What was your last concert you went to ?

Posted by: sjust on 18 October 2004

Archie Shepp & Amina Claudine Myers - Live in Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg
Just returning from one of the Enjoy Jazz Festival concerts currently happening in my area. The old man and the younger lady burnt the house down ! Let's put the cover of forgiving and forgetting over the sound of the P.A. but fortunately you were able to hear both the piano and the saxes through the amplifiers, and that was a pleasure to do ! Shepp (whom I saw before, when he was much younger) still has so much energy that flows directly into his horn (and voice !!!), that it's breath taking. May he still live long and produce music, music, music !

Best regards, freundliche Grüße

Stefan
Posted on: 17 April 2014 by Kevin-W

On Monday I went to Ronnie Scott's to see the great Allen Toussaint. Few men can have made as huge a mark on the music and sound of a city (in this case New Orleans) as the 76 year old. He was a breezy, witty and genial host, taking us through his amazing back catalogue accompanied only by himself on piano - and what a pianist he is too!

 

Gig of the year so far for me.

 

There's a decent review of the night in the FT, here and from Richard Williams' blog here

 

 

Posted on: 18 April 2014 by Nick Lees

These New Puritans - Barbican

This was a reconstruction of their recent Fields Of Reeds album which meant the core band being augmented by a string (eight) and brass (ten) section, a choir (including some seriously amazing basses), two Steinway concert grands, a couple of other keyboards and a percussionist.  A pretty full stage.

It's clearly not an album that will appeal to everyone, as it makes Spirit Of Eden or Laughing Stock sound like a Lady Gaga album in traditional rock sound, but this was absolutely stunning. The textures of having the different instrumentation, mostly sparingly used, brought out elements of the music that I'd overlooked on the CD version.

 

It also struck me how much parts of it reminded me of Ligeti. Not something that occurs too often at a rock concert!

 

After they'd done the album they did banging orchestrated versions of stuff from Hidden (which, if you're looking to approach These New Puritans may be a safer entry).

Mira Calix was the excellent support, though I confess to being unused to a live act consisting of a serious-looking young lady staring intently at a Macbook and occasionally fiddling with a small mixing desk. Fortunately the music was engaging enough on its own (very old school electronics with lots of samples from 60s style analogue synthesizers such as the Buchla, mixed in with the odd bit of vocal sample).

 

 

And if that wasn't enough I met Denis A, whose enthusiasm for music new and old is expanding exponentially, and I was accompanied by a former denizen of these parts from the old days, throbnorth.

Posted on: 18 April 2014 by DenisA

These New Puritans - Barbican II

 

Last night's E X P A N D E D gig was an extraordinary experience. The power and beauty of the brass, strings and percussion created by Edwin Out'water, conducting the Heritage orchestra and Synergy vocals (choir) was truly wonderful. I hope the filming of the event is good enough to release and hopefully a soundboard recording. It will take a while to adjust seeing 'normal' size bands after this event.

 

It was great to meet up with Gary again after so many years. The last time we met we were 'Reeling' with Steely Dan at the Hammersmith Odeon along with Ewen, Diccus62 & Jet Johnson. Reunions like this occur like 'Villa' glories .