Fred Anderson
The Velvet Lounge is hosting a 5 day long celebration in honor of Fred Anderson's 80th birthday. Lots of great music and all the proceeds will help keep the Velvet's doors open to see another day.
Wednesday, March 18, 8:30pm ($20 in advance)
SET I — Richard Davis & Willie Pickens
SET II (10pm) — Edwin Daugherty/Ari Brown/Dawi Williams/Dushun Mosley with special guests Douglas R. Ewart & Henry Grimes
Thursday, March 19, 8:30pm
SET I — Justin Dillard & the D-O-3-O Organ Trio (Dave Miller & Cliff Wallace) with special guest
Mike Moynihan
SET II (10pm) — Kahil El’ Zabar Trio (Justin Dillard & Junius Paul) with special guest
Ernest Dawkins
Friday, March 20, 9:00pm
SET I — Chicago Clarinet Quartet featuring Jeff Chan, Mwata Bowden, Ed Wilkerson and special guest Jimmy Ellis
SET II (10:30pm) — Tatsu Aoki & Miyumi Project “Big Band Edition” with special guests
Jeff Chan, Ed Wilkerson, Jimmy Ellis, Jeff Parker & Avreeayl Ra
SET III (12am) — Fred Anderson, Jeff Parker, Tatsu Aoki & Chad Taylor
*Record release for the limited edition “official bootleg” cd of the Fred Anderson Trio featuring Tatsu Aoki and Chad Taylor recorded Live at the Velvet Lounge, March 22, 2000, Fred’s 72nd birthday, on Asian Improv Records
Saturday, March 21, 8:00pm
SET I — Ernest Dawkins & the New Horizons Ensemble (Steve Berry, Darius Savage, Isaiah Spencer) with special guest Corey Wilkes
SET II (9:30pm) — Dee Alexander Quartet (Miguel de la Cerna, Harrison Bankhead, Ernie Adams) with special guest Nicole Mitchell
SET III (11pm) — Ari Brown Quartet (Kirk Brown, Yosef ben Israel, Avreeayl Ra) with special guest Pharez Whitted
SET IV (12:30am) — “Jam for Fred” with special guests Hamiet Bluiett, Henry Grimes, Kidd Jordan, Avreeayl Ra & more
*Presenting the First Annual Chicago Creative Excellence in Music Awards. Nominations @ http://chi-creates.tv
Sunday, March 22, 7:00pm Fred Anderson’s 80th Birthday!
SET I — Fred Anderson, Jeff Parker, Harrison Bankhead & Hamid Drake with special guest Kidd Jordan
SET II (8:30pm) — same as above w/ special guests Billy Brimfield, Henry Grimes & Chad Taylor
SET III (10pm) — “Free Jazz Jam” with all above plus surprise special guests
SET IV (11:30pm….) — Isaiah Spencer & the Velvet Jam All-Stars featuring Kevin Nabors, Chris McBride & Junius Paul followed by the Velvet Lounge Jazz Jam….
---Advance Tickets Available at the Velvet Lounge---
Encore Bonus Gig
Wednesday, March 25, 9:30pm:
Immediate Sound Series Tribute @ the Hideout
TWO SETS — Fred Anderson, Harrison Bankhead & Tim Daisy
Yesterday was a great day of music here in Chicago, starting out at the Hyde Park Arts Center where I led a panel discussion about the realities of local musician run record labels. The panelists included Asian Improv Records co-founder Francis Wong (the other co-founder, Jon Jang didn't come out to Chicago for the festival this year), Tatsu Aoki, and co-owner/proprietors of Southport records, Bradley Parker-Sparrow and Joannie Palatto. There was a great crowd of around 75-100 people there, and it took place in a gallery enveloping us in visual art.
After talking about the history of their labels and how they came to be and interact, some interesting points came up in the ensuing conversation. One point made by Francis Wong was that they are not in the record business in the same way Columbia or Blue Note is. This might seem obvious, but his assertion tied into a recurring theme in the conversation, which was that these labels existed more to give these artists a voice than to make a lot of money. That point was hammered home by Tatsu Aoki, when asked about the role of the internet and technology in the label business, he noted that before they peddled records on the internet he sold about 10 copies a year of his solo bass album. Now that his records are all on the internet, he still sells about 10 copies a year.
Once we were done with our yapping, the first music of the day began. Billed as the Jeff Chan Trio Plus One Plus Two, it ended up being a reeds quintet featuring Jimmy Ellis on alto, Ed Wilkerson on tenor and clarinet, Jeff Chan on tenor and bass clarinet, Francis Wong on tenor and flute, and Lewis Jordan on alto and poetics.
Obvious comparisons to the WSQ aside, this was a great lineup that really took the music to a variety of interesting places. There were some very interesting compositions by Jeff Chan that added some structure while maintaining an improvisatory edge, and each member was featured at one point or another in the proceedings. One highlight was a solo montage by Jimmy Ellis who said he was going to paint a picture for the audience of a Sunday in his neighborhood growing up, where everyone would go to church in the morning and then the community would gather to spin jazz records in the afternoon, a trip to a different kind of church. Starting out slow with the sunrise and working through the church service, complete with a Come Sunday quote, once he got to the jazz portion he quoted a variety of standards in a fluid, unforced manner.
The evening festivities brought a reprise of a quartet that first got together last year for the Asian American Jazz Festival, playing two nights last year but only one this year. With Fred Anderson and Francis Wong on tenors, Tatsu Aoki on bass, and Chad Taylor in from New York on drums, I was anticipating the show since last year's music proved to be incendiary. While this year's set might not have reached the otherworldly highs that I recall from last year, it was still a superlative evening of music.
Tatsu Aoki and Chad Taylor are an incredible rhythm section, prone to locking into trance-like yet surprisingly malleable grooves that had many heads in the audience bobbing to the beat. There was one groove in the second set that any hip hop artist would have been proud to sample. It should be noted that Tatsu played incredibly well in spite of the fact that he has badly injured his back and had a full torso body cast on underneath his shirt, causing him considerable discomfort. Here's hoping he heals quickly and fully. Francis Wong and Fred Anderson both did their part, but there wasn't as much meshing of their musical sensibilities as I remember last year.
All in all, a fantastic day of music from all involved. I'm already looking forward to next year's fest.
From the river to the ocean, and back again.
Last night a crowd convened on the north side of Chicago to see Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake lead their From The River to the Ocean band in the first of two album release parties. This one took place at the Stop Smiling headquarters, a magazine operation that produces some interesting literature if you ever get a chance to check it out. There was one memorable issue that dealt with Miles Davis' boxing prowess that stands out in my memory.
I arrived a little early at 6:45 before the posted 7 PM start time to find a crowd on the sidewalk waiting to get in. Apparently the doors wouldn't open until 7 we were told, which turned into 7:30. In the mean time, the crowd on the sidewalk swelled, to the point where people passing by became curious about what was going on inside. Add to this curiosity the fact that Stop Smiling had Nas and Madlib on the cover of their most recent issue and huge poster size pictures of the covers in the storefront window of the venue, and some people stopped thinking that Nas or Madlib would be making an appearance. This led to a few interesting conversations about Fred Anderson and who the hell he was.
The space was a small room with benches along the sides and back, and an open floor. I walked to the front and sat myself down on the ground directly in front of the stage. To call it a stage is a bit of an overstatement; it was maybe 6" high, and only 3 of the 5 band members actually fit on it, with Harrison Bankhead and Jeff Parker setting up on the floor.
John Corbett introduced the band to thunderous applause and we were off, with the first number featuring Hamid Drake on his frame drum, Josh Abrams on the guimbri, Harrison Bankhead on Cello (which he played for 3 of the 4 tunes), and Jeff Parker and Fred Anderson on their usual instruments, guitar and tenor sax respectively.
The setlist was something like this: From the River to the Ocean, Planet E, Strut Time, and a final tune that sounded like an open improv to me, perhaps based on the Sakti/Shiva track that closes the album.
The band immediately established a live rapport equal to or greater than the album. Of course I love the live setting with its immediacy and physical presence, and both the opening From the River to the Ocean and Strut Time stood out as more vibrant live than they do to my ears on the album.
Fred's booming tenor was made even louder via amplification, which was particularly unnecessary in my sitting position where Fred pointed directly at me, and his speaker did the same. At one point I had to cover my ears from the sound, lending the proceedings a Last Exitesque aural assault from my seat.
The two bass attack was particularly noteworthy, when Harrison Bankhead joined Josh Abrams on upright for one tune. Some serious low end action ensued, and they took advantage of the configuration by letting the two bassists play a solo together. They each took their turn as the lead, with Harrison Bankhead doing his double bowing to create an eerie accompaniment before Josh Abrams switched from pizzicato to arco acrobatics. Josh was on fire the whole night, especially when he played bass, at one point during a solo eliciting laughs of delight from his bandmates and a "go on Josh" from Harrison Bankhead.
Fred Anderson seemed to take a lot of happiness from the proceedings, visually enjoying the playing of the band. There was an incredibly high level of playing by every individual, with Hamid Drake providing the driving force and rhythmic variety throughout.
This same band will be playing at the Velvet Lounge tonight. I have a prior commitment that will keep me away, but if it finishes early I'm hoping to catch the second set. In my personal musical orbit, this is one of the best bands and most important music being made and I hate to miss a note of it.
The stage created this juxtaposition of a Stop Smiling banner hanging over Hamid Drake, probably one of the people most likely to smile that I know. I could not follow the banner's missive either, as I laughed and enjoyed the joyous music that poured from the stage.
It was hailed as the return of the prairie prophet.
Fred Anderson made his return to the concert stage on Sunday, choosing to make his comeback with the Great Black Music Ensemble, the AACM big band that has been doing a residency under the direction of Mwata Bowden the first two Sundays of each month at the Velvet Lounge.
That Fred chose to play his first show back with the GBME was emblematic of his dedication to the AACM and the music community at large, a commitment that has manifested itself in myriad ways in Fred's life. He made the decision to stay in Chicago rather than head to NYC as many of his peers did. He's mentored many musicians, nurturing their growth. Most of all perhaps, he's run the Velvet Lounge, a venue that has never made Fred rich but has provided a breeding ground for creative music. His return show with the Great Black Music Ensemble helped to shine a light not only on his return, but also on the band and the organization. Fred Anderson, selfless as always.
The Great Black Music Ensemble swelled to 16 pieces on Sunday (18 if you include conductor Mwata Bowden and special guest soloist Fred Anderson). They try and get as many AACM members as possible involved, but the lineup fluctuates from as few as 7 or 8 to as many as 30 for any given concert. Apart from well known names like Nicole Mitchell and Ed Wilkerson, there are a lot of younger and older musicians who come out to play who don't gig out as much otherwise, so it provides a nice showcase for their playing.
Fred's presence certainly made it a special occasion. The concert began as a 360 degree musical experience, with Fred entering from the back of the room alongside the gentle accompaniment of Isaiah Spencer on drums and the pianist whose name escapes me. Fred's huge, bold sound has to be heard in person to be believed (take note New Yorkers, and don't miss him at the Vision Festival), probably the most powerful tenor sound I've ever heard. He sounded as good as ever as he spun his usual sinewy lines through the Velvet audience.
They played one long set, about an hour and a half, playing material from a Fletcher Henderson chart, to Douglas Ewart's Mars Blues. Fred was featured as a soloist throughout, and he brought the house down each time. It was nice to see Fred honored by the community: the pianist got up and said a few words about how much he meant to the musicians and people around him, and he received several standing ovations during and after the show. The band played great, and you can tell that some of the young players really get a lot from playing with their elders and getting encouragement and feedback from them. After an effusive tenor sax solo, the young Kevin Nabors got a fist-pound of encouragement from Ed Wilkerson, and trumpeter Leon Q turned the ensembles' heads when he started spinning around, playing at them as much as the audience.
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