Fred Simon, opening for Larry Coryell Jan. 4, 2014
Posted by: fred simon on 02 January 2014
Happy new year to one and all ... I hope the coming year finds you at least reasonably well and relatively happy.
I want to let you know about a gig coming up very soon: FRED SIMON, solo piano as opening act for legendary jazz guitarist LARRY CORYELL at SPACE in Evanston, IL, this Friday, January 3, 2014, at 8:00. Larry is truly one of the pioneers of jazz-rock, having forged a new musical frontier with the likes of Gary Burton, Jim Pepper, Herbie Mann, and Jack Bruce. And he's equally fluent in more straight-ahead jazz dialects ... his gigs span a diverse range.
Here's a link to the SPACE listing, which features a great video of Larry and his trio:
http://evanstonspace.com/shows/?event_id=3862694
I'll be playing a solo set mostly consisting of my own tunes, and then Larry will be joined by old friends and colleagues, drummer Paul Wertico and bassist Larry Gray. All of us played and recorded together back in the 20th century when Larry played on some Simon & Bard Group gigs and albums. He's been playing better than ever in recent years, so this promises to be an evening of memorable music, and a fun hang to boot ... I strongly urge you to please get down; this is one not to miss!
I hope every single one of you can drop by ... it would be great to see you!
As always, thanks for your past, present, and future support.
Grateful Fred
Thanks to all for the warm wishes and kind words. The gig expanded into two days because of the weather, and it was stellar! Here's my full report, complete with photos:
Back in 1980, well before the turn of the century, the Simon & Bard Group banded together with Coryell; he played on two of our albums (Musaic, The Enormous Radio) and we played some great gigs together at legendary venues like The Joynt in EauClaire, Wisconsin and The Quiet Knight in Chicago. Wertico was in the band at that time; Larry Gray joined a few years later. There was wonderful music, and some wild and fun times!
Last Friday, January 3, I was slated to play a solo piano set opening for The Larry Coryell Trio. And then a blizzard hit the East coast, snarling air traffic everywhere; Larry couldn't get here from there. So I was asked to play a trio set with Wertico and Gray for a full house that had mostly come to hear Coryell.
The audience was told of the cancellation, and was invited back the following afternoon for a rescheduled Coryell show. But since they had come out in the cold, snow, and ice they were welcome to stay to hear our impromptu trio. Happily, just about everyone stayed, and they dug what they heard and showed us their love. It was so great to play with Paul and Larry again, especially in front of such an appreciative audience who had come expecting something else. And they got something else!
The next afternoon, I played a short solo set and then the Coryell trio tore it up! Larry has been playing better than ever in recent years, mining the depths of jazz, blues, rock, and classical with heart, soul, and authenticity. Wertico and Gray played like the inspiring, brilliant masters they are. And the audience really got their money's worth over the course of two days. Abundant thanks to the folks at SPACE, and Coryell, Wertico, and Gray … a great time was had by all!
Larry Coryell, Fred Simon, Larry Gray, Paul Wertico
Larry Coryell and Fred Simon