I recall a time when my friends and I went to Hunts Point Palace in the Bronx on a Saturday Night and danced to the Cal Tjader’s Modern Mambo Quintet, at the time featuring Mongo Santamaría and Willie Bobo, and then Sunday venturing downtown to Birdland and seeing the band again in this wonderful small setting. It was like they were playing just for us. Small venues have many advantages. You can hear the music. In larger venue, especially with performers whose recordings you know, you remember the music.
“I know that big venues are where the big money is, but a few more of these intimate cabaret-style appearances wouldn’t break the bank.” Liz Smith
The Gramacy Park Hotel-New York
Liz Smith writes in WOWOWOW about a recent set that Liza Minnelli did at the NYC’s Gramercy Hotel where intimacy ruled. No one pandering for their favorite song or to wave their hands in the air, which might be fun at a big event, but not when you can hear the music and see a great performer doing what she was born to do.
Unfortunately only the fortunate are able to attend these smaller, intimate and rewarding performances. The Gramercy Hotel is not Madison Square Garden and you may have to be invited to spend your money on a ticket.
Sonny Rollins A Remarkable Jazz Musician, whose music sounds as fresh to me as it did in 1955 celebrates his 80th birthday at the Beacon Theater in New York. Some things are the way they are supposed to be-Sonny Rollins still going strong at 80. Blessed.
The Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera performance and recording of Donny Hathaway’s “A Song For You” is an example of the type of concert I would love to produce. Lose the sixty backup singers and dancers, along with the smoke and fireworks. May not be as exciting visually, but could lead to a different type of musical experience for the audience, where the musicianship of the performers is what counts.
I remember living in New York dropping into Wells for midnight breakfast (Fried Chicken and Waffles) and seeing Joe Williams get up from his table and sing two songs with Willie Bobo’s small band. Moments like this are unexpected and thrilling. It is not just the mixing of the styles, like a classical opera singer singing with Jay Z, it is watching two musicians figuring out how to compliment each other regardless of their discipline.
In this video you can see Hancock watching Aguilera and improvising, supporting and appreciating her. This is magic and gets lost (I think) when there are tons of people running around the stage trying to create excitement for 20thousand people.
If I had my way I would love to see an evening with Cassandra Wilson in a small venue being backed up by John Mayer.
A wonderful and beautiful addition to North Phoenix and a cultural accent to (what still may become an urban center) NorthCity, is MIM-The Musical Instrument Museum. In addition to it being a Museum there is also a performance stage which is acoustically pleasing and intimate. There doesn’t seem to be a bad seat anywhere.
Live music is contagious, it breaks down barriers and infuses the audience with joy and gaiety that is seldom accomplished in listening to a recording. The bands’ and our enthusiasm was about musicianship and not staging or gimmicks. In Short, it was great evening that lifted our spirits.
The Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars have another performance today at 2:30PM and would make for a great Mother’s Day treat.
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All star female jazz band in concert… Jazz in Pink is an all star female ensemble of musical women in jazz, that projects talent, beauty, power and femininity as they embrace the stage!
Guest appearance by Marion Meadows.
