We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Maisha!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2021 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Earlier in the month we reviewed the newest single from Maisha and the full length from their saxophonist Nubya Garcia (which also made our year end review of 2020). Now we dip back to 2017 and catch the band on home turf as they deliver a set from the Boiler Room in London.
Recorded by Dillon while in lockdown during 2020, along with producer Chad Meise, the trilogy of albums: Shoot The Moon, Suitcase Man and 1918 will be released immediately via bandcamp then, through the Royal Potato label, vinyl records will be offered on March 12th.
Dillon recorded one of our favorite albums from last year, Rosewoodisa mature collection of sounds that signaled a new direction for the artist, so we are very excited to see what the new trilogy has in store.
The first single from 1918 has been released and can be heard below, it is titled "Pinocchio".
Billed as 'traditional jazz from deep in the heart of Texas', the Dallas based outfit The Dirty River Dixie Band, has clear roots a bit further south and east at the mouth of the Mississippi in New Orleans and traditional Dixieland Jazz. The players look to the past on High Life In San Antone to deliver old-timey charm.
Sounding straight out of the 1920's the bands direct style and sound is light and easy to get up and dance to as the classic "Dipper Mouth Blues" kicks off the record. The group are well versed on tunes that are from a long time ago as: Kris Vargas - Cornet; Curtis Calderon - Cornet; Nick Brown - Clarinet/Tenor Sax; Ian Anderson - Trombone; Tyler Jackson - Banjo/Tenor Guitar; Dan Walton - Piano; Edwin Brown - Sousaphone; Chris Alvarado - Drums each take turns shining.
A album highlight is "China Boy", an exhilarating rush of banjo and fast paced horn flutters while "Moonglow" is a more contemplative piano lead number as the band blows with early jazz and blues styles. "Dinah", "Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night", "I Never Knew" and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" showcase strong vocal work as well as solos from the band as the collective mixes up their instrumental sounds with some vocal styling.
However The Dirty River Dixie Band are most successful when they dive into their preferred sound such as on "Snake Rag" which features full band strutting, "Stevedore Stomp" which cackles with speakeasy energy and the original uptown funk of the groups take on Duke Ellington's "Jungle Nights In Harlem" which blazes with sleek brass runs.
The group plays a specific type of music, but one that has lasted the test of time and this release in particular is important to the band as it is dedicated to their friend and mentor Jim Cullum Jr a fixture on the Dixieland Jazz scene from Dallas who passed away last year. Jim closes High Life In San Antone with a message of love and some playing as The Dirty River Dixie Band puts fourth an excellent effort in his honor.
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Support the artists, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: The Soul Rebels
Tonight The Soul Rebels take to the Brooklyn Bowl stage...time traveling back to 2015 with special guest Roy Hargrove. Stream it at 9pm EST.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: James Singleton, Mike Dillon, Jonathan Freilich, James Evans @ Sidebar NOLA
There is some live jazz going down today in New Orleans at 7pm CST:
This Record Store Day release titled Double Image has a slightly interesting history as the tracks were originally included on The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, released in 1998. The truth of it is though these songs were not part of the Bitches Brew sessions proper, but recorded sometime after (November '69 and February '70), just before Miles moved on to Jack Johnson. Technically these songs would fall into that bridge between the two records, but they were lumped in for the Bitches Brew extended release. No matter what you label them though, make sure they have the word 'outtakes' on them, because they clearly are.
The band joining Davis are some of his most well known collaborators, Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, John McLaughlin on electric guitar and a triple-threat electric piano section featuring Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea and Larry Young.The tracks for the most part feel like the band trying stuff out an just throwing phrases at the wall, seeing what sticks.
Opener "Yaphet" starts off meandering (an adjective that describes the release as a whole) with little desire to do much of anything. "Corrado" is way over long but has a few moments of magical brilliance which pop up when the band seem to be lost, before the two versions of "The Little Blue Frog" feel ominous but incomplete.
The albums title track is a freaky groove that bumps along with direction and key/horn/guitar slices, producing the best complete effort on the record while "Feio"sets a tone with it's sparse creepiness and dripping percussion. "Recollections" has traces of In A Silent Way flowing through it with closer "Take It Or Leave It" featuring the warmest horn from Miles on this outtake album.
Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson are two of the greatest modern jazz records, so naturally hearing what Miles and crew were up to during any sessions around this era would be interesting, but these recordings are strictly for die hard fans as they are sketches in progress without any real direction. For Davis completists and vinyl enthusiasts, Double Image is a slightly interesting release but all other listeners can skip this one.
The free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements second album Who Sent You? is a collection of worried numbers which are connected and concerned with modern day ills focusing on racial injustice and police brutality. The New York/Philadelphia/Washington based players put their heart, soul, and minds on display during the long tracks.
The band Camae Ayewa - voice, texts Keir Neuringer - saxophone, percussion Aquiles Navarro - trumpet, percussion Luke Stewart - double bass, percussion Tcheser Holmes - drums, congas, are addressing painful issues over the albums run time. Opening with Stewart's bass leading the march accented by light cymbals before Ayewa delivers fractured American poetry setting the scene for what's to come during "The Code Noir / Amina".
The centerpiece of the release is "Who Sent You - Ritual" which begins with a skittering manic intro that never relents while paranoia seeps in everywhere. A police state is addressed before receding to nervous trumpet pops and a cooling sax leaves the listener "gasping for air". The elongated track could perhaps be paired down to pack more of a visceral punch, but the message has been delivered.
"No Mas" is a musical highlight with hip shaking flair and prominent horn blowing while "Blues Ideology" is more free-form scattered with verbal jabs at religion before closer "Bread Out of Stone" ends the album on a percussive minimalist musical tone around poetry on slavery and broken heritage.
The mix of anxious soul poetry and rage about the modern political situation flows through not only the spoken words but he music itself as the band coalesces around and unfair past and uncertain future. Irreversible Entanglements Who Sent You? is a modern jazz recording with it's ear to the streets embodying America's fractured state.
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Charles lloyd & The Marvels playing "Masters of War"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune: Ranking as one of his most accusatory and cutting tracks Dylan condemns the whole "war machine" on this classic and vital song (the "hope that you die" line is so facking cold, it is brutal). Often misrepresented as an attack on war itself (Dylan always said he wasn't a pacifist) this track calls out the government for using war-as-business (the Cold War in particular) and business-as-war models when lives are put on the line for meaningless reasons. As alive and burning now as it was in 1962 when he wrote it. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Dig Charles Lloyd,Forest Flower is a classic that we got back to often. RtBE are fans of The Marvels as well who are Bill Frisell (guitar) Greg Leisz (pedal steel) Reuben Rogers (double bass) Eric Harland (drums)
Thoughts on Cover:
Just like 2019 we end Jazzy January with a stunning jazz cover of "Masters of War". So much goodness, this series just keeps giving and giving.
Next Month we will be back to "normal" covers...whatever those are. Thanks for reading.
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Pat Metheny and Charlie Hayden!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2021 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Today we go to some (mostly) acoustic guitar and bass interplay with Pat Metheny / Charlie Haden - The Missouri Sky Duets from back in 2009.
Pro shot, pro sound, full set list and info below. Enjoy:
Pat Metheny - acoustic & electric guitar
Charlie Haden - bass
00:18 Unrequited ( Mehldau )
07:09 The Sound Of The Water
13:07 Waltz For Ruth
19:04 Our Spanish Love Song
27:16 First Song
37:09 The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
41:50 Message To My Friend
48:19 The Precious Jewel
53:50 Two For The Road
59:32 Farmer's Trust
1:08:07 Blues For Pat
1:21:44 Blue in Green
recorded 15.07.2009, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
With all the hectic happenings at the end of the year, things can be missed. This is just a catch up post to point out a few of our favorite things from 2020 that shouldn't go unnoticed. There were many strong releases, not many great live shows but other interesting things in a crap year....good riddance.
What a year, of course the world ground to a halt, and RtBE went out of our collective brains, posting 515 times, with a focus on live streams trying to publicize the musicians who were performing remotely, unable to tour.
I personally also submitted the most reviews I ever have to Glide Magazine (almost 50 in 2020) and will take a second to thank Shane and the whole Glide team for allowing me to continue working with them on a wide variety of reviews.
Now...in case you missed it here are our Best of 2020 series of posts...
Our picks for best album art of 2020, where we check out some creative album art from the last year.
Our picks for best live show of 2020, what an amazing year for live tunes...all of these were jaw dropping nights in their own ways.
If you are looking for more suggestions, we also have our list of the top fifty albums of the past decade which you can check out and yell at us about.
Feel free to let us know your choices for all of the above in the comments and thanks as always for reading and exploring...as the patron saint of this site stated:
What are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown?
One of the strongest jazz musicians on the scene Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was playing the famous Blue Note in NYC right before the pandemic shut down everything. Those nights were recorded and the resulting live album Axiom is a sprawling capturing of CSaA's live experience.
The core band CSaA has been playing with for a few years now is dynamic. Elena Pinderhughes - Flute Alex Han - Alto Saxophone Lawrence Fields – Piano, Keyboards Kris Funn - Bass Weedie Braimah – Djembe, Congas, Bata, Percussion Corey Fonville - Drums, SPDSX accompany the leader who plays Trumpet, Adjuah Trumpet, Sirenette, Reverse Flugelhorn, and Percussion while also talking to the crowd.
While CSaA spends a solid part of his live shows conversing with the crowd about his personal inspiration, political issues and other jazz players. Only a few minimal stories are told on this double album with a focus on the music, and there is a ton of it.. If anything Axiom suffers from overload as two hours of music keeps flowing and the songs/style can be daunting for those new to CSaA's offerings.
The opener drops the listener directly in the deep end though with "X. Adjuah [I Own the Night]" from his Ancestral Recallalbum. The track is a percussive whirlwind as programmed beats, frantic drumming and loads of percussion keep pumping away at warp speed around piercing trumpet blows announcing his blazing intention.
The following ode to New Orleans legends "The Last Chieftain [for Big Chiefs Donald Harrison Sr. & Jr.]" keeps the percussion bubbling with loads of solos including pianos and flutes while the snares, cymbal rides, trumpets and smooth bass give "Guinnevere" a mid career Miles Davis vibe. Davis' influence seeps in throughout, especially with his electric years focus on beats, which CSaA spotlights on Axiom.
The laid back R&B groove of "Songs She Never Heard" pairs excellently with the new excursion 'Huntress" written for his mother and all powerful New Orleanian women while "Sunrise in Beijing" keeps the drums but also showcases Pinderhughes best flute solo on the record. Slightly less successful are the choppy scale climbing/descending "Incarnation [Chief Adjuah - Idi of the Xodokan]" and the aggressively blown "West of the West" with Han's sax getting a showcase.
After quick introductions the bandcamp release also offers alternate takes of "Guinnevere" and "The Last Chieftain [for Big Chiefs Donald Harrison Sr. & Jr.]" which are fine, but the original versions shine brighter.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was really on top of his craft in the live setting when the pandemic struck and Axiom is a strong capturing of his bands talents and powers.
This is a tradition here at RtBE. While we are including this in our Monday Dylan series, this is a necessary break from the routine.
We here at RtBE have lots of heroes and most stem from America's hard fought bloody and disturbing past. We have talked about the godfather of this site, we will probably touch on Lincoln at some point, but the man who we celebrate today is right up there with both of them. Martin Luther King Jr. is an American who deserves to be honored right alongside the greatest our country has ever produced.
We are happy to dedicate this Monday to him. To help celebrate the day we will post Bob Dylan singing "Only A Pawn In Their Game" from the1963 March on Washington DC.
Have a great day and make sure to watch this, MLK's last prophetic public words:
It is still so incredibly moving.
The full speech is located here and worth listening to as well and you can read this amazing writing which unfortunately is still relevant today from King as well:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Marching On: Celebrating The Life & Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Michot’s Melody Makers ft-Leyla McCalla + Corey Ledet Album Release Performance
A host of great New Orleans musicians take the stage at d.b.a tonight starting at 8pm CST:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: The Radiators 2021 Reunion All Weekend at Tipitina's
Two new live sets each night this weekend directly from Tipitina's stage from NOLA legends, The Radiators:
It is going to be a fun weekend, you can buy a three day pass at Tipitina's.tv if you are planning on catching all of the sets. To get in the mood here is a live tune from the band captured way back in 1994:
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Marcus Miller!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2020 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Captured on the "Laid Black" tour here is the bass wizard Marcus Miller and crew throwing down last year. Pro shot, pro sound, prepare to get down, full set list and info below. Enjoy:
Tracklist:
00:00:15 - 7-T's 00:07:17 - Untamed 00:15:41 - Sublimity "Bunny's Dream" 00:28:39 - Bitches Brew 00:38:40 - Trip Trap 00:47:36 - How Great Thou Art 00:52:06 - Tutu 01:12:09 - Come Together 01:18:00 - Hylife
● Personnel: Marcus Miller - bass, bass clarinet Alex Han - alto saxophone Russell Gunn - trumpet James Francies - keyboards Julian Pollack - keyboards Alex Bailey - drums
● #MarcusMiller #LaidBlack Tour - Estival Jazz Lugano 2019 Live at Estival Jazz Lugano, Piazza della Riforma, Switzerland, July 6th, 2019
Offbeat Magazine is posting that the best American concert event is returning in 2021, just later than usual, which in these current dark days is GREAT news.
While more details will likely emerge soon, October is shaping up to be an amazing month in the Crescent City as French Quarter Festival would be the first weekend, JazzFest possibly the next two and maybe Voodoo Fest to round out the month..that would be something.
Here's hoping that these events stay on schedule and happen. To keep the positive vibes alive here is a tune from one of the most emotional Jazzfest sets ever, Bruce Springsteen's 2006 Seeger Sessions festival set, the first Jazzfest post Katrina:
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