Since We Should/Must Stay Inside, Make The Best of It!

Viewing & Listening Tips for those who need to learn patience (and soon):

1) - Fred Hersch is posting a video everyday at 1 pm on his Facebook and then it is archived––check it out.

www.facebook.com/fredherschmusic/.

You can tune in at 1 p.m. or find the link to his daily mini-concert.

Plus, you should follow the link to "The Ballad of Fred Hersch" – created by the team of Charlotte LaGarde and Carrie Lozano, the documentary was released in 2016 and, like his 2017 autobiography "Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz" (Crown Archetype), paints a honest picture of the pianist's life , his coming-to-terms with AIDS, and the coma that nearly claimed his life in 2008. The movie contains a number of long musical performances plus shows the composers hard at work at recovering and creating "My Coma Dreams", his 2014 jazz/theater piece only available on DVD.

Here's the link:
https://vimeo.com/145825359

2) - Just discovered this morning that, for the next two weeks (through 4/7/20), you can view for free "Rambling Boy", the 2009 Charlie Haden documentary created by Reto Caduff. Haden was the essence of "Speak softly but carry a big stick" in that he had a a quite voice but his bass and music stood up against tyranny at home (the United States) and and the world world.  Haden left many legacies including his musical family, his work with Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett, Old & New Dreams as well as the Liberation Music Orchestra.

Here's the link to the movie:
https://vimeo.com/399832399

3) – The number of music documentaries, concerts, and daily musical interludes on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netflix, NPR.org, etc is amazing. Jazz at Lincoln Center announced they'll post free videos every week starting today with the JALC's shows about Miles Davis, South African Music, and a Family Concert: "Who is Chick Corea?"  Go to https://www.jazz.org for more information.

4) - Podcasts: While you're hanging about or out for a walk/jog/run, there are a slew of podcasts (seemingly more everyday) for your distraction/entertainment. Check out my friend Jason Crane (you'll see links in the right-hand corner of this blog page) plus the often-brilliant "A Noise From the Deep" (trumpeter Dave Douglas's monthly conversations with modern musicians/creators––go to https://greenleafmusic.com/podcasts/). Make time for Leo Sidran's "The Third Story"podcast to be found at www.third-story.com as well as trombonist/label owner Nick Finzer's "Outside In Music Podcast" at www.outsideinmusic.com/podcast. Of course, there are a ton more––if you have a favorite, send me a link at richard_b_kamins@snet.net.

Stay safe!

Hiatus Watching & Listening (Part 1)

There are times when this blog slows down because of school or family visits but rarely a week goes by when I do not post a review or a notable gig happening in Connecticut.  But, I must step aside for what could be as long as two weeks. Lord knows, I have lots to review but.....So the plan is to upload videos and audio from artists with new albums and more -  just no reviews.

Here's the first installment!

We open with a live video featuring the Vadim Neselovskyi Trio.  Vadim's on piano, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ronen Itzik on drums and this was recorded in Bremen, Germany, exactly two weeks before the Trio appeared at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT. I was there for the later gig and the musicianship blew me away!  So, watch the Trio having so much fun and make sure to turn up the volume.




Music Mountain in Lakeville, CT, has booked a fascinating summer of creative music for its "Twilight Concerts" series. On Saturday August 5, multi-reed artist and composer Ben Kono brings his Quintet to the lovely hall on the mountain. Kono, who plays in multiple ensembles and Broadway "pits", has been working on a work titled "Don't Blink" for the past several years (thanks to commissions from Chamber Music America and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  Not sure who is in the Quintet for this gig but here's a live take from 2014 with band that features Pete McCann (guitar), Mike Holober (piano), Kermit Driscoll (bass), and Satoshi Takeishi (drums and percussion). 




For more information about the live show, go to musicmoutain.org.  To learn more about Mr. Kono, go to www.benkono.com.

Here's the opening track from saxophonist Ralph Bowen's new self-titled disk on Posi-Tone Records. Besides Bowen blowing hard on tenor saxophone, the band features Jim Ridl (piano), Kenny Davis (drums), and the rollicking drum work of Cliff Almond (especially on the track below). The album includes six-song "Phylogeny Suite" that has songs titled "A Rookery of Ravens", "A Venue of Vultures", and so forth (you'll need to look up "phylogeny").  The track below is not part of the suite but an invitation to and preview of the great sounds to come.

For more information, go to www.ralphbowen.com.

Here's a track from alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher, bassist Johannes Weidenmuller, and drummer Mark Ferber.  Whirlwind Recordings released "John O'Gallagher Trio: Live In Brooklyn" earlier this year (actually, late December 2016) and, somehow, it got buried under a pile of others recordings and student papers (excuses, excuses) - a review is forthcoming but here's a taste of what to expect from this exciting group.  Pay attention to fascinating interactions and powerful playing from all three.

For more information, go to www.johnogallagher.com.

Marcus Shelby Marches On

One of my favorite recordings of this year is "Soul of The Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by the Marcus Shelby Orchestra (Porto Franco Records).  With the 43rd anniversary of Dr. King's assassination being commemorated on Monday April 4, the label has released several videos of the MSO in action.  Here's one! To view them all, go to www.marcusshelby.com/video.htm.