Post by monasterymonochrome on Apr 4, 2023 14:42:21 GMT -6
Saturday
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: The best set of the weekend and one of the best sets I've ever seen. Bassekou is the master of the ngoni and he is a bona fide rock star with his full band. I mean, the guy was doing full-on Hose jamming during some of these songs. Rhythm section was infectious, energy was non-stop, and the lead singer - his wife I believe - was excellent and moving. I couldn't stop dancing the whole time, and was also able to record most of the set on my phone for posterity. If it doesn't sound like total shit, I'll touch it up next week and upload it somewhere.
Christian McBride’s New Jawn: Hustled over to the Civic for another stellar jazz show. Christian McBride is just so cool, one of the more consistently good to great bandleaders, tho I much prefer his New Jawn albums to his Inside Straight ensemble. Some delicate melodies, inspired rhythmic interplay, and rapid-fire solos. The cover of Larry Young's "Obsequious" was a joy to hear.
Kevin Morby (w/ Erin Rae): Then back to Mill & Mine for my first Morby set since, somehow, Pitchfork 2016. Mostly got tracks from his latest two albums, but then he went into "Piss River" from 2019's amazing and underrated Oh My God and then did an electric "City Music". At his best, Morby's indie rock feels more like spirituals and he was hitting those highs on Saturday. I grabbed a t-shirt then hopped over to the Jig & Reel, but apparently Katie Crutchfield came out for the set finale.
Peter One: A slightly frustrating J&R experience, as I didn't get into this 3:00 set until 3:25, but the last half hour was a good time. Peter was playing all new songs from a forthcoming record, had a pretty large (7 or 8-piece) band up with him, and his voice sounded beautiful. For those unfamiliar, he was a major star in Cote d'Ivoire in the 80s, with his take on country music, then moved to the States in the 90s where he's been teaching in Nashville for the last 30 years.
Charles Lloyd (w/ Bill Frisell): Back to Civic Auditorium. Thought this one might be too sleepy for me, but I was tired by this point and found the comfy seats and A/C to be just what I needed. Charles can still play with power and grace in his 80s, and Frisell complemented him deftly with his echoey chords. Not a barnburner but a very calming and occasionally moving set of jazz. I much prefer Bill live as a sideman than as a bandleader.
The Bad Plus: Had some time so I watched the new iteration of The Bad Plus for about 10 minutes at Mill & Mine. Idk I just wasn't feeling it, not enough energy / unique-sounds going on for the portion I caught.
Etran de L’Air: Now THAT'S more fuckin' like it! The rising stars of the Nigerien toureg scene set Big Ears ablaze with this one. I love the bounciness and youthful enthusiasm you can hear on their record, and it translated live in big way. I was holding down the dance party at Jackson Terminal, hopping around like a fool. These guys are a blast and have some of the best guitar heroics around.
Ichiko Aoba: Then to St. John's Cathedral for Ichiko Aoba + string sextet. Barely made it into the venue (s/o Teekoh's "forty yard dash" to catch up with us in line), and I'm so glad we did. Almost unfairly beautiful music. Like, engineered in a lab to make the population feel wistful. She mostly played from 2020's Windswept Adan and the capacity crowd was captivated from start to end. I can't think of many people who can play the complex guitar parts she does while singing at the same time? Makes it look effortless and sounds transcendent.
Rickie Lee Jones: Onto the balcony of the Bijou - Rickie's set was an experience. Not always locked in musically (some vocals felt slightly off, band was great but sometimes struggled to keep up with her timing), but when it came together it was thrilling. "Living It Up" was my highlight, tho Pirates was chillingly beautiful.
Bela Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart: Then back to the Civic for the last 1:40 of Bela's Bluegrass Heart. Idk. I fucking loved this. Never seen him before, and this album has been on constant rotation throughout the last year. It's basically acting as my gateway into bluegrass music at this point. He was incredible. The band was dazzling (Sierra Hull and Michael Cleveland especially). I wound my way into the second row again, tho the crowd was quite thin by the end of his two-hour slot. This just hit exactly the spot I was hoping for, tremendous all around.
Cecile McLorin Salvant: Surprisingly made it into the Bijou for the last 45-50 minutes of CMS' set. And yo, this was stunning. She is the best vocalist in the world right now, and I don't think I can be convinced otherwise. Her records are great, but you have to see her live to really experience it. Like, she did a song from a Brecht opera, into Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe," into the title track from Hair, and the whole thing just worked - ya know? One of the most dynamic, thrilling performers and vocalists I've ever seen.
Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul: Closed out here at Mill & Mine. As others have said, the best dance party of the weekend. Bar none. This shit was ecstatic and def the most fun show of the weekend. Do not miss them if they're in your area.
So yeah - that was my Saturday. Arguably my favorite live music day of my life. Could you tell?
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: The best set of the weekend and one of the best sets I've ever seen. Bassekou is the master of the ngoni and he is a bona fide rock star with his full band. I mean, the guy was doing full-on Hose jamming during some of these songs. Rhythm section was infectious, energy was non-stop, and the lead singer - his wife I believe - was excellent and moving. I couldn't stop dancing the whole time, and was also able to record most of the set on my phone for posterity. If it doesn't sound like total shit, I'll touch it up next week and upload it somewhere.
Christian McBride’s New Jawn: Hustled over to the Civic for another stellar jazz show. Christian McBride is just so cool, one of the more consistently good to great bandleaders, tho I much prefer his New Jawn albums to his Inside Straight ensemble. Some delicate melodies, inspired rhythmic interplay, and rapid-fire solos. The cover of Larry Young's "Obsequious" was a joy to hear.
Kevin Morby (w/ Erin Rae): Then back to Mill & Mine for my first Morby set since, somehow, Pitchfork 2016. Mostly got tracks from his latest two albums, but then he went into "Piss River" from 2019's amazing and underrated Oh My God and then did an electric "City Music". At his best, Morby's indie rock feels more like spirituals and he was hitting those highs on Saturday. I grabbed a t-shirt then hopped over to the Jig & Reel, but apparently Katie Crutchfield came out for the set finale.
Peter One: A slightly frustrating J&R experience, as I didn't get into this 3:00 set until 3:25, but the last half hour was a good time. Peter was playing all new songs from a forthcoming record, had a pretty large (7 or 8-piece) band up with him, and his voice sounded beautiful. For those unfamiliar, he was a major star in Cote d'Ivoire in the 80s, with his take on country music, then moved to the States in the 90s where he's been teaching in Nashville for the last 30 years.
Charles Lloyd (w/ Bill Frisell): Back to Civic Auditorium. Thought this one might be too sleepy for me, but I was tired by this point and found the comfy seats and A/C to be just what I needed. Charles can still play with power and grace in his 80s, and Frisell complemented him deftly with his echoey chords. Not a barnburner but a very calming and occasionally moving set of jazz. I much prefer Bill live as a sideman than as a bandleader.
The Bad Plus: Had some time so I watched the new iteration of The Bad Plus for about 10 minutes at Mill & Mine. Idk I just wasn't feeling it, not enough energy / unique-sounds going on for the portion I caught.
Etran de L’Air: Now THAT'S more fuckin' like it! The rising stars of the Nigerien toureg scene set Big Ears ablaze with this one. I love the bounciness and youthful enthusiasm you can hear on their record, and it translated live in big way. I was holding down the dance party at Jackson Terminal, hopping around like a fool. These guys are a blast and have some of the best guitar heroics around.
Ichiko Aoba: Then to St. John's Cathedral for Ichiko Aoba + string sextet. Barely made it into the venue (s/o Teekoh's "forty yard dash" to catch up with us in line), and I'm so glad we did. Almost unfairly beautiful music. Like, engineered in a lab to make the population feel wistful. She mostly played from 2020's Windswept Adan and the capacity crowd was captivated from start to end. I can't think of many people who can play the complex guitar parts she does while singing at the same time? Makes it look effortless and sounds transcendent.
Rickie Lee Jones: Onto the balcony of the Bijou - Rickie's set was an experience. Not always locked in musically (some vocals felt slightly off, band was great but sometimes struggled to keep up with her timing), but when it came together it was thrilling. "Living It Up" was my highlight, tho Pirates was chillingly beautiful.
Bela Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart: Then back to the Civic for the last 1:40 of Bela's Bluegrass Heart. Idk. I fucking loved this. Never seen him before, and this album has been on constant rotation throughout the last year. It's basically acting as my gateway into bluegrass music at this point. He was incredible. The band was dazzling (Sierra Hull and Michael Cleveland especially). I wound my way into the second row again, tho the crowd was quite thin by the end of his two-hour slot. This just hit exactly the spot I was hoping for, tremendous all around.
Cecile McLorin Salvant: Surprisingly made it into the Bijou for the last 45-50 minutes of CMS' set. And yo, this was stunning. She is the best vocalist in the world right now, and I don't think I can be convinced otherwise. Her records are great, but you have to see her live to really experience it. Like, she did a song from a Brecht opera, into Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe," into the title track from Hair, and the whole thing just worked - ya know? One of the most dynamic, thrilling performers and vocalists I've ever seen.
Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul: Closed out here at Mill & Mine. As others have said, the best dance party of the weekend. Bar none. This shit was ecstatic and def the most fun show of the weekend. Do not miss them if they're in your area.
So yeah - that was my Saturday. Arguably my favorite live music day of my life. Could you tell?
