, especially after the musical adventures, typical of jo3 playlist....content often particularly welcome, especially after a media/marketing tendency towards 'too much sugar' generally. perhaps people are alot more picky in recession? as jez mentioned, in relation to poor tickets sales ... i guess we can only hope that there is a silver lining in reassessing personal taste, due to lack of spare cash? evidently, ticketmarketuk are knocking out tickets for keith jarrett's gig from £136.76p ... which makes me wonder just how many £s actually reach the trios' pockets realistically?

anti house: 'tom can't sleep'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OPDPD9krpA&feature=related

tbf, despite being ny based, and building an international reputation, laubrock still plays here, and at small venues .....as well as prestigious jazz events, worldwide.

[hackneyvi]

listening now to the Wallen Lehman ensemble with great pleasure, impressive and engaging soloing, tight ensemble, not the exuberance of MOPDTK but in a more refined part of that bag ... recommended

thanks for the reminder to listen calum.

yes, a really interesting bunch of contrasting musicians.

i particularly enjoyed the bass solo, and drums in the vibrant lehman/wallen set on jo3.

Oh, boy! And me. What a lovely afternoon in the back yard with the iPlayer. A great set from Ballen/Lehman (never heard of either ) and solid music!; no applause, just band murmurs for 45 minutes (?). The first piece rhythms reminded me of something Ege Bamyasi by Can - Vitamin C? Then, when the Miles Davis track from Live Evil (astounding, What I Say) came up, it seemed to explain Remain in Light, particularly Crosseyed and Painless (?) David Byrne's strangulations standing in for Davis' trumpet, and The Great Curve with Adrian Belew for John McLaughlin's shriek out.

A great show and Paradoxical Frog still to come.

[hackneyvi]

last up, 'paradoxical frog'. imo mat maneri's viola/violin sounded a bit like a glass harmonica in parts, reminscent of victorian health warnings, theories about pitch, and 'music causing madness'! tyshawn sorey is obviously a fabulous drummer, and there's evidently quite a bit of ingrid laubrock/kris davis on utube, including material from previous outfits, 'anti house' and 'sleepthief' respectively. 'the noise upstairs' looks like an interesting venue, for those interested in experimental performance, and living north of 'watford uk'.

anti house: 'tom can't sleep'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OPDPD9krpA&feature=related

tbf, despite being ny based, and building an international reputation, laubrock still plays here, and at small venues .....as well as prestigious jazz events, worldwide.

They were brilliant! Mat Maneri played round the corner from me a few weeks ago and I didn't bother going ...

How composed and how free was the music? This was another unfamiliar sound to me - such a mix. I heard a snippet in the last day or two and thought, something like, "Does free music take the space left for it by the previous musics?" I've heard several combos and the impression I had of them is that they swerve as soon as they find a groove; but this band did the opposite, were wonderfully fireworking, spit and shrill and also funky, solemn, soft. What a wonderful half hour.

There's too much music.

[handsomefortune]

we're episodes behind already, but hackneyvi, i saved this to desk top, and forgot to post you it.

> Oh boy! And me. What a lovely afternoon in the back yard with the iPlayer. A great set from Ballen/Lehman (never heard of either ) and solid music!; no applause, just band murmurs for 45 minutes (?). <

agreed hackneyvi!

absolutely nothing like your own 'personal outdoor r3 jazz festival' ....and 'band murmers' minus hype! logically, jo3 might ideally be broadcast friday, or saturday evening, with w/e party spirit in mind? instead, it goes out late monday night .... ????? (go fathom)! now, apparently alyn shipton's 'jl' is to move to midnight ... (absolutely ridiculous, upside down beeb values alert)

i'd never heard of steve lehman, or byron wallen either - ......but surely that's what my radio's for: to introduce me to new stuff. there's never any need for 'blushes' as far as new names are concerned imo....it's just a bonus, if anything! it's the the over familiar bunch of names in a given music genre, that more often make me blush .... usually with nausea, contempt at the familiarity, dependency on repetition.


> The first piece rhythms reminded me of something Ege Bamyasi by Can - Vitamin C?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIyttsHIpDU

i love that 'can', ladys finger/okra album cover btw. funnily enough, i thought of 'the stone roses', and the drumming on 'fools gold' ...but then, they loved 'can'! so, absolutely no coincidences there.

Then, when the Miles Davis track from Live Evil (astounding, What I Say) came up, it seemed to explain Remain in Light, particularly Crosseyed and Painless (?) David Byrne's strangulations standing in for Davis' trumpet, and The Great Curve with Adrian Belew for John McLaughlin's shriek out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g8lF...eature=related

akshirley, i don't know much at all about miles davis's music. the media overkill puts me right off, as a rule. plus (imo) his 80s trumpet sound was thin but hip ...like someone lurking, while messing with air released from the neck of a balloon. a bit synth like somehow, although i am aware that stating this is like heavy swearing..... i know! plus, there's all those moody/mean pictures of davis, dolled up in suits, underfed and bad tempered. still, his earlier stuff is definitely better imv .....which this mb/r3 jazz progs often illustrate.

ideally, r3 will streamline keith jarrett's solo performance in london to the nation ..... ideally! the year 1945 produced so many maverick artists (across all the arts) .... i suspect there must have been something in the powdered egg, and ration food! keith jarrett is no exception.

> Mat Maneri played round the corner from me a few weeks ago and I didn't bother going ...<

well now you know what you missed hackneyvi ....so you can put maneri on your 'to do' list, maybe look out for him in other new ensembles.

> spit and shrill and also funky, solemn, soft. <

yes, especially agree regarding your 'solemn, soft' description...

i listened to this jo3 several times, as i often do when there's a lot of contrast between music played. this was an especially original, thoughtful episode of contemporary music. ideally, r3 jazz usually benefits from repeat listens ....(so logically, the beeb should be repeating r3 jazz progs, for those without/inconsistent access to pc/ipod - if anything)? i remembered 'paradoxical frog' as staccato ....listened again, and they were alot else besides. i guess 'solemn and soft' is a positive direction, if some more mainstream artists tend to seek to reflect current life as typically 'dramatic' ....as in 'harsh, competitive, bright n breezy, insincere but tuneful'?

> How composed and how free was the music? <

dunno! perhaps realistically only they know? repetition can dramatically change perceptions about composition imo.

> "Does free music take the space left for it by the previous musics?" <

other than trends tend to oppose, be opposite, in reaction to what preceded...i dunno. money and politics play a part too of course.

i guess burning dog's point (sorry to cross thread) about the role of music venues now, in defining stylistic parameters these days ... is an important aspect of contemporary gig going, and music appreciation. meanwhile, obviously more theoretical discussions occurr on here, and thankfully, verbally, within both 'jazz library' and jo3. thankfully, alyn shipton has little desire to be a 'personality driven, celeb obssesed, radio dj' and really enjoys 'dry' facts, and retrospection.....and though jez nelson looks suspiciously like a 'dj' he's (thankfully) not, strictly speaking either. so, between this mb, and r3 jazz progs, interesting ideas about chronology and stylistic fusions exist, (mainly) minus the usual promotional marketing fibs, considered 'normal' to mainstream music appreciation in the late 20th, and (especially) 21st c. i notice i'm not that sdrawn to listen to 'jrr', or the new dame's show, about new cd releases ...perhaps i should make more effort....but it probably grates against my own, self made 'music consumption rules'!


> There's too much music. <

if it's good - how can there ever be 'too much' ...? so, arguably potentially a great position to feel you're in! although dividing listening up, separating jarrett, from lehman, from frog etc probably makes towards a more focused appreciation of each. as with an artist's top choices .... the sheer contrast in music is what can potentially feel 'swamping' imo? evidently, you've already sussed this yourself - as you left the frogs till last, to listen to. me too!

not that we'd presumably want programmes minus dazzling 'contrast' in approach. there's a lot to be said for 'music nerds' too obviously. however, of late, it's such a shame that 'nerdiness' is often only respected, when it revolves around technology, or banking...! i found it difficult to appreciate harry sweets edison's choices of music on 'jl', as the choices felt so random. imo quite a few (mainstreamish) tracks were mildly disappointing somehow. although it's normally always good to hear billy holiday, right now, after amy winehouse dying, it just made me feel angry ..... so what with the grief, and jumping around, according to edison's taste .... it wasn't my fave edition. plus, illogically, you'd have thought music/discussion about jarrett, would have been better suited to 'jazz library'? maybe because i haven't (as yet) forgiven jez, for saying that 'rasta man chant' by 'sons of kemet' was 'a great dance tune' ....a statement loaded with confliction, generality, and bitter irony surely?

[Serial_Apologist]

the year 1945 produced so many maverick artists

Quite a few maverick non-artists, too

the role of music venues now, in defining stylistic parameters these days

But 'twas ever thus...

S-A

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep!

Quite a few maverick non-artists, too

[grippie]

yep!! used to love it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en-GB&v=23PKU1DeHyU

[Serial_Apologist]

Yep - but how many of our age-group remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZgBl-t7vY&feature=related

That was where one first heard Spanish music and had ones first taste of Spanish homoeroticism

"Oh Pannnncho!" "Ooooooh CISSSSSco!"