Via JamSession, Randy Brecker Electric Band in Ourense, next May 26th in “XII Festival de Jazz de Primavera 2008″. I would like to listen both brothers in concert, but it won’t be possible 
And via Toma Jazz, Wayne Shorter in “Imaxinasons” next June, 29th at Vigo. It’s a very bad date for me, but I’ll try to go.
The day before of Dudesconf my friend Javi Calvo and me went to the Jofre Theater in Ferrol. That was the late evening/night of Marlango.
Some years ago I saw their first public performance in a TV. In that moment they were still working in their first album “Marlango” (2004), but that scoop promised a good future for the band: a nice jazz/rock/pop fusion performed by good musicians and a not great but very passionate, female voice. “Marlango” and “Automatic Imperfection” (2005) were the main part of my soundtrack for last summer (along with “Alone” (1968) by Bill Evans, “Full Circle” (2002) by Jon Mayer and, of course “A love Supreme”).
“The Electrical Morning” (2007) is the last album of Marlango. I like it much, but I miss part of jazz style of the former albums. Oscar Ybarra’s trumpet sounds under cover, and the music is a bit psycodelic. So, I had one doubt because it.
I had another doubt too. Well, Leonor Watling is a very pretty woman and a good actress. And she sounded well in the studio. But how would she be on the stage?
Last concert cleared up me the two doubts. The band is even better on stage than in the studio. Not only playing music, they created a good air joking with the audience. Leonor performs every song with voice, body and soul. She’s funny. She’s shy. She’s lovely. She has an impressive presence on the stage.
So, the guiness and cigarrettes after the concert pleased us very much 
I have been hearing jazz all my life. But I begin to listen to jazz the first time I heard John Coltrane’s quartet. My first album was a Verve compilation “John Coltrane For Lovers”, and it meant for me the first piece of the jazz puzzle. I began to look for the rest of the pieces.
I read about Coltrane’s career. I began to buy John Coltrane Quartet reeditions, and albums where Coltrane was sideman of another jazzmen, and albums of those jazzmen without Coltrane.
“A Love Supreme” (1964) took me too much time, because it was difficult to buy in my usual stores. Some months after I bought it, I lend it to a mate and I never saw it again. But in those months I understood the importance of those album in the history of the music.
Last year my friend Carlos brought to me a vinyl edition. A month later I found in a Fnac store a new reedition, and I bought it too.
A love supreme was the culmination of 1960-1965 Coltrane’s music evolution. And yesterday was for me the beginning and the end of a circle. Tonight, McCoy Tyner, the lone member of the Quartet that is still alive, played in Coruña. He came with Gerald Cannon at the bass and Eric Kamau at drums, and Joe Lovano as guest star. It was a vibrant concert from the beginning to the end, with only one moment for McCoy playing a ballad alone. After the first encore, people asked for more, and we think it could be possible. But it didn’t happened. McCoy was very tired. In fact we could observe how he moved out the stage slowly dragging a leg.
I waited a minute down aside the stage, then I saw a hostess and I explained her I only wanted McCoy signed the cover of the album. She kindly explained me where are the dressing room’s out doors. So I went through the crowd that was going out, rounded the building and I reached those doors. Gerald Canon was signing autographs, I gave him the programme and he signed kindly. Then he went in again with 3-4 persons that another hostess allowed it. I waited some minutes, then I got alone, so the hostess allowed me to go in too. At this point I must say it: hostess of the Opera Palace are the best in the world!!!
When I went in I saw some people taking photos with Joe Lovano, and taking photos to McCoy Tyner who was trying to rest in his dressing room, he was trying kindly to close the door . I found this action of the people disagreeable: they seemed paparazzi. I understood I would have only a chance, so I approached to him with the cover. I beg him “Please…”. He seemed surprised. I suppose it was because I was the only person there that gave him a vinyl cover. While he was signing it I said him “This album saved my life” (because I listened heavy metal before, I thought ;-)), he thanked me the words. It was the moment I never thought it could happen. 70 years of the best jazz in a humbly, tired old boy, in front of me.
After this moment I seized the opportunity to talk with Joe Lovano. He is a smiling man. We saw in the first Kamau solo how he re-adjusted the position of Kamau’s microphone, because Kamau got aware it was too much near of the drums. It was a gesture of a great professional, not of a primma donna. But he had another humbly gesture. I thanked him for the great concert, but he waved his head and made a face of self-unsatisfaction. He laughed again when I explained him I was in the ScoLoHoFo (Scofield/Lovano/Holland/Foster) concert some years ago.
The night ended for me celebrating with Guiness at Mathew’s. I went back to home to sleep soon. It was a very intense day for me
…yes, this is the title of a theme I heard played wonderfully by Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden in Night and the city (1998). It’s my current leit motiv. And, of course, it is true: we are near of the spring season, and it arrives with some interesting concerts around.
Marlango, the jazz-pop-rock-something else band of actress Leonor Watling, Alejandro Pelayo and Oscar Ybarra will play at Coruña next weekend. I couldn’t get tickets because they are sold out. I hope I will go to the concert in Ferrol the May 1st.
Dave Kikoski will play in Vigo next April 29th. It’s a bit far but I’ll try to go, he’s one of my favourite pianists since I hear him playing with the Brecker brothers some years ago at San Sebastián. Dave Holland will play with Pepe Habichuela in the same city.
The greatest concert in my life, April 26th: McCoy Tyner. He is the only alive member of Coltrane’s quartet since 1960 to 1965. It’s a great chance to meet one man that helped to change the history of the music. He comes with an special guest: Joe Lovano, who returns to Coruña six years after the ScoLoHoFo (Scofield-Lovano-Holland-Foster) tour.
A junkie drummer and a soulless pianist. A loner saxophonist that seems Eric Dolphy. Two brothers (bassist and drummer) fighting for the same fatal femme. Three paralell histories in the same point of space (Dolphin’s Club at NY) and time (some days before 11-S). It is the comic “Hate Jazz”, by Horacio Altuna and Jorge González (Sins entido Ed., 2006).
Amazing colour and scent of jazz. Highly recommended if you still are not sure about the difference between the beauty eroticism and the grotesque pornography. It is written in Spanish, I wish them in English soon.
Black. Oscar Peterson passed away a week ago. Virtuosity and legend of piano remain.
White. Eldar Djangirov, a new l’enfant terrible. My friend Javi Calvo gave me his first album “Eldar” (2005) backed by Michael Brecker. Eldar is an Oscar Peterson fan, and he proves it. Of course, Lady Wicks.
Black & white. Kenny Barron and Brad Mehldau. I recently meet p2p a video file of their wonder duet at Umbria Jazz 1999.
Tequila+lime+a jazz masterpiece. A nice recipe for surviving to a crushing night.
Last Tuesday Sonia and me attended to the concert that played a living legend: one of the free jazz movement rebels, Ornette Coleman. I always compare free jazz with high purity chocolate: it’s bitter at first taste, but you end up appreciating it.
We heard a great concert. The group covered some standards, and themes from Sound Grammar (2006) album. Chaos and melody swapped and merged. Intense performances, and the fastest bassist I ever saw.
I only missed just bit more nearness to the audience. No introducings, only one encore. Just 1:30, and goodbye. But, I repeat, a great, fuzzy concert.
If you need to smash an addiction, maybe it’s a good idea swap it for another one. Six weeks ago, I cut the ethernet wire to concentrate on September tests. And, of course, jazz was there to help me to forget all the world around.
What did I hear? That’s my playlist in my mp3 player:
It seems the jazz scene is improving in my humbly, little hometown. Yesterday we reach the II Festival de Jazz de Pontedeume, and, despite of the rain, I hope it won’t be the last. The people of O Abrevadeiro bar are doing a great effort to push a nice festival in a 10,000 population town.
This year we could listen to The Gypsy Jazz Project, a two-gitars and bass trio from Barcelona, the played nice swing in the Django style. Then we knew the new quartet of Guillermo Lacelotti, Mr. Dixie Jazz Band’s trumpet: Cool Beat. They show us the hidden bop inside Guillermo. And finally, more than two hours of Sonny, Parker, Coltrane… performed by Enrique Guzmán Quarter. The concert end around 3 AM and we were still in the square under the rain crying for more
More photos in my gallery.
Some days ago my felipoper friend Carlos Holgado brought to me this jewel:
To hear one of the greatest albums of the history of the music in pure vynil is a priceless gift
Last July, 17th was the 40 anniversary of the death of John Coltrane. It has been written millions of words about one of the five great jazzmen in the history (the numer one for me). But they are not enough to describe him. Rather these words are vain. If you really want to meet John, then hear his music. Because his music is still alive. Like himself.
Today when I went off the train in the evening, it began to rain. I had 1 km. down to home, so I put my headphones and shooke off the glasses.
The water drops run on my face, but I didn’t hear the rain. Rather I didn’t hear that rain. Because it was sounding in my ears “Here’s that rainy day”, then “A time for love”. These are the first tracks of “Bill Evans Alone”(1968).
The rest of the album… well, with a nice mug of tea, a cigarrete and… sneezing a bit But I felt free in that lonely walk…
Some days ago I visited Abe Rábade web page and I saw he now has a blog. And I read through it about the new project: “Jazz In Galiza Series”. The basic idea is to release some annual albums that show exchanges between Galician and foreign jazzmen. The first volume is a recording at the Pazo da Cultura of Pontevedra with John O’Gallagher (sax), Jeff Williams (drums), Paco Charlín (bass) and Abe Rábade (piano). When I get it in my hands I’ll write about it
With this new I discover too Free Code Jazz Records, a young record company that has released some works by Paco Charlín out of the Abe Rábade Trío. It’s a bit complicated to buy online now, but I’m sure they will improve it.
I don’t want forget to write some lines about Dee Dee Bridgewater concert in Coruña near a month ago. I read “Bridgewater presents her most daring album”. Maybe it’s true, but it was a wonderful live: she mixed standards with Black Africa arrangements with Black Africa songs with bop arrangements. She touched all the great West Africa topics in her search of her Mali roots: slavery, celebrations, Mother and, of course, love. She had time to pay tribute to the great Nina Simone. The audience end the show standing up, and clapping following the rythm
The night ended with my friend Sonia and me celebrating at Jazz Filloa. It was a very nice night
Two bad news for jazz enthusiasts: on friday died Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane’s widow and his pianist in the latest years (of course she was performer in the mythical “Olatunji Concert” (April 23,1967); on saturday, the same bad new with saxophonist Michael Brecker.
Alice Coltrane had a musical life after Coltrane’s death. She had her own groups, following the John’s innovative trail. Recently she recorded “Translinear Light” (2004) with one of their three musicians sons, Ravi.
Michael Brecker was a great saxophonist, for jazz, and pop, rock as well. He is well-known as electric, fusion jazz. But I meet him with his brother Randy in a live in the 36 Jazzaldia San Sebastián that RTVE broadcasted in summer of 2001: “Brecker Brothers, the return of the acoustic band” (Randy and Michael Brecker, Peter Washington, Dave Kikoski and Carl Allen). Since then one of my favourite themes is “Nascente” ( Nearess of you: the ballad book, 2001).
Via Tomajazz(es) and JamSession(es).
Updated,Jan.16: obituaries of Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker in All About Jazz
Last week Bille and me went again to another jazz concert from “Jazz en Outono” series. The American saxophonist came to Ferrol featuring the veteran Tony Heimer on piano, the young Héctor Rojo on bass, and the virtuous drummer Nithankar Khalsa.
They performed a good concert. Maybe it was a little irregular concert, Stocker seemed be passing flu. But even with his few breathing difficulties, he surprised us playing tenor and soprano sax both at the same time.
He showed us too what wonderful sound he can extract playing his soprano sax onto the pianos chords. For a moment we thought there was an electric sound in the scenario, but it was the wonder combination
I took some photos. I have no photo of all the quartet, we were in the center of the first stand (but it’s a good place to enjoy ;-)).
On friday Bille and me went to Jon Mayer Trio concert in Ferrol. Bille was tired and he had to get up at seven o’clock. So he didn’t wanted to go too much. “If you don’t go to the concert, you’ll regret the rest of your life”
We arrived at Caixa Galicia Foundation hq in Ferrol at 20:15, and a hostess advised us: “maybe you won’t find two chairs together”. But we found the seats in the first line, three meters near of Roy McCurdy, the drummer of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley between 1965 and 1975.
We quickly got into the rithm. The concert alternated ballads with lively bebop themes, we heard some Jon’s compositions but Kenny Barron, Benny Golson and more too. We were near enough to prove what we could guess by the music: the very harmonious relationship between the musicians were in their faces. Jon Mayer was the leader, but a humbly leader: the main solos were by the young bassist Darryl Hall and the drummer Roy McCurdy, who proved why he has been sideman with the greatest.
The concert finished. The audience remained clapping until Jon alone backed from the backstage to perform one lonely encore. Then he missed again in the backstage, and the lights got on.
Bille and me went to buy the CD’s in the hall. I bought “My Romance” (Reservoir Music, 2005), Jon Mayer on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Dick Berck in drums. Then Bille suggested me to have guts and go to ask for sign our CD’s. I hesitated, I never did it never after a concert, but I followed him.
A hostess said us the musicians were still in the stage. We went into again, and we saw Roy McCurdy and Darryl Hall. I was nervous, so my English crashed a moment. Bille asked Darryl to sign the CD’s, he came kindly, he joked with us saying “I’m Jon Mayer”, then he signed. We thanked him “for the music”. Then he begun to shout at the door of backstage “Jon Mayer, are you here? Jon Mayer, please, come to the stage!”. We were amazed
Roy McCurdy ended to fetch his stuff, and when passed near us, we asked him to sign the CD’s. He kindly too signed our covers, then he sitted up in the stands. Meanwhile Darryl was frolicking on the stage. He proved he could play the drums and piano too Sometimes he went to the door and shouted for Jon Mayer He asked us “What’s the name of this city” “Ferrol”, Bille answered proudly. “Are you from this city?” “Yes, I am, and he lives near” answered again pointing me. “Are you musicians” “No, we aren’t… and we are too old to learn” “No! You are never too old to learn!”, Darryl exclaimed.
After ten-fifteen minutes waiting, Jon Mayer appeared in the door of the stage, Darryl shouted “Ladies and Gentlemen! Jon Mayer!!!”, then he bowed. Jon didn’t realized we were waiting for him, so he began to go up the stands when bille intercepted him and asked for the sign. He smiled, he signed and shaked our hands I shaked the hand who shaked John Coltrane’s hand in the “I talk with the trees” session We shaked the hands with Darryl Hall too, then we run out.
One unforgettable night of our lives didn’t finished in the street: Bille and me went to celebrate having dinner. Talb0t, who had missed the concert because practices in the Faculty joined us to the herbs liqueur and guiness. And we decided we’ll repeat on wednesday with Paul Stocker quartet.
This month begins the fith edition of “Jazz en Outono” (Jazz in fall) series in Ferrol. These concerts are organised by the Caixa Galicia foundation, and these year we’ll have two very interestings concerts: the next nov., 17th the Jon Mayer trio, and the nov., 22th, Paul Stocker quartet (Andaluciajazz, es)).
Jon Mayer is a veteran bebop pianist that even played with Coltrane; Jon Mayer is a Californian sax with a strong career in Europa since 70’s, at the moment he lives in Granada (Spain).
Via Cope radio and La Voz de Galicia(es).
I seldom buy a non pure acoustic album. But this one has on the head two great musicians: on bass Charlie Haden, and on sax Michael Brecker.
The quartet is completed with two members of a new jazzmen generation: pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Brian Blade.
If you heard another albums of these four musicians then you’ll expect sensitivity and virtuosity, then you won’t get wrong. The first twenty seconds are enough to get the pulse to this album: spaciousness feeling, warmness, introspection, travel along a non ending road (as the life is).
Most of songs have an experimental style. Of course, it isn’t a new thing a fussion classic music-jazz music. But here there isn’t fussion. In the first song, “American Dreams”, Charlie Haden seems to dialogue with the strings orchestra in the skyline; same happens with the fourth track “It might be you” when is Michael the speaker. In “No lonely nights” or “Nightfall” all the quartet seems to ignore the strings orchestra’s entreaty in the distance.
Of course, in an album entitled “American Dreams” could not fail “America the Beautiful”. Maybe you’ve heared this song lots of times in USA movies or sports, but you’ll get the goose pimples with any touch of the bass by Charlie in this version.