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mjr
Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 229
Location: southeastern Massachusetts
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Post subject: KE with the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:36 pm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovQ2P3w8k6w
Many dates all over the place, check one out! I am going to try and catch the Worcester date at Mechanics Hall. |
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mjr
Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 229
Location: southeastern Massachusetts
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Post subject: some new venues for KE ???
Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:25 pm
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There seem to be about thirty dates, several in places where folks may not have had a chance to hear Kurt perform.
i.e. Portsmouth NH (their old-fashioned music hall is an amazing acoustic venue) Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Birmingham, AL.
Washington State and many CA dates too!
This looks to be an interesting tour.
It will be interesting to hear from some fans on the forum about their views of some of these concerts.
http://www.cami.com/?webid=1974 |
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P+T
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 691
Location: Portland, OR
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Post subject: Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars on Tour
Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:48 pm
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Thanks for posting this, mjr. This is indeed a terrific opportunity for lots of people to hear Kurt in February and April.
| Quote: | | The Monterey Jazz Festival is pleased to announce Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour: a nationwide, thirty-six show, six-week tour of the MJF/52 All-Stars. Traveling through thirty-three cities in seventeen states, the band features the nine-time Grammy-nominated and NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron on piano; Grammy-nominated violinist Regina Carter; Grammy-winning guitarist Russell Malone; eight-time Grammy-nominated vocalist Kurt Elling; bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, and Grammy-nominated drummer Johnathan Blake. |
The main site for the Monterey Jazz All-Stars on Tour is at:
http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/2009/tour/index.php
Scroll down to find all those dates and links to buy tickets. And do it soon -- they'll sell out quickly!
When Kurt, the Kenny Barron Trio, Russell Malone, and Regina Carter performed together for the first time at the MJF in September, reviewers said the shows were "breathtaking" and "extraordinary."
See:
http://kurtelling.com/news/press/monterey_jazz_festival_allstar_1.html
http://kurtelling.com/news/press/breathtaking_not_to_be_missed.html
http://kurtelling.com/news/press/in_a_word_extraordinary.html |
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Solan49
Joined: 14 Mar 2009
Posts: 114
Location: Sweden/Stockholm
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Post subject: Monterey Jazz Festival
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:57 am
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After having seen and heard "When i grow too old to dream" with Kurt Elling i envy all of you who has the possibility to visit a performance with The Monterey Jazz Festival on tour. What a lovely, swinging song and great lyrics and Regina Carter seems to be a wonderful violinist. It must be really nice to hear all music on this tour and like someone else wrote,
i really hope it will be a recording of this music so we all can enjoy it.
I wish the musicians a great tour and all fans a marvellous experience.
Best
Solweig
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Solan49 |
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P+T
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 691
Location: Portland, OR
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Post subject: Mark your calendars and get your tickets
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:34 pm
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A friendly reminder about the upcoming Monterey Jazz All-Stars on Tour in February and April.
Do you have your tickets???
Kurt performs with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron and his trio, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass and drummer Johnathan Blake, violinist Regina Carter, and guitarist Russell Malone.
The East Coast run visits eleven states starting on February 5, 2010 at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and will finish on February 28 at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Twenty shows in all.
The second leg of the tour begins in Bellingham, Washington on April 14, 2010, and continues with an additional sixteen shows in six states, ending in Detroit, Michigan, on May 1, 2010.
Full information including schedule and links for buying tickets for each show is here.
From articles about their performance last September at the Monterey Jazz Festival:
| Quote: | | In a word: extraordinary. These stellar musicians combined to create something that was far more than the sum of its parts. It reminds you of what “all-stars” truly can mean: an opportunity to see musicians perfectly on top of their game band together for a performance that is propulsive and perfectly synchronized. Every song they performed sparked and sizzled with energy. |
| Quote: | Throughout the set, Elling acts as unofficial emcee, announcing the group members and occasionally passing the mic to someone else. He and Carter take the spotlight for the lovely old Sigmund Romberg/Oscar Hammerstein song “When I Grow Too Old to Dream,” after which Carter and Barron play a ballad that acts like a big, gentle, quieting hand on the crowd; it seems that everyone listens and no one wants to miss a single sweet note from Barron’s piano or sigh from Carter’s bow.
More highlights of this generous set—for which, Elling explains, the group prepared with only two short rehearsals together, “but together we probably have over 300 years of rehearsals, all so we could be ready for you tonight”—include the saucy Jon Hendricks/Horace Silver collaboration “Soul Food,” and Malone’s take on “Time After Time.” |
Let's hope there's an album in the making here, too!
And as always, after the show, please tell us all about it here. |
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vsiderio
Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Posts: 12
Location: Mullica Hill, New Jersey, USA
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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:19 am
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| I first heard Kurt live in Philadelphia on November 21. He passes the test of the great jazz musician: he's better live than on a recording. Already have tickets for the Princeton show on February 17. I'll try to submit a review afterwards as to selections. |
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P+T
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 691
Location: Portland, OR
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Post subject: Thanks!
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:24 pm
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Thanks, vsiderio! Looking forward to your account and stories after the Princeton show.
And belated thanks for telling Forum folks about WRTI.org's broadcast of last November's gig in Philadelphia. Much appreciated! It was just as great as you said it was. The intermission interview with Kurt was excellent, too. As far as we know, there is no podcast of that broadcast, alas. Do you know anything more about that? |
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vsiderio
Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Posts: 12
Location: Mullica Hill, New Jersey, USA
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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:26 am
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| I will inquire about one through wrti, Temple University's radio station. I am a member and know a couple of people there. I made a CD of the broadcast, which for some reason was interrupted in the middle of the last tune, "Nature Boy." Hopefully a complete version exists. I'll post any information I get. |
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jazzylover59
Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Posts: 4
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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:33 pm
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"...This is indeed a terrific opportunity for lots of people to hear Kurt in February and April. "
This is an opportunity for lots of people to hear ALL OF THESE OUTSTANDING JAZZ ARTISTS FOR THE FIRST TIME TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.
Russell and Kenny have recorded on each other's albums. Russell on Kenny's Spirit Song, and Kenny on Russell's Sweet Georgia Peach.
Russell recorded on Regina's "Motor City Limits." |
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P+T
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 691
Location: Portland, OR
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Post subject: All together now
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:29 pm
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Thanks, jazzlover59. You're absolutely right. Not only are all of these outstanding jazz artists in the same place, they're making incredible great music TOGETHER, now night after night on this tour.
Kenny Barron on piano: NEA Jazz Master with nine Grammy nominations
Regina Carter on violin: Grammy nominee
Russell Malone on guitar: Grammy winner
Kurt Elling on vocals: Grammy winner and nine-time nominee;
Johnathan Blake on drums: Grammy nominee
Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass
They got rave reviews after their first performances last September at the Monterey Jazz Festival (see quotes in replies earlier in this thread).
A fan on Facebook went to both shows in Storrs, CT this weekend and can't say enough about them.
Great to hear about recording on each other's albums, too. Great musicians love to play with each other because that make everybody play at a better, ever higher level.
| Quote: | | In a word: extraordinary. These stellar musicians combined to create something that was far more than the sum of its parts. It reminds you of what “all-stars” truly can mean: an opportunity to see musicians perfectly on top of their game band together for a performance that is propulsive and perfectly synchronized. Every song they performed sparked and sizzled with energy. |
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P+T
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 691
Location: Portland, OR
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Post subject: Off to an excellent start
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:24 pm
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The MJF All-Stars kicked off their tour at the Jorgensen Center, University of Connecticut last weekend. Here's the review:
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The nationally-recognized Monterey Jazz Fest Tour started its 34-show, six week tour with a stop at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. A group of six talented jazzers played a two-and-a-half hour show starting at 8 p.m. this past Friday. More than 300 people attended this candlelit, nightclub style Cabaret Series music event, with an almost completely full ground floor.
Before the show started, President Michael Hogan appeared on stage to say a few words about UConn’s Huskies for Haiti relief effort, which was accepting donations from performance goers that night to fund the Haitian branch of Doctors Without Borders. He led the audience in a cheer: “Let’s hear it – Huskies for Haiti!” which was returned loud and clear. Also speaking with President Hogan was 6th-semester student Katie Valentine, the Storrs campus student coordinator for Huskies for Haiti.
“The students here really come together at important times like this,” she said, referring to the popular support her initiatives received during the first week of classes.
Tim Jackson, the general manager for the Monterey Jazz Fest Tour, gave an introductory talk about the history of the festival, which turns 53 this year. This year featured the Kenny Barron Trio, in addition to guitarist Russell Malone, violinist Regina Carter and Kurt Elling. on baritone Contrary to popular expectations, the night would contain only string and percussion instruments, with no horns to speak of.
This distinction was demonstrated up front, with Carter’s violin serving to double Elling’s vocal line on an up tempo bop chart. The first solos of the night included a scat solo, a violin solo, a guitar solo and a piano solo by Kenny Barron. After this, Elling stepped up to the mic, and let the audience know that he had a slight cold. He assured them that it wouldn’t be a problem.
“I’ll be giving you all I got tonight,” Elling said.
The next song “When I Grow Too Old to Dream,” was a tender and luxurious ballad. Carter’s violin carried the song’s solo section along, wailing like a traditional clarinet solo. Before the third song of the night, Kenny Barron introduced himself and his combo, then played one of his originals, “New York Attitude,” with just his trio. The open, airy bop chords resonated through the hall as the piano, drums and bass all took solos at a frantic fast pace.
Next everyone except for Malone walked off stage, and the guitarist played a solo “Unchained Melody,” that displayed his guitar virtuosity, with complicated finger picking lines and a section of the song entirely played using false harmonics. This was followed by another Kenny Barron original, “Calypso,” inspired by Barron’s first gig at a West Indian club in Brooklyn and featuring piano, violin and drum solos. Elling came back on stage for the pop standard “The Very Thought of You,” another tender piano ballad featuring a laid back piano solo. An impromptu blues jam in G brought the energy level back up, featuring call and response solos with the piano, violin, guitar and drums.
After a short intermission, the cool bossa nova ballad “And We Will Fly,” an Elling original, started the second half of the show. His sonorous baritone was a wonderful call to get the audience back into the performance. Carter and Malone played a duet next, playing well off of each other, and Malone even slipped in a quote from the Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville.” The violin took the lead on an instrumental version of Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain,” backed by Barron’s piano.
The feeling of the evening shifted dramatically with Elling’s original “What If?,” an up tempo piece with an unconventional tonality built around chromatic runs and minor 2nds, which also featured beat poetry-like vocal sections between the solos. Things were brought back to the traditional with Barron’s “Theme No. 1,” a slow tempo song based upon a two-chord vamp, featuring a violin/guitar dual melody line. The audience gave the players a standing ovation and called for an encore, which they received. The final song of the night was a moderate tempo swinger, featuring solos for all the instrumentalists on the stage. The show finally ended with another standing ovation from the house.
If there were any skeptics in the audience regarding the quality of jazz without brass or woodwinds, the night’s performance clearly showed how effective violin and guitar can be in a jazz setting. This year’s Monterey Jazz Fest Tour began with a solid start, as the group sets off to bring the unique string and percussion jazz sound around the nation. |
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mjr
Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 229
Location: southeastern Massachusetts
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Post subject: if you get the chance........
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 11:50 pm
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........go see this show, it is fantastic and very interesting. I mean it. Go. It was not exactly what I thought it would be. There was a tremendous amount of energy and shifting energy on stage. With all that talent, they really worked together and swung hard and had fun too.
Kurt sounded great! He sang a beautiful ballad that I had never heard him sing before, he opened the show with a surprise tune that they all soloed on, he closed the show with one of my favorite grooves that he does, he opened the second set with a cool and relaxed tune, he ended the first set with a brand new song that he has written a new lyric for. You have to go see it. That was just Kurt.
(I left out the titles so you'll have to go see for yourself and you won't be sorry).
Russell Malone is a tremendous guitar player. He played a Joe Pass like solo guitar piece on Michael Jackson's I'll Be There that was so beautiful and full and filled with gorgeous chords. He kept the melody happening all throughout. He's a real creative soloist too. A great sense of humor when he plays.
I also think that they must try things out from time to time so it probably would not always be the same exact songs from night to night.
Regina Carter plays so well. I have never been a fan of jazz violin but I love listening to her play. She plays with great feel, she can swing, she can make you cry. She could barely talk doing one announcement so she must have been sick but you wouldn't have known it to hear her play. She did an east Indian melody which means 'Friendship' on a nice groove and then her and Kenny Barron did a sweet duet on Don't Explain. On Ms. Carter's first half of her solo chorus she played entirely using harmonics and I mean way up there AND in tune.
Then Kenny Barron who is one of the best pianists out there was so solid all night. Shifting gears from tune to tune. His own compositions, New York Attitude a hot bop number, Calypso, Calypso, a wonderfully arranged song, his Theme #1 from an upcoming movie was very subtle and a nice set of chord changes for them to weave through. He's the best accompanist too.
The other thing that made the whole night work was the work of the drummer Jonathan Blake and the bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa. They were rock solid and laid everything down perfectly as well as soloing when the time came for that.
I've seen all-star groups in the past that did not have it together on stage and did not deliver much of anything. This group seems to really get along well and they listen to each other and react in the right way. This all-star group plays together without worrying about the spotlight.
I highly recommend checking out this group Wednesday in New Hampshire in a great little hall and Thursday in Boston at the Berklee Performance Center.
There will be something for everyone who goes, I guarantee it!!!
Thursday night, I will be just down the street hearing Renee Fleming with the BSO and dreaming about the day that I will hear Renee and Kurt sing together on a piece composed by Maria Schneider and backed by her orchestra in a special composition that someone needs to commission soon. It will be the best piece of music ever written, I'm quite sure of this. It's just that it's only in my mind so far.
Last edited by mjr on Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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karina
Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 188
Location: Luxembourg
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:57 am
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| Wow, sounds great! Now I'm *really* sorry they don't come over to Europe. I'd love to see them. Do you know if any of these shows will be broadcast (streaming)? |
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Solan49
Joined: 14 Mar 2009
Posts: 114
Location: Sweden/Stockholm
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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:37 am
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Hi Karina!
Me too, i would really love to hear and see the Monterey Jazz Festival
artists and especially Kurt Elling. I`m so sorry i don`t have the possibility
and wish they could do a european tour. It must be fantastic to be at those performances with great artists. Lucky all of you in USA who has the chance to see them.
Best
Solweig
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Solan49 |
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jazzylover59
Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Posts: 4
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:45 pm
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Thanks to all who are contributing to this thread.
I love reading what others have to say about the shows they have experienced. And I know it to be quite an experience.
I'm fairly new to jazz since 2005 after meeting Russell Malone and Benny Green, leading me to be at the MJF 2005 within weeks because I was so enthralled with my experience at Centrum/Port Townsend Jazz.
My life was forever changed.
I have continued to immerse myself in learning all I can about the music, the artists, the fans, the photographers, recording execs, management, journalists ~ all of it ~ and finding ways to support the life of the music.
Kandie Le Britain Webster in Washington State ~ jazzylover59 |
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