Have fun for a good cause

[malsperanza]

Concerts for Kerry


Went to this tonight. It was stone brilliant. Savion Glover and Joshua Redman and Dee Dee Bridgewater and the effing phenomenal saxer Michael Brecker and a bunch of solid bassists and drummers and keyboard stylists all cooking together, a massive jam on "Stormy Monday." Beautiful, intricate stuff, everyone working the wavelengths and finding their stride: what the Bible calls a joyful noise. And how they know when to merge and when to diverge is a mystery to me. But then, musicians are all touched by a divine madness.


I used to go hear a lot of jazz. Whatever happened to the Tin Palace and Mikell's, places where you could hear Wynton Marsalis for a beer and a $5 cover? Not to mention the old Jazz Forum or Rivbea, where you could catch Anthony Braxton and some insane free-jazz conspiracy of geniuses in the throes of invention, nightly? Or Sun Ra and his Arkestra straight from their last gig on Saturrn (Only Earthly Appearance This Season!). The late-night lofts in the shadows of downtown, when SoHo was still all warehouses and a tenor sax at 2:00 am didn't bother anyone but the alleycats.

Now the scene in New York is all overpriced nightclubs full of tourists and $40 covers and 2-drink minimums and criminally short sets, or else concert halls, which is a lousy way to hear jazz. If the artists are making a better living these days, I'm glad, but I miss those nights when in some storefront bar in Harlem or even my own neighborhood a young saxer or pianist or bass player would take the stage and peel back the night and ornament the sky with new galaxies.

I blame the Republicans.

Anyway: go hear some music and invest in the Kerry campaign. Because if the Nameless Horror gets back into the White House this fall, we will all be listening to this for the rest of our lives.

Comments

[tipgardner.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great concert and you are clearly passionate about your cause. Do you ever make it downtown on the East side? Detour has free jazz and no drink minimum most nights. There's also Bar 55 next to Stonewall. Sadly I know your complaints (both of them in this case) all too well, but as it's early, I'll stick to jazz to say that the lack of inexpensive, casual (for lack of a better term) venues in this city is a serious problem for musicians and fans alike. If you're interested, you might check out Vinson Valega (I believe his site is justjazznyc.com, but I'm not positive) as he is in and/or leads several jazz combos that tend to play at coverless venues.

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

Detour, yes, I've been there once or twice--you're right--nice place, thanks for reminding me. Don't knoe Bar 55, will check it out. And I am convinced that there is great jazz in Brooklyn that I don't hear about, around Ft Greene, that area.

[tipgardner.livejournal.com]

Sadly I don't know anything about the Fort Greene underground jazz scene, but I will do a little research and see what I can turn up. Bar 55 is a basement dive bar with a good alcove table in the front to the left that is probably best acquired early in a night there. If you'd be interested in going sometime, let me know. My girlfriend and I go there with friends every so often.