LouieB Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Rather than post this info in two separate threads I figured I would go with one. It is going to be a busy couple weeks here in Chicago. This weekend is jazz fest, which actually has already started. It is free and runs afternoons and evenings today through Sunday. While none of it is exactly earth shaking, there are some sets of note and plenty to keep someone interested. This one is from the Jazz Institute of Chicago site.... Friday, September 1: Grant Park, Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Drive Jazz on Jackson12-12:55 John Moulder Ensemble1:10-2:05 Frieda Lee 2:20-3:15 Organissimo3:30-4:30 Bobby Lewis Jazz Sextet Jazz & Heritage Stage12:30-1:30 West Aurora High School Jazz Band2:00-3:00 "Art of the Solo" with Nicole Mitchell and Edward Wilkerson Jr.3:30-4:30 Jazz Links All-Stars with Ken Chaney Petrillo5:00-5:50 Dr. Michael White's Original Liberty Jazz Band6:00-6:55 Malachi Thompson & Africa Brass with Billy Harper7:10-8:10 Nneena Freelon8:30-9:30 Charlie Hunter Trio with Ray Anderson Saturday, September 2: Grant Park, Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Drive Jazz on Jackson12-12:55 Chevere1:10-1:40 Earma Thompson and John Whitfield1:40-2:10 Ben Lewis2:20-3:15 Lee Konitz Jazz Workshop3:30-4:30 Dana Hall Quintet Jazz & Heritage Stage12:30-1:30 Dos Claves Orquestra2:00-3:00 "Percussion Discussion" with Paul Wertico3:30-4:30 Muntu Dance Theatre Petrillo5:00-5:50 Tribute To Oscar Brown Jr. with his daughters Maggie and Africa Brown6:00-6:55 Bik Bent Braam7:10-8:10 Jason Moran and The Bandwagon with Bunky Green8:30-9:30 Joe Lovano Nonet Revisits Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool" Sunday, September 3: Grant Park, Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Drive Jazz on Jackson: "A Salute to New Orleans"12-12:55 Lucky 7s1:10-3:15 Maurice Brown/Corey Wilkes "Crescent City/Windy City Jam"3:30-4:30 Rebirth Brass Band Jazz & Heritage Stage12:30-1:30 Civic & Arts Jazz Ensemble2:00-3:00 Hijazz3:30-4:30 "A History of Jazz" with John Watson Petrillo5:00-5:50 Donald Harrison Quintet6:00-6:55 Willie Pickens' 75th Birthday Celebration7:10-8:10 Lee Konitz's New Nonet directed by Ohad Talmor8:30-9:30 Joey DeFrancesco Trio with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Ron Blake I plan to go Saturday and Sunday evenings and part of the day maybe those days too. Next weekend is the long heralded Hideout Block Party (not free, but not expensive) with the Drag City acts. The final schedule is up on the Hideout Web site and runs as follows.... Friday, September 8 9:00 !!! 8:00 Ted Leo + Pharmacists 7:00 Girls Against Boys 6:00 Supersystem 5:00 The Shipping News Saturday, September 9 9:00 Shellac 8:40 Big Black 7:45 Man Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 3, 2006 Author Share Posted September 3, 2006 I realize I am probably talking to no one here, but I got in 12 straight hours of music yesterday and 11 different sets, so I am pretty beat. While the lineup for jazz fest doesn't include many real starts, it was a solid day. I hung at the Jazz on Jackson stage in the afternoon and caught parts of all the acts, including Chevere, who were good, Erma Thompson, who was old, Ben Lewis, who was young, Lee Konitz with some students (that was the oold with the really young), and Dana Hall and his quintet who was medium, straight ahead and quite good. The mainstage acts all turned out to be great. EVen the opener with Oscar Brown Jr.'s daughters was good enough, if somewhat sentimental and occasionally over the top. The Bik Bent Braam was a pretty far out Dutch group, with 13 members and a solid and sometimes cracked sensibility and and some true virtuosos and good arrangements. It was different, yet built on american style jazz enough to keep it grounded. Good stuff. Jason Moran and Bandwagon with Bunky Green was very solid and really enjoyable, with good material and excellent musicianship, including a guitar player who managed to use his slide like a therimin. Bunky was good and played one excellent duet with Jason. Several of the numbers had some sound clips thrown in at the begining. Joe Lovano and his Nonet was wonderful. They played some originals and three of the Birth of the Cool numbers, all of which were played with ease and well arranged. Lee Konitz came on for a duet with Joe to recognize that Lee had been part of the original Birth of the Cool sessions (he is playing with his own Nonet tonight.) Joe was gracious and very cool. (After that I ran over to Schubas for Paul Burch...see that thread on the other topic.) Okay, I hope to go back tonight, but we shall see. The weather is supposed to turn a touch nasty tonight. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hello_Operator Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 I saw the Muntu Dance Theater performance on the Jazz & Heritage stage. That was pretty sweet. Anybody else? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Damn,Louie..sounds like a great time there! As soon as I saw that Joe Lovano was there,I was hopin you'd tell me how it was...Lee Konitz as well Indy has a so-called Jazz Fest,but it's really minor league,imo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 The second night of Jazz Fest was about as good as the first one I saw, with one exception. The weather was beautiful and the crowd slightly larger. Donald Harrision, the opener had a great young group and played a combination of bop and New Orleans type fare, which was pretty good. Willie Pickens followed. Willie is a great Chicago pianist who fronted a smokin group, which improvised on several hymns, but all were fairly unrecognizable during much of the performance. Great stuff. The hightlight of the night was supposed to have been a nonet that included Lee Konitz, who was the artist in residence for this fest. While the article in the Trib this morning found this set to be fantastic, those of us in the seats were mystified by much of it. The group seemed unorganized and unfamiliar with the arrangements and those arrangements wandered all over. Things did get reasonably good when it was basically Konitz and the rhythm section, but during much of the rest of the set not much seemed to catch fire. Far more exciting was the Joey DeFranesco set, which got things moving again, particulary when they were joined by the flamboyant Dr. Lonnie Smith, who was incredibly entertaining. The set ran longer than the stage crew and the city would have liked, but the audience sure was happy. All in all this was an okay fest, with few starts but plenty of good music. On to the Hideout.... I did not catch the dance however. There is always too much to do at these things. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 Anyone want to talk about the Touch and Go Hideout event? I don't really have time today and frankly I saw few bands, but still had a great time. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 My sources tell me that Larry from Pegboy was a drunken mess (and that they didn't play my favorite song, "Through My Fingers"). I wish I could have been there this weekend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 My sources tell me that Larry from Pegboy was a drunken mess (and that they didn't play my favorite song, "Through My Fingers"). I wish I could have been there this weekend.While I didn't actually see Larry, I heard him and he was a mess, but their performance was one of the highlights of what I heard. What I did see, The Ex, Jon and Kat and Seam were all good. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Anyone want to talk about the Touch and Go Hideout event? I don't really have time today and frankly I saw few bands, but still had a great time. LouieB I was there on friday, and it nothing really caught my attention. the highlight was running into a guy I used to buy shoes from in Pittsburgh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 While I didn't actually see Larry, I heard him and he was a mess, but their performance was one of the highlights of what I heard. I would pay good money to just listen to John Haggerty play guitar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 I was there on friday, and it nothing really caught my attention. the highlight was running into a guy I used to buy shoes from in Pittsburgh.I heard Ted Leo was good, but I wasn't there. Actually simply people watching at this event was worth the price of admission.... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 I heard Ted Leo was good, but I wasn't there. he was ok, but I'm not going to run out and buy any of albums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Heard a few bands from the beer serving area, but only escaped to see one. Black Heart Procession sounded great. CocoRosie...well, I'm not sure what to make of that. I saw Pinback, and they were entertaining although not transcendent or anything. Calexico sounded like Calexico. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NightOfJoy Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Anyone want to talk about the Touch and Go Hideout event? I don't really have time today and frankly I saw few bands, but still had a great time. LouieB I didnt go. I wanted to but forces conspired against me. Saturdays line up reminded me of what was happening often in Chicago in the late 80s/early 90s.........I recall Killdozer playing everywhere, constantly. Didjits rolled through a lot, Pegboy was getting started(I believe their first show was a bar off of North Ave in Elmhurst-why I remember useless details like this, I dunno). Shellac was playing many local shows, etc. That was a pretty good time to be paying attention to music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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