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Support Your Local Genius

RichT's boring old name

12:56 / 24.01.07

Last night I saw the Noah Howard/Evan Parker/John Edwards/Chris Corsano quartet.

John Edwards was ON FIRE

It was a fantastic gig but he just blew the other guys (all amazing in their own right) away.

The thing is I've seen him play gigs to 10 people in the audience in the back of the pub (and been incredible there).

Something Noah Howard re-iterated throughout the gig was
"Support your local geniuses!" (mainly aimed in the direction of Mr. Edwards)

Who are yours? When and where are they playing?

14:07 / 24.01.07

Yeah, I was at the Howard et al gig too... some amazing stuff, no doubt - all those guys individually were really something else, but there seemed to be a weird energy going on between them that was sometimes detrimental; it seemed like every time they were picking up steam and locking together into something really extraordinary, Howard would cut the song and go back to his ramble about geniuses and whatnot.

Yeah, Edwards and Corsano were superb, but to be honest, given the short length of the concert I would have prefered some more developed ensemble playing and less crazy-ass solo spots. Evan Parker seemed very subdued too, but then I've never seen him play live before, so, I dunno, maybe he's always like that. He was quietly knocking out a few bits which I thought were absolutely heart-stopping nonetheless.

My favourite moment from Edwards wasn't actually his solos, but the parts where he took up an initial riff from Howard's sax and just sorta drove it home over the course of a longer piece, slowly mutating it into all this big, swinging, menacing riffy whatever.

Do you reckon there was kind of a conflict going on between the more avowedly abstract styles of the British guys and Howard's pulling out of some more Bop-like '60s-informed moves? He was certainly a pretty odd and unpedictable figure on stage either way; one of my favourite bits of the show was when he started playing this kinda wacky Coltrane-ised take on "Pop goes the Weasel" or something and started hopping across the stage trying to get the other guys to pick up on it... they seemed kinda like 'what the fuck??', but nevertheless tried to shift their thing to incorporate it, just in time for him to drop it completely and launch into a totally fiery out of nowhere high register honking spree... fantastic!

I'm getting such a kick at the moment out of watching live jazz/improv stuff... for much the reasons hastily expressed above I guess.

As to the actual point of this thread, I'm not sure I can immediately think of any contenders, although since I officially now live in London, I guess it stands to reason that there must be some under-appreciated geniuses lurking around somewhere. Buggered if I've run into them yet though. They're probably all disgruntled and anti-social and poor and just express their genius at home.

RichT's boring old name

17:58 / 24.01.07

I think Howard completely changed the group dynamic from what I'd heard of the others before. I was expecting something a lot less 'jazz', and most improvised pieces I hear end up being around 15-20mins plus rather than the almost "jazz standards" they played last night. I did think, in a way it was quite refreshing, although it didn't always work.

I found the start of the set so odd, with Howard starting off with this trad type melody, then Edwards and Corsano launching off like they had a rocket up their arse.

It was also the first time I'd seen Evan Parker live, although I felt he acted like a bridge between Howard and the rhythm section throughout the gig, and never really shone that much individually- I would have really liked to see him let rip.

I felt some of Noah Howard's conducting decisions were quite odd, at times I felt something was really going between some of the musicians and he cut them off or curtailed it into a solo, either way it didn't feel natural and not how things are usually done in these 'ere parts. I did quite like the whole bandleader persona though. Odd guy.

As for these characters- Corsano's playing the Pool Bar tonight, I'll see about that after I've had some tea.

John Edwards is playing The Klinker tomorrow night with Ingrid Laubrock & Steve Noble

18:56 / 24.01.07

"They're probably all disgruntled and anti-social and poor and just express their genius at home."

Or practicing. I do wonder sometimes if what we need is more genius or if what we need is more people doing it just because it's enjoyable, even if they aren't going to win any contests.

Waiting for Guffman v. American Idol

And I hate American Idol

I have begun to turn against anyone who wants to be a 'full time artist'....if art is all you have to contribute, then we're voting you off the island first.

RichT's boring old name

23:17 / 11.03.07

Bit of a weird one- Just come back from meeting some people at a pub in shoreditch, probably around 100m or so from the aforementioned gig, to find none other than the aforementioned Mr. Edwards playing in the 'wallpaper jazz' band in the corner this afternoon.

It put me in an odd kind of situation, although I'd come to socialise, I couldn't ignore the band- I find it hard enough when there are average musicians playing this kind of stuff and you're in a conversation, never mind this guy- let alone the fact that I think he recognised me (as I've chatted to him a couple of times before). I wonder how he feels having recognised me (if he did), knowing full well what I knew he's capable of.

I've been trying to think of some kind of analogy for quite how it made me feel watching this. He was still John Edwards, there were a few solo moments where he let loose and showed the same abilities to manipulate musical material and had the same full-on technique throughout. But he was playing jazz standards and Cole Porter/Sinatra songs, and not in a particularly innovative way, whilst watching the football on telly until they took the screen down.

I suppose the best I can come up with is that you think your dad works as a superhero and find that he works in an office (although works as a superhero part time).

I'm also fully aware that this is the life of the professional musician and that I don't think anyone can make a living from free improv gigs alone.

Maybe you could say that I've seen a hero of mine 'sell out', but- hey, I work in an office and play part time (mostly losing money when I do), so it's not like I can talk (who can, though?).