Roy Hargrove is one of the best trumpeters nowadays. Some years ago I saw the live at San Sebastian with drummer Roy Haynes launching a great album: “Birds of a feather: a tribute to Charlie Parker”(2001). Recently my friend Javi Calvo lend me “RH Factor”(2003), where he performs a more funky sound.

Kenny Barron is one of my favorite pianists alive (McCoy Tyner is obviously the other one). He usually has a classic sound of accoustic jazz bands. If you hasn’t still listened his duet with Charlie Haden “Night and the city”(1998), run to your store and buy it ASAP

And it was published in August, 17th, 1959. Trane and Miles were 33 years old. Bill Evans, 30. In two impromptu performances they amazed the world.

If you still didn’t hear Sumrrá live, you’ll have a chance. But if you  are not around, you can download some recordings from their web page.  Amazing “Israel”, “Lisboa 5 PM”… Sumrrá is currently one of the most interesting jazz groups in North Spain.

Of course we attended to a great concert, but when we didn’t got surprised because it, we really wondered with the concert after. The Big Four, a Belgian-Dutch quartet of blues played with 81 years old sax Big Jay McNeely and harmonicist Mark Tortorici three hours and half in the  night. They really seemed drowned in Red Bull. They were very, very wild. Then at 3:30 the police came to throw out us of the square and the  rain made explosions with the electric instalation, they stopped. But people began to shout asking for more. So Mark Tortorici and The  Big Four gitarist began to play without loudspeakers. The Californian  draw out his trowsers and went into the fountain in the center of the  square. A really blues ecstasy

We wish a new, intense edition of the American Roots the next year  again. We’ll return to have dinner in Kilowatio tavern at the port,  drinkbeer at the Plaza Roja square, and, of course, to swing all the  night.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.