Friday, January 05, 2007

Old and new dreams

2007 is starting off with some very strong music, both here and in NYC. Maybe cloning's not such a bad idea after all...

January 7 is the Dewey Redman Memorial Concert at Saint Peter's Church in NYC (Lexington & 54th). The announced performers are fitting, and stellar: Pheeroan AkLaff, Geri Allen, Reid Anderson, John Betsch, Cameron Brown, Baikida Carroll, Ted Daniel, Jack DeJohnette, Charles Eubanks, Charlie Haden, Mark Helias, Ethan Iverson, Leroy Jenkins, Sheila Jordan, Frank Kimbrough, Joe Lovano, John Menegon, Joshua Redman, Judi Silvano, and Matt Wilson, and others. I can think of no better way to celebrate his life - wish I was in town to pay my respects.

January 9 & 10 sees Dutch iconoclast, percussionist/artist Han Bennink at Tonic, joined by friends Joachim Badenhorst, Anthony Coleman, Dave Douglas, Ellery Eskelin, Thomas Heberer, Brad Jones, and Marcus Rojas. All surfaces in the club are open game for Bennink, and I imagine hilarity as well as fantastic music will ensue.

January 12 is the night of a fundraiser concert for the crisis in Darfur at Clara Lichtenstein Recital Hall (555 Sherbrooke W, room C-209). Organized by my friend, flautist Deborah Thomson, I'll be performing at the end of the concert with Scott Kingsley (bass) and Liam O'Neill (drums). Other McGill alumni and current students are on the programme, with works by Damase, Hovahness, Persichetti, Liszt, Gubaidulina, J.S. Bach, Mozart, Vivier, and Bartok. Admission is by donation, and it starts at 8 pm.

January 12 & 13, Upstairs brings in a kick-ass quintet from NYC: Donny McCaslin, Lars Dietrich, Ben Monder, Zack Lober and Greg Ritchie. I'm quite excited to hear this group - I've missed Ben and Donny whenever they've been through town before, and I haven't heard Zack and Greg in a very long time.

1 comment:

Dan said...

Nice reference in the title of this post - I actually have a couple great live recordings of the band, one with Hamid Drake on drums instead of Ed Blackwell from Sweet Basil in NYC.