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Jazz impressions 2008
The year of Nguyên Lê: Memorably searing guitar work on Uri Caine’s The Othello Syndrome (Winter & Winter) and Vince Mendoza’s Blauklang (ACT). Not to mention Joel Harrison’s 2007 gem, Harbor (HighNote). The year of John Abercrombie: Two compelling sideman appearances with tenor saxophonists, on Adam Kolker’s Flag Day (Sunnyside) and Jerry Bergonzi’s Tenor Talk (Savant). The year of Dewey
Quality tracks, 2008
1. “Never, ever, ever” Cuong Vu, Vu-Tet (ArtistShare) 2. “Felipe” (Moacir Santos) Enrico Rava & Stefano Bollani, The Third Man (ECM) 3. “The Cat” Marcin Wasilewski Trio, January (ECM) 4. “Rich Man’s Prayer” Matthew Herbert Big Band, There’s Me and There’s You (!K7) 5. “Free for C.T.” & “Jean-Pierre” David Murray & Mal Waldron, Silence (Justin Time) 6. “Ad Mortem” E.S.T.,
Top Shows 2008
Of the nearly 200 performances I attended in 2008, here are the 25 that defined my year, in chronological order: 1. Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society North IAJE Conference, Toronto January 10 2. Orchestra 2001, Pierre Boulez’s Le marteau sans maître Swarthmore College January 27 3. PIMA Group, Look! Dance/performance art piece Powel House, Philadelphia February 3 4. Wayne Krantz
On Donny McCaslin
My preview of Donny McCaslin’s trio at 55 Bar (Tuesday, Dec. 23), in the current Time Out New York.
Turangalîla-Tristan
Quite a play of classical contrasts… Sunday brought the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale to Carnegie Hall for a reading of Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphonie, with Reinbert de Leeuw conducting. A gifted older maestro, young and hungry players — the mix couldn’t have been more combustible. The sprawling 10-movement work of the mid-’40s involves spine-tingling sustained crescendos and hints of Romanticism, and
Penn fallout
I don’t usually cite the New York Post‘s Page Six, but that’s where celebrity flaps are covered, and Sean Penn is nothing if not a celebrity. So it’s good to see someone pointing out James Kirchick’s entirely correct assessment of the recent Penn-Castro-Chávez affair in The Advocate. Says Kirchick: “Gay rights are human rights, as Milk said, and Penn discredits both
Philly again
I’m back in Philly this Thursday, Dec. 18 to moderate a panel on improvisation across boundaries and cultures. Participants are Pauline Oliveros, Jason Moran, Jason Kao Hwang and Kiranavali Vidyasankar. Details here [pdf]. My workload is growing steadily more insane, so blogging is light. But stay tuned for top shows of 2008, year-in-review comments and other stuff.
Moran in Philly
I’ll be at the Philadelphia Art Museum tomorrow (Friday, December 12) to conduct a pre-concert interview with pianist-composer Jason Moran, who’ll be premiering new music inspired by this art exhibit. Interview and Q&A from 5:15-5:45pm, showtime 6pm.