Who are You Going to See?

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In addition to the two previously mentioned Kurt Elling-Branford Marsalis and McCoy Tyner concerts as part of the PDX jazz festival, just booked:

Yellowjackets

Charlene Wade - The music of Gil-Scott Heron

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Joey Calderazzo Quintet

John Abecrombie Quartet

Emmett Cohen

John Scofield

 

Holy Jazz... can't wait for February's music extravaganza

 

I'm seeing Rudresh Mahanthappa on 10/20. I'm thinking of seeing McCoy again since he's in PDX for the first time in a decade.

 

Thanks for the heads up re: Charenee Wade, her GSH album is stupendous.

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Kamasi Washington in Portland on 12/1. Standing and dancing room only!!!

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Waiting to see Dave Holland on April 7th here in PDX.

 

In the meantime since my last post, have seen Ralph Peterson and Triangular, the Monophonics, Orgone, and Craig Taborn.

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Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet at the Mission Theater on 6/17.

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Christian McBride's New Jawn, October 18th at McMenamin's Mission Theater! Can't wait!

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Had to look up what jawn means - what doesn't it mean?

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Last-minute decision to see Thundercat at the Crystal Ballroom tonight. My ears are ringing but we got our groove on.

 

Who said tongue-in-cheek jazz/R&B fusion was dead?

 

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On 8/9/2017 at 5:26 AM, rando said:

That is an amusing word I never expected to read here, "jawn."  His bass lines are going to be coasting through my head every time I see tumbleweave drifting by in the street now.  

 

Will not get to see the New Jawn band after all... Mr. McBride is now playing a Ray Brown tribute with his trio on Wednesday. All good in the hood.

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St. Vincent on January 20th, at the Keller Auditorium. Her new album ROCKS.

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Seeing Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya at the Revolution Hall here in Stumptown on 2/21. Very excited!

 

Almost saw Delfeayo Marsalis at the Blue Note Napa, but the venue hosted weeklong fundraisers instead, with lots of local artists - so I donated, while out there for three weeks helping clear haz waste from the burn sites. Napa is pulling together after the fires, very good to see.

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The Pharcyde are playing in Oakland on Saturday, while I’m here for the fire response. Hard to make any shows though, with 12-hour + days.

I just saw that Jack DeJohnette is playing the same night. Crap.

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Was wondering when the posts here would take a downhill turn. Rap seems to bring that out in CA members that don’t appreciate the art.

May go see Pharcyde tomorrow to keep it real.

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St. Vincent put on an amazing show! No backup band, just Annie, one costume change, six guitar changes, and Devo-esque video backdrops. Rocked the eff out of Portland!

 

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36 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

One of them should really change their name. Too confusing.

 

 

That's like saying the Marsalis family musicians should change their names... oh wait, I see your point now.

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On 1/22/2018 at 12:19 PM, Musicophile said:

I don’t mind same last name, but first and last identical really gets confusing. 

 

Luckily it doesn’t happen that often. That said I once bought a Bill Evans album without thinking and was very suprised that a) the album was pretty horrible and b) the album was by the OTHER Bill Evans, the one with the horn. 

 

Like Lonnie Smith and Lonnie Liston Smith? At least the Evans and Cohens can be distinguished by different instruments!

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Funny story, @Musicophile made a comment about the two Avishai Cohens being a point of confusion that should be fixed, and he and I traded some posts about musicians with same/similar names being confusing/funny. Meanwhile, I had forgotten that I had reserved an Avishai Cohen CD from my local library, and it arrived today. Guess what? I thought it was the trumpet guy when I reserved it, and it turned out to be the senior Avishai Cohen of the six-string and voice. You win, @Musicophile, it is definitely confusing!

However, equally interesting is that I really like the subterranean-Cohen's new album, 1970. On paper, it doesn't sound appealing to me, but I'm listening to it now and I'm really enjoying it. Positive vibes for trying times here in la la land.

So the moral of the story is that confusion may ultimately lead to enlightenment. I've seen the brass-Cohen live, and now that I know of his existence, I will not avoid the subterranean-Cohen if he ever swings to the PNW...

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On 6/15/2017 at 6:33 PM, John H said:

CeCile McLorin Salvant

 

The Old Church

Portland OR

 

 

Going to see her 4/21/18 at Revolution Hall. Revolution Hall is awesome, but she must have been A-mazing at the Old Church!

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Omara Portuondo this Wednesday at Revolution Hall. General admission must mean room for dancing???

Cecile McLorin Salvant 4/21 also at Rev Hall

Meshell Ndegeocello 5/1 at McMenamin's Mission Theater

Jack White 8/11 at the Veterans Memorial Center

 

This spring is looking great so far!

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On 4/2/2018 at 8:41 AM, watercourse said:

Omara Portuondo this Wednesday at Revolution Hall. General admission must mean room for dancing???

Cecile McLorin Salvant 4/21 also at Rev Hall

Meshell Ndegeocello 5/1 at McMenamin's Mission Theater

Jack White 8/11 at the Veterans Memorial Center

 

This spring is looking great so far!

 

Whoops, forgot Robert Glasper and R+R=NOW at the Roseland Theater on 4/19.

 

yeah, baby

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5 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

Looking forward to Julia Fischer and Herbert Blomstedt playing Mendelssohn and Mahler tonight. 

 

??????

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Sons of Kemet, October 8th at Doug Fir Lounge

tUnE-yArDs, October 22nd at Roseland Theater

Jungle, March 7 also at Roseland

 

Forgot to post: August 25, 2018 - This is Portland not Portlandia III: 4 venues, 30 local punk bands... the antidote to overblown music festivals!

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Lee Scratch Perry, at the Aladdin on 10/14.

 

 

 

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Whoops, recently saw Flutes of Three Nations (China, Japan, and Korea) on June 9th, which was a great display of mutual respect among musicians, as well as great traditional music.

 

Also saw Fabian Almazan Trio here in Portland at the Old Church on June 21. Finally got a chance to see two of my favorite musicians live (Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan, what simpatico) and get their autographs!

 

Two days before that show, was lucky to watch The Comet is Coming put on an awesome show at Doug Fir Lounge - if you haven't seen a show at Doug Fir, do it. The sound is fantastic. King Shabaka... nuff said.

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Monophonics on Aug 9 at the Aladdin. I have a work trip I’m returning from that day so wish me travel luck on getting there on time!

 

Connie Han Trio on Aug 13 at Lan Su Garden. Bringing my leathers... not.

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Saw Kamasi Washington and Herbie Hancock last night's sold out show at the Oregon Zoo. Two stellar acts, and left very impressed with the venue - even though it's outdoors and we were in general admission seating on the lawn, the sound quality far surpassed Roseland Theater's or Crystal Ballroom's (as two similar-sized examples here in PDX). It was my first time seeing a show there and probably won't be my last.

We saw Kamasi last year at the Roseland Theater where the band played for over two hours - I think my ears are still ringing from it. He's matured, tightened up the song performances, and more clearly communicates the breadth of subjects he's got in his bag. The highlight from last night's set was Fists of Fury, which was transformed with a g-thang groove, with Herbie joining the band during the last chorus. (Subtext: Tarantino should listen to this song and rethink his portrayal of Bruce Lee, proud boys stay home and be proud).

Herbie started off his set saying that things were going to get weird (heh heh, we're in a zoo in Portland, so...). Herbie's band included Lionel Loueke, Vinnie Colaiuta, James Genus, and Terrace Martin. Only the rhythm section didn't sing/play vocoder/talkbox - Lionel during solos (and an amazing bass drop), Terrace mostly during bridges and additional ambience, and Herbie building melodies with vocals. Short but sweet, the set ended with an encore performance of Chameleon, and the audience got their backfields in motion when Kamasi's band joined them onstage.

Last thoughts: LA jazz lives! We missed this year's Portland not Portlandia punk extravaganza to see this show, but it was worth it!