WBGO Blog

  • Live Blog: Ravi Coltrane at the Village Vanguard 11.19.08

    November 19, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

    Add new comment | Filed under: coltrane, Listening Post, Live Chat, Live Music Blogging, photos, Places and Spaces

    Ravi Coltrane Marquee

    Listen to the show.
    See some photos.
    Hear an interview with Ravi Coltrane.

    8:06pm
    Doors have opened at the Village Vanguard for tonight's show.  More than 40 years have passed since a saxophonist named Coltrane led a group at this club.  This evening, we will hear Ravi Coltrane's debut.  Welcome.

    8:28pm
    None of the musicians are here.  Ravi and the band tend to operate freely on their own internal clock.  We, on the other hand, are following a master clock.  Thirty-two minutes to showtime!

    9:03pm
    We're live from the Village Vanguard.  Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane is playing an original, "Amalgams," from his upcoming release, Blending Times.  The quartet includes pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer E.J. Strickland.

    9:12pm
    Pianist Luis Perdomo just crashed the keyboards.  Bassist Drew Gress is now taking a solo.   Gress was featured in pianist Uri Caine July performance of Live at the Village Vanguard.  Check out the entire series.

    9:18pm
    Another Ravi Coltrane original, "Round Two," begins peacefully.

    9:29pm
    "Trading Duos" seems fairly self-explanatory.  Band members sort of move in and out of this composition.  I'malways a fan of the sax/drums sections.

    9:37pm
    This composition named after Ravi's first son, William (John Coltrane's middle name).  "One Wheeler Will."

    9:46pm
    After a long and heartfelt introduction, Ravi plays "Jagadishwar," a composition by Alice Coltrane, his mother.  She passed away on January 12th 2007.  On Ravi's upcoming release, Blending Times, he closes with a harp/bass/saxophone version of Charlie Haden's "For Turiya."  Turiya is Alice Coltrane.

    10:00pm
    The quartet is closing with "Giant Steps," a Coltrane original.  John Coltrane, that is.

    © 2008 WBGO

  • Live Blog: Jenny Scheinman at the Village Vanguard 10.29.08

    October 29, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

    Add new comment | Filed under: cohesive unit, concerts, drums, greg cohen, jason moran, jenny scheinman, Live Music Blogging, npr, quartet, royston, rudy, village vanguard, wbgo, yesterday afternoon

    Village Vanguard Sign, Dusk 10.29.08

    See some photos.

    8:00pm
    Jenny Scheinman is celebrating the release of her album, Crossing the Field, with a quartet tonight - Jason Moran at the piano, Greg Cohen on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums.  The band rehearsed for two hours yesterday afternoon, then played two sets for opening night.  So expect a fairly cohesive unit for tonight's show.

    8:20pm
    Jenny is setting up onstage.  Getting ready for a nice show.

    9:04pm
    Jenny Scheinman opens with "American Dipper" - male version - from an earlier recording, Shalagaster.

    9:12pm
    American Dipper is North America's only truly aquatic songbird.

    9:14pm
    Jenny calls "Albert," and she calls saxophonist Albert Ayler a great melodicist.  I can hear that.

    9:17pm
    Band segues into "Through the Dark."  Greg Cohen is the go-to guy in this band.

    9:24pm
    "That's Delight," from the new album, Crossing the Field.

    9:33pm
    "The Frog" could be a cool pop tune.  I love the way this song evolves.  And Greg Cohen is such an outstanding bassist.  Such a complete musician.

    9:40pm
    This beautiful ballad called "Sleeping in the Aquifer."  Nice imagery.

    9:53pm
    After playing a new original, "Bray," Scheinman launches into "Hard Sole Shoe," from the new recording.  After a piano intro from Jason Moran, the groove is in the house.

    9:58pm
    We end the set with "Born Into This."  Autobiographical, Ms. Scheinman???

    © 2008 WBGO

  • Live Blog: Anat Cohen at Village Vanguard 10.22.08

    October 22, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

    Add new comment | Filed under: concerts, Live Chat, Live Music Blogging, photos

    Anat Vanguard Door

    Listen to the archived concert.
    See some photos.

    8:00pm
    Anat walked into the club a few minutes before doors opened to the public.  She's using a new reed on her soprano saxophone tonight, so she spent some time warming up the soprano and breaking in the new reed.

    8:05pm
    The first set is sold out tonight.  There's a party of 16, a party of 10, and a party in the Village Vanguard tonight.

    8:20pm
    Anat and I have talked through tonight's program.  Should be a good one!

    8:35pm
    Pianist Jason Lindner just arrived.  He and Anat are talking about how to end the second set.  They're ahead of everyone tonight.

    8:52pm
    The band's all here.  Showtime in T minus 8 minutes.

    9:03pm
    We're live.  Anat Cohen and her quartet (Jason Lindner, piano; Joe Martin, bass; Daniel Freedman, drums) are blasting into a modern arrangement of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz."

    9:05pm
    Anat quotes "Pop Goes the Weasel."  Thad Jones would be proud.   His quote of it from Count Basie's version of "April in Paris" is one for the ages.  One more time!

    9:20pm
    Montuno, baby!  Ernesto Lecuona's "Siboney,"  played with vigor.  Anat's clarinet tone is the sound of unbridled optimism.  It's refreshing.

    9:32pm
    This is such a difficult song to cover.  If you're gonna tackle Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," you better bring everything you have to this song.  I believe Anat has done that.

    9:40pm
    "Washington Square Park" opens with Jason Lindner plucking the piano strings, which are covered with paper.  It makes the piano sound like a berimbau, or some kind of African-based instrument.  Very cool.

    9:45pm
    Anat switches to tenor sax.

    9:52pm
    That song went to a lot of places.  All in Washington Square Park.  Now, we're moving into the blues with Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'.  As an aside, I really love Taj Mahal's version...

    10:06pm
    Clsong out the set with the Brazilian Duke Ellington, Pixinguinha.  His composition "Um A Zero."  Tudo bem!

    © 2008 WBGO