sad news

Andy McCloud, bassist renowned for his enormous talent and impressive resume – passed away this week at the age of 61. His loss will be felt throughout the jazz world – particularly in NYC and NJ, where he originated – and very well known.

John Scofield? We’re A Go-Go’ing!

JOHN SCOFIELD NEW QUARTET (Friday and Saturday) John Scofield, one of modern jazz’s leading guitarists for the better part of 30 years, introduces a promising lineup featuring one of his well-traveled contemporaries, the pianist Mulgrew Miller. Anchoring the group is a muscular young rhythm team, with Ben Street on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. At 8:30 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton , (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; $30 and $40, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen) (via NYTimes.com)

John Scofield is a long time favorite – who doesn’t like “A Go-Go?” – that we’re very interested in hearing live. Who’s in?

Weekend lineup – Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society & Ben Williams Sound Effect!

After keeping DJA’s Secret Society’s tracks on repeat for the last couple months, seeing the live show should be awesome. They’ve been all over the press lately – and rightly so! They’ve got the goods….

Ben Williams & Sound Effect is a new favorite – they have a true old school sound – however unlike many of the other groups that strive to achieve the sounds of the greats – these guys are unabashedly original. There’s an unmistakable modernity and urban flair – floated behind some truly masterful musicianship. It’s not often that a group really smacks you with talent – Ben Williams & Sound Effect bowl you over.

Places to check out…. The Jazz Gallery

We love places that support emerging musicians – and The Jazz Gallery has made it their business to do just that. With an unwavering line-up of cutting edge performers, this place will surely be on our radar for the new year! Check out the website here (http://www.jazzgallery.org/live/)

NYC Winter Jazz Fest

Looks like there’s going to be a LOT of good music happening in NYC this weekend! Check out the website (http://www.winterjazzfest.com/2010nycwinterjazzfest.html) for more information, and tickets. We’re really excited about seeing Ben Williams – recent winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition – going by the tunes available on his website (http://www.myspace.com/benwilliamsjazz), it would seem the award was well deserved.

Let us know who you’re interested in seeing!

EDDIE PALMIERI Y LA PERFECTA II @ The Blue Note

Check out the Blue Note’s website for complete show details!!!
http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/index.shtml

Featuring:
Eddie Palmieri, leader, piano
Herman Olivera, lead vocal
Brian Lynch, trumpet
Conrad Herwig, trombone
Jimmy Bosch, trombone
Nelson Gonzalez, tres guitar, vocals
Jose Claussell, timbales
Vicente “Little Johnny” Rivero, congas
Karen Joseph, flute
Luques Curtis, bass
Orlando Vega, bongo

12/9/2009
Available Shows:
[8:00PM]
[10:30PM]

Andy McCloud @ The Blue Note with Savion Glover

Check this out!

Music Review | Savion Glover
Sounding Board for the Dancing That Would Be Music
By BEN RATLIFF
Published: November 21, 2009
Savion Glover, the tap dancer, has been performing this week at the Blue Note with four major figures in jazz. It’s all being recorded for video, but also for audio.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/arts/music/21savion.htm

Night Of The Cookers

waiting for a second set at Night Of The Cookers on Fulton st in Brooklyn. good stuff.

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society

We’ve checked out the music they make available online (there’s an unfortunately limited number of tracks available to purchase on iTunes) – their website has substantially more, and – it’s free!

These guys remind me of this group of musicians that stopped me in my tracks on the way home from my (now abandoned) corporate job. They were playing in the Herald Square station at 34th Street (by the N/R/W & F/B/V/D lines) – and I stood there in my suit – mesmerized. I bought the CD immediately.

While Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society doesn’t have the intensity of that group (whose name btw was “Hypnotic Brass Ensemble”), there is an element of the unexpected to the tracks. Interesting grooves – which often deviate from the path one would expect them to go down. In short, it has a sly way of making you NEED to keep listening. All in all, I was a little let down to find that the vast majority of these tunes seem to follow the same structure. Which, tends to make listening to them for more than 45 minutes – well – after 45 minutes, you get the picture. You know what their story is. It’s not bad – in fact, it’s quite good. But it never deviates from the stated groove.

All that said, it would be great to see them live!

Check out: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society – Infernal Machines, and Live at The Jazz Gallery

NYTimes reviews bands @ The Bell House!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/arts/music/21bonanza.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=the%20bell%20house&st=cse

It’s not often that you read these kind of reviews in the times – but maybe this will assist in getting independent jazz musicians back in the spotlight – after a long and unfortunate hiatus.