I saw Clark Terry several years ago and he did and updated international version of 'Mumbles'.... that was cool. I've seen a lot of other live jazz performances over the years, but most were lesser-known musicians. The very first jazz concert I ever attended was one by the Buddy Rich band, about 27 years ago. Most of the concerts I have attended have been in the past dozen years, though. Among the ones I have seen:
Sonny Rollins (always a delight in concert -- if you ever have the chance go to one of his shows)
Dave Brubeck (it's amazing the energy he still puts into performing at his age -- again, if you ever have the chance, go!)
McCoy Tyner (both solo and leading different groups)
Oscar Peterson (after his stroke, but he was still able to play pretty darn well)
Ray Brown (I saw him several times because his groups were always fun -- he did this one number where he had the audience snap their fingers to keep time while he took a bass solo, so I can say I "performed" with Ray Brown!)
Junior Mance
Jimmy Smith (disappointing)
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Joey DeFrancesco
Papa John DeFrancesco
Jimmy McGriff, Hank Crawford & Jimmy Scott (all together, a really great show)
Joe Williams
Bob Dorough & Dave Frishberg (together)
Louie Bellson (what a drummer, and a very nice guy too!)
Clark Terry (yep, he's a great performer -- he did one song where he played trumpet in one hand and flugelhorn in the other, and then he played the trumpet holding it upside down!)
Tito Puente (a terrific showman who always led a very tight band)
John Handy
Art Farmer & Frank Morgan (together)
Roy Hargrove
Stanley Turrentine (I saw him play just days before he died)
Bobby Hutcherson
Milt Jackson
Stefon Harris
Kenny Garrett (you have to see him in concert to understand how great he really is)
Hugh Masekela (a dynamic performer)
Abdullah Ibrahim
Gene Harris (he made sure his audiences had fun -- I really miss him)
Billy Higgins (a joy to watch -- one of my favorite drummers)
Mose Allison
Bud Shank
Arturo Sandoval
Jimmy, Percy & Tootie Heath
Rosemary Clooney
Dianne Reeves
Tania Maria
Joe Henderson
Brad Mehldau
Jessica Williams
Keith Jarrett (solo and with his trio)
Lou Rawls
Kurt Elling
Peggy Lee
Hank Jones
Elvin Jones
Joshua Redman
Joe Lovano
Toshiko Akiyoshi & Lew Tabackin (together and Tabackin separately)
Chico O'Farrill
Chucho Valdes (one of the world's greatest pianists who should be much better known)
Frank Wess
Mulgrew Miller
Marian McPartland
Kenny Barron & Regina Carter (together)
Harold Mabern
Mark Murphy
Richie Cole
Steve Turre
Manhattan Transfer
Dick Hyman
Randy Brecker
David "Fathead" Newman
Ray Charles (saw him twice and he was great both times)
Dave Holland
Phil Woods
Nicholas Payton
Preservation Hall Jazz Band (their music will make any one feel good)
Dr. John
Chuck Mangione
Carla Bley & Steve Swallow (together)
Chick Corea
James Moody
Harry "Sweets" Edison
Lou Donaldson
George Shearing
There are probably some other "big" names that I'm forgetting right now. Also a lot of less well known performers who were nonetheless well worth seeing, such as Taylor Eigsti, Joanne Brackeen, Karrin Allyson, Barbara Dennerlein, Jason Moran, Pete Christleib, Dorothy Donegan, Roberta Gambarini, and Virginia Mayhew.
My favorite concerts were probably ones given by Rollins and Brubeck. I have seen each of them several times and it has always been worth it. I am a BIG Miles Davis fan, and I saw him perform twice before he died. I feel very fortunate for that. I've seen a ton of jazz greats (I live in SF Bay Area):
Dizzy Gillespie
Wynton Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Count Basie
Stanley Turrentine
Art Farmer
Wayne Shorter (The worst concert)
Max Roach
Chick Corea
McCoy Tyner
Elvin Jones
Joshua Redman
James Carter
Pharaoh Sanders
Terence Blanchard
Freddie Hubbard
Brad Mehldau
Cassandra Wilson
Michael Brecker
Sonny Rollins
Ray Brown
David Sanborn
Grover Washington, Jr.
Tuck and Patti Most of the jazz concerts I attended were in the 70s-80s. I saw some of the icons of the genre at the time. Weather report, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, All dimeola, John Mcglaughlin and the mahavishnu orchestra!
Miles, and a few more. ALL were outstanding! And different!
John M. for ex. was at an outdoor venue and it was IN-YOUR-FACE fusion w/ arguably the finest guitarist anywhere.
Al Dimeola on the other hand was at an indoor dedicated classic music complex in Montreal. Place des Arts. We sat in comfy padded chairs in an acoustically correct building, and as Al was playing I looked arround and saw only ear to ear smiles on everyone! I could talk for hours on jazz, but,,,, RHW. I've seen Charles McPherson and Jaleel Shaw. I think just for fun entertainment, Jaleel was great (and he's a great guy too). Charles was a much more impressive player, but not as "entertaining." He's also really nice too. I really enjoyed Sean Malone (Bassist) at one particular show The best big name show I ever saw was at the Village Vanguard in 2000. It was the Charles McPherson Quartet with guest Wynton Marsalis. The drummer was Carl Allen and the bass player was Rufus Reid. I forget the piano player, but he was great too.
I watched the whole show with my jaw hanging down to the floor. That entire band was just outrageously good. A few times, I just started laughing. Not because it was funny, it was just too good. I'm still grateful to have been there to witness the show as it was.
PS-I've seen a lot of bands in a lot of places in NYC. I got news for you. Some of the practically unknown musicians played my favorite shows. There are to many for me to mention i have played with quite a few of them i would say Sonny Rollins gives a good perfomance he never fails to suprise me let alone the audiance, Id say Pharoah is always great also but there are so many great jazz performers, i saw buddy rich he played behind his back and on the tables in the audiance there are some great comedians in jazz. I saw Nicholas Payton play Piano Bass Druma and trumper all on the same gig. Neat. Roland Kirk was amazing to watch My list is not long, but my two favorite performances were Duke Ellington at the Guthrie Theater and Dave Brubeck (twice).
Duke Ellington died shortly after I saw him and I never would have forgiven myself had I not attended what would be one of his final performances. I grew up on his music, both on vinyl and as performed by my father on our piano. Eventually I would be at the piano myself playing Ellington songs at the funerals of both of my parents.
Brubeck is the consummate entertainer. Not only is he absolutely "wicked" in his knowledge of and skill in producing some of the best jazz the world has known, he's also an incredibly warm, compassionate human being. I met Dave and his wife ("Oly") after a concert and was absolutely in awe of both of them. I think Brubeck has done more for students of music than any other single individual, and it's reassuring to know that his children are following in his footsteps.
Kabum I saw Maynard Ferguson at the Bottom Line in New York, he played mostly his Hollywood album,it was such a dynamic performance! I saw David Sanborn at the Pier Six Pavillion in Baltimore, he did a version of Soul Seranade I wish could be reproduced it was "haungtingly beautiful" indeed! Although they were all good due to time/place considerations, probably my favorite was Mike Stern with Dennis Chambers. We originally went to see Chambers, who is one of the baddest drummers on the planet. We didn't even know who Mike Stern was. Boy were we ever blown away by that combo and now I own most of Stern's CDs. The bass player was Lincoln Goines and I don't remember the sax player's name (sorry, if you happen to be reading this).
Another memorable concert was the "Tribute To Bud Powell" concert with Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, who had an incredible suit on, Christian McBride, and I think the trumpet player was Ray (?) Loney.
When I was in Undergrad school in Ohio, I heard Rashaan Roland Kirk in Columbus, and Cecil Taylor, who was a guest artist at Antioch College at the time.
Others I have heard are: Herbie Hancock, who was playing his "way out there" music which I couldn't really relate to very much, although I LOVE his more traditional fare, was playing with drummer Terry Lynn Carrington who is an AWESOME drummer; Billy Taylor with Ramsey Lewis on dueling grand pianos (awesome!); Elvin Jones with a trio playing in New York City at a downtown church: Larry Coryell at the Telluride Jazz Festival a few years back; John Abercrombie with Richie Bierach at the Blue Note in San Francisco, although they are really not "jazz", I call them "ECM" (a record label). There are probably more but I can't think of them right now.
Oops, almost forgot: McCoy Tyner played a double bill with the Chick Corea "Bud Power" tribute. He was absolutely awesome and one of my favorite jazz pianists. |
