VISION FESTIVAL 16 - June 5th - June 11th, 2011



After a particularly bad year of dwindling attendance at gigs, I had high hopes for the annual Vision Festival to provide some much needed spirit, creativity and community consciousness-raising. I was not let down. Festival organizer, Patricia Parker has a way of bringing together an international community of serious listeners and engaging them with a variety of festivities. Besides a wealth of challenging music, there was also dance, painting, films, commerce (the sales of CD's, t-shirts, books & food) and discussions. A few of my friends complain that too many of the same musicians headline every year, but this was not the case this year. The line-up had a number of important surprises like a few of our favorite European musicians: Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker, Paal Nilsson-Love and Tomasz Stanko.

Sunday, June 5th - Night One - Since the original dates of the fest had been changed from June 6th to June 5th, I missed the beginning of the first night due to having an in-store set at DMG. Nonetheless, it was great to meet and speak with a number of free/jazz fanatics and assorted musicians starting the second night. We found out about and purchased CD's directly from the musicians and various attending labels, helping to bring us all closer together as an international store. MannyLunch mostly ran our booth and we made some new friends.

I came in during a tribute to the late Marion Brown which featured Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Hamiet Bluiett on bari sax, Charles Burham on violin, Bob Stewart on tuba, DD Jackson on piano, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. This was an all-star crew which did cover some of Marion Brown's distinctive songs. Since there was no bassist, Bob Stewart often played the bass parts on his tuba. The music had a strong and uplifting spirit with great solos from the trumpet, violin and tuba. Too bad I didn't catch the whole set.

The next set was downstairs and it featured Stephen Haynes & Parrhesia, a fine trio with a disc out on the Engine label from last year. Parrhesia featured Stephen Haynes on assorted trumpets, Joe Morris on acoustic & electric guitars and Warren Smith on drums, vibes & percussion. I recalled reviewing the disc by this band thinking how good it was but it was even better in person watching their set unfold. The set started out quietly and evolved organically adding layers, parts and connections. The calm and spacious center helped to put me in a good mood after a stressful day at the store preparing for the festival and merch table. Mr. Haynes used different mutes to coax a variety of sounds and textures from his trumpets & flugelhorn, often utilizing suspense the way Miles Davis did. Joe Morris has a unique way of rubbing the strings of his guitar and coming up with fresh sounds you don't hear very often. Warren Smith is a master drummer & percussionist and consistently kept the rhythm, pulse and textures flowing superbly. Joe started one piece by banging on his guitar with two pencils and strips of metal woven through his strings. It created a strange yet hypnotic effect while Warren played eerie marimba and Stephen sailed on top, at times sounding like a herd of elephants. The entire set had a most ritualistic vibe and took us on an trance-like journey.

John Tchicai's Ascension Unending, a Tribute to John Coltrane was next and it was one of my favorite sets this year. It dealt with the spiritual side of jazz rather than the long-winded free blowing which often takes place. The well-selected band featured John Tchicai & Alex Weiss on saxes, Rosie Hertlein on violin & voice, Garrison Fewell on guitar, Dmitry Ishanko on bass and Ches Smith on drums. There is something special about 60's free/jazz legend John Tchicai that radiates from the man whenever I meet him or whenever he is on the stage. They performed some written music and John, Alex and Rosie all contributed songs, as well as one cover by Marion Brown. The Marion Brown piece featured enchanting three part vocal harmonies from John, Alex & Rosie singing their words in a very Sun Ra-like way. Boston-based guitarist Garrison Fewell is an unsung hero of mine and played some incredible (Bern Nix-like) counterpoint and haunting harmonies with the rest of the sextet. There were different combinations of players in which different nuances were explored. I particularly dug a trio of bowed guitar, ghost-like drifting violin and rubbed cymbals. Mr. Tchicai's charming, deep voice was at the center of a few of these songs even singing some swell bebop nonsense words on one piece. Every piece was well worked out and well-chosen, fitting with the spiritual vibe of the entire set. On a later piece, Garrison Fewell sounded like Joe Morris at the beginning of his solo and like John McLaughlin circa 'Extrapolation' by the end of his solo. No small feat from one of those under-recognized guitar greats.

The final set that night was by Tony Malaby's Tamarindo Trio, although the personnel was slightly altered from their CD's with Tom Rainey on drums (instead on Nasheet Waits) and William Parker on acoustic bass. It was the first time that William Parker and Tom Rainey had played together so it was a momentous occasion for us & them. What was interesting was how well they played together, both adding their own sense of internal rhythm and combining forces magically. William often sounded like the leader of the trio since his bass was pumping, probing and pushing the energy from the center on upwards. This was obviously a thoroughly improvised set and the trio took their time to blend their ideas and escalate together. Tony started out on tenor sax, cutting loose spiraling lines that got more intense as the set evolves. He later switched to soprano sax when the vibe came back down to the planet earth. There were a couple of sections of this set that were amazing including a cosmic bowed bass solo from William and an incredible hands-on-drums solo from Tom. The only problem with the set is that it went on a bit too long and by midnight I was completely burnt out and ready to call it quits.

Monday, June 6th - Day Two - The second night started with an ensemble called Vocal Flight which included three singers - Fay Victor, Kyoko Kitamura & Jean Carla Rodea plus Ken Filiano on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. I wasn't so sure on what to expect, but I was much impressed nonetheless. Starting with all three vocalists swirling around one another, each with a distinctive voice - the combination was most enchanting. When the bass and drums came in, the inner vibration rose higher. Each of the three singers got a chance to solo and perform one of their own pieces and each one was memorable in its own way. Sometimes the other two vocalists would add charming harmonies to the lead voice, sometimes they would switch parts. The ever-supportive Ken Filiano contributed a wonderful bass solo and there was an amazing duo with Kyoko and Tyshawn. There was also a section where two of the three singers scatted together, swirling word/sounds in delightful cascades. The overall effect of the entire set was most magical. I hope Vocal Flight get a chance to record.

I missed a trio from San Diego called Dawn of Midi at the downstairs theatre but word is that their set was pretty great. Oh well, you can't see everything when certain sets run simultaneously. I did get to hear a great set from the Michael Attias Group. Michael Attias is the secret weapon of the Downtown scene. He is involved with more than a half dozen different projects and each one is worthy of consideration. Check out any of his four discs as a leader on Clean Feed or Playscape, as each one is great. For this set, Michael utilized the talents of ace trumpeter Ralph Alessi, plus his usual cohorts of Sean Conly on bass and the irrepressible Tom Rainey on drums. Starting with a great, explosive, utterly unique solo from Tom Rainey, the quartet kept shifting between sections. This is the first time I've heard Attias & Alessi play together and their interplay was extraordinary. The music often reminded of early Braxton music from the mid-seventies with a series of related sections that would follow one another in a most logical way. Both Attias and Alessi got a chance to take a number of inspired solos plus the complex composing was consistently engaging. Michael's playing and writing seem to draw from a variety of sources. On one of the more restrained songs, Attias' tone reminded me of Paul Desmond with Alessi playing in a smoking Dave Douglas-like way. Everyone in the quartet fit perfectly within the framework of each piece. I hope this group also records because the results should be wonderful.

Tomas Fujiwara & the Hook Up played downstairs next. The personnel featured Brian Settles on tenor sax, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Matt Moran on vibes, Trevor Dunn on bass and Tomas on drums & compositions. The Hook Up released their first disc earlier this year and it is an impressive debut. You should recognize Mr. Fujiwara's name from his work in various projects with Taylor Ho Bynum, Ideal Bread & Nate Wooley. Both horn players have also been getting around with Finlayson working with Steve Coleman & Mary Halvorson and Mr. Settles' first disc as a leader was just released (June of 2011). This set started out slow and dreamy with enchanting harmonies for the sax & trumpet and a strong cushion of support from Moran's simmering vibes. This piece ended with an intense tenor and drums duet which had a powerful conclusion. "Postcards" was a thoughtfully composed work which went through a series of sections or cycles. While the vibes/bass/drums rhythm team played a tight repeating figure, the horns floated on top and played majestic harmonies together. It sounded to me like the influence of Steve Coleman and Anthony Braxton was apparent in the composing and playing of this superb quintet, drawing the best from both worlds.

The final set that night was the most unusual and difficult to figure out of the entire fest. It was Josh Roseman's Water Surgeons and it featured Josh on trombone & bass, Jacob Garchik on trombone & accordion, Curtis Hasselbring on trombone & guitar and Barney McAll on piano, samples & toys. You would think that a quartet with three trombones and a pianist would be somewhat straight-forward, but this was not the case. There were some nice moments of lovely triple trombone and piano harmonies but nothing lasted very long. The feeling that you had little clue how the music was designed or developed pervaded throughout the set. I dug that Mr. Garchik (accordion) and Mr. Hasselbring (guitar) got a chance to play something other than their main instruments but I couldn't tell how some of the pieces worked or fit together. There were definitely some charming moments which reminded me of the Young Marble Giants meets the Penguin Cafe Orchestra but it felt as if a joke were being played on the audience. Mr. Roseman's stage announcements often didn't make sense but perhaps that was his point. Who knows? It seemed like an odd way to end the night.

The third day of the Vision Fest began on a more serious side with the music of Amir El-Saffar's With/Between. This night was also sponsored by the Festival of New Trumpets (FONT), so each group featured a different trumpeter. The band consisted of Jen Shyu on vocals, Amir ElSaffar on trumpet & maqam (a hammered dulcimer), Liberty Ellman on guitar, Francois Moutin on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. Mr. ElSaffar is an Iraqi/American composer and player whose music explores both his Middle-Eastern and modern jazz roots. He presented a suite which consisted of a series connected pieces, all of which fit together seamlessly. Much of the music did have that simmering, Middle-Eastern vibe with sections of prayer-like ruminations. Moments reminded me of slowly moving through the desert with the sun sizzling above. Three main players stood out: Jen Shyu's haunting voice, Amir ElSaffar's low-key yet pungent trumpet and Liberty Ellman's understated yet quietly crafty semi-acoustic guitar. Amir played the hammered dulcimer at certain points adding a sort-of ancient sound, reaching back to older times.

Ted Daniel's International Brass Membrane Society did a tribute to King Oliver, one of the earliest of jazz legends whose group from the early 1920's included Louie Armstrong. Ted's ensemble featured an eclectic cast with Charles Burham on violin, Howard Johnson on tuba, Ted on cornet, a drummer whose name I didn't catch and Orlando Rodriguez on percussion. What is interesting is that although Mr. Daniels was a prominent member of the late seventies Loft Jazz Scene which often dealt with free or avant/jazz, he decided to turn back the hands of time and present music from 1923, nearly 80 years ago. I recently listened to a King Oliver CD from this same era which featured some joyous spirit and crafty playing. This band also captured that vibrant, uplifting spirt perfectly. Both Charles Burham (who should take the MVP award for playing strongly in more Vision sets this year than anyone else) and Ted Daniels took a series of great, inspired solos. Mr. Daniels claimed that he never uses mutes for his trumpet, did utilize a mute on a few of these songs and did a splendid job. Since there was no bassist, the great Howard Johnson did play many of the bass-lines on his tuba, as well as soloing nicely on a couple of pieces. The more I listen to early jazz (especially Duke Ellington) from the twenties and thirties, the more I can hear where progressive ideas started out. This set had a most enchanting quality and made me smile and happy to be alive.

The next set was again downstairs and it featured Stephanie Richards' Watercolor from San Diego (?). Considering that I didn't know any of the musicians previously, I was amazed at how creative this quintet was. It featured two trumpeters, Ms. Richards & Kelly Rosum, Sam Minaie on bass and two drummers - Qasim Naqvi & Andrew Munsey. Even the way the group set up was unique. Both trumpeters were on either end of the stage and both drummers faced each other sharing the same drum-set. Sometimes the trumpeters traded licks, sometimes they played tight written parts together and sometimes Mr. Rosum just laid out while Ms. Richards soloed. Stephanie had an odd set-up with two fish tanks near by, both filled with water and with thin metal plates on top. During one solo she played into the fish tank, vibrating the metal rectangle by blowing into the water. The drummers worked well together by sharing rhythmic ideas. One piece started with one drummer sawing a piece of wood and the other quietly banging nails into the another piece of wood. Both visually and rhythmically, it worked. Each piece dealt with different textures or approaches to composing methods. Moments were somber or mesmerizing but everything worked just right. I felt rejuvenated at seeing and hearing some younger musicians take chances and succeed at various levels.

The final set of Day 3 concluded with one of the true highlights of the this year's fest, the Tomas Stanko Quartet. The group was originally scheduled to feature the legendary ECM trumpeter Tomas Stanko with Craig Taborn, Thomas Morgan & Jim Black, who have played & recorded with Tomas more recently. Instead we got a completely different quartet with Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Mark Feldman on violin and Mark Helias on contrabass. This quartet had just one short rehearsal earlier that day but you wouldn't have known that from the way they played together. Basically Mr. Stanko would state the theme up front while Mr. Helias strummed, plucked and bowed, becoming the entire rhythm section since there was no drummer to lean on or keep strict time. Tomas Stanko, whose ECM career started in the seventies, has written many fine songs, selected a series of superb themes to play, each one more enchanting then the last one. Mark Helias has remained one of the most reliable and creative bassists in New York for just as long as Mr. Stanko has recorded for ECM. I have never heard Mr. Helias play any better than this night - he was often at the center of each piece providing a cosmic bass line or strumming and bowing melodic fragments which enhanced each melody or solo. Ms. Courvoisier and Mr. Feldman are a most formidable duo as well as being married to each other and both are astonishing soloists. Sylvie has a unique approach to playing inside the piano which she did here minimally but at just the right chosen moments. Although Sylvie played classical piano when she was younger and doesn't consider herself a "jazz musician", her playing was consistently breathtaking here. She got a chance to play Stanko's enchanting melodies, stretch them out and take a number of incredible solos. Mark Feldman is also a most gifted and distinguished violinist and played a number of mind-blowing solos that seemed effortless for him. The entire set had that enchanting ECM-like vibe, occasionally majestic and often spacious. I would hope that this quartet gets a chance to record since it doesn't get any better than this.

Wednesday, June 8th was the one day of the festival when many of my friends decided to attend since it was Peter Brotzmann's big night with three different sets featuring this legendary saxist. Patricia Parker presented Mr. Brotzmann with a lifetime achievement award, something that is incredibly rare in our often short-sighted country - giving a European musician the recognition he has long deserved. Mr. Brotzmann entered the stage to the entire audience, standing on their feet and applauding his longtime commitment to adventurous music-making and collaborating with other like-minded spirits for more than four decades. Brotzmann seemed genuinely touched by the standing ovation and Patricia's righteous words. As a number of longtime Brotzmann fans can attest to, it was a special moment for many of us in attendance.

The first set that night featured Mr. Brotzmann on tenor & alto saxes, clarinet and tarogato, Joe McPhee on tenor sax and pocket trumpet and William Parker & Eric Reevis on basses. Right from the opening salvo, Brotzmann's distinctive roar was up front and blasting while Mr. McPhee slowly added occasional pocket-trumpet spice. Both Brotzmann & McPhee have played together in the Chicago Tentet as well as a few smaller projects and sound just right often hitting the same notes together. At first both bassists were pumping together at the same time, playing a dizzying array of notes and pushing each other higher and higher. Eventually William took out his bow and started sawing away, with both bassists spinning notes around one another in connected orbits. When Mr. McPhee switched to tenor sax, both he & Brotzmann screamed and wailed together similar to the way Trane and Pharoah used do this so many years ago. By the time they begin the second piece, things slowed down to soft, slow-burning blur of activity. What I noticed is that Joe McPhee also used a most distinctive tone on his tenor, he stood out within the storm swirling around both saxists. When both bassists began to calm down, Joe switched back to pocket trumpet and Peter to clarinet. The entire vibe slowly we all sailed back down to Mother Earth with some calm at the center of the hurricane. The set felt completely organic, triumphant and wound down to a righteous and cosmic conclusion.

The second set that night was the duo of Peter Brotzmann and vibesman Jason Adasiewicz. Over the past few years Chicago has become a second home for Mr. Brotzmann thanks to fellow musicians like Ken Vandermark who tours with Brotzmann (in Chicago Tentet & Sonore). Chicago vibes-man, Jason Adasiewicz, has become more visible over the past few years with discs on Cuneiform & 482Music, as well as working with James Falzone, Josh Abrams, Mike Reed & Aram Shelton. I think this was the first time that this particular duo had played together and it was a most memorable set. It began intensely with Mr. Adasiewicz wacking the top of his vibes repeatedly with a wooden bow while Brotzmann screamed along side. Over & over & over... until finally Jason began creating a more calming sustain with layers of notes while Peter switched to the more restrained alto sax. Peter and Jason did a fine job of following each other as each wave crashed upon another one. Certain notes repeated and other notes fractured. For the third piece, Peter switched to his trusty tarogato and the duo moved into a slow motion dreamworld with long tones washing over one another. The piece ended on a quieter side, just the opposite of how it began but the conclusion felt just right.

The next set was a trio called Pulverize the Sounds with Peter Evans on trumpet, Tim Dahl on electric bass and Mike Pride on drums. Over the past few years, young trumpet wiz, Peter Evans, has been garnering accolades of recognition for playing devastatingly intense trumpet in bands like Mostly Other People Do the Killing, as well as his own solo & group projects. Mr. Evans has worked with Evan Parker, Peter Brotzmann & Nate Wooley and never ceases to amaze just about every one who hears him. This trio was completely different. I know drummer Mike Pride from dozens of different projects and I know he is a fine, diverse and powerful drummer. I didn't know their electric bassist before this set. Although the Vision Fest is not really a "jazz festival", it does specialize in avant or free/jazz, so folks do have their own expectations to deal with, myself included. Hence, no doubt this trio was meant to and did ruffle some feathers. Although the music was often tight and well-written, the loud distorted, fuzztone bass was a bit too much at times, the tone too brittle and disturbing. A problem for me was sitting up front so that the loud sound was in my face and impossible to ignore. Further back probably would've been a better place for me to hear the balance more clearly. Peter Evans pulled off a number of impressive tricks with that Miles-like electric echo and one song where he circular breathed for some ten minutes (no small feat) while the rhythm team played tight parts underneath. No doubt that Mike Pride's newly shaved head and punk-like scowl also irritated some (jazz-snob) listeners. I myself had mixed feelings about the set but I was glad to see these young whippersnappers still stirring the cauldron on controversy and expectation.

The final set of the evening was outstanding and perhaps the one set most will remember from this year's fest. It featured a Peter Brotzmann All-Star Quintet with Brotzmann & Ken Vandermark on tenor sax & clarinets, Mars Williams on alto & soprano saxes, Kent Kessler on bass and Paal Nilsson-Love on drums. One of Brotzmann's most famous and influential recordings is called 'Machine Gun' from 1968 and it is considered to be beginning of Europe's own version of free/jazz. Brotzmann's tone on the at record is brutal and scary and the first few notes he played this night had that same power and sound, more than forty years later. The quintet took off quickly for the stratosphere and beyond, wailing together tightly. The first solo was by Mars Williams on alto and he went for it, soaring like a man possessed by spirits (or ghosts of legends past). Mars used to be a downtowner before moving to Woodstock and then to Chicago. He was a member of the Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble and was a part of Brotzmann's Chicago Tentet. He has also been in funk bands and can play with that constant fury when need be. Whether playing clarinet or tenor, Mr. Vandermark also was in great form, taking his time and making each solo count. What made this set so great was the way it evolved from section to section. There were duo and trio sections, each of which were amazing, especially the duos of Kessler on bass & Vandermark on tenor and Brotz on tenor & Nilsson-Love on drums. My favorite moment was an amazing unaccompanied soprano solo from Mars which changed the direction of what came before and what came after. Everything calmed down and slowly built back up to more frenzied insanity. The entire set reminded me of the way the Art Ensemble of Chicago built their sets into a unified whole. It was perfect set of free/jazz at its finest. It ended abruptly and appropriately with Mr. Brotzmann giving a little jump and coming down to bring the triumphant set to a righteous close.

The fifth day of the 2011 Vision Fest started with the Dick Griffin String Quartet performing "Moving Out" which was commissioned by Max Roach. The string quartet featured Charles Burnham, Mazz Swift, Judith Insell & Akua Dixon plus Warren Smith on percussion and Mr. Griffin on trombone & piano. The suite started off slow, somber and mysteriously. The blend of trombone, percussion and strings was dark, eerie and thoughtfully conceived. I liked that each string player got a chance to stretch out and solo unaccompanied and that each player was very different in their approach. I find string quartet music often hard to describe but I knew that something unique was taking place. The group also did a fine gospel-influenced work called "My Fantasy" as well as "Suite for Professor Davis" which seemed like early twentieth century string music, a bit sentimental yet still stirring in its own way.

One of the stranger sets downstairs was the duo of Ute Voelker on accordion and Jorgo Schaefer on large drawings. While Ms. Voelker walked around the stage and sat down at certain points playing crafty accordion, Mr. Schaefer tore bits of his drawings from a large suspended pad that hung in the center of the stage area. I recognized Jorgo from his attendance at numerous Vision Fests but had no idea what he did in his spare time. I dug his drawings of a proud lion and a stern cow which he would rip in sections as the piece evolved. He read a poem near the end about metamorphosis which I believe was the theme of the piece.

I missed most of the next set on the main stage by the Kidd Jordan Quintet since I needed a break and chose to get some well-needed fresh air. I did catch half of a set downstairs by the 25 O'Clock Band, a group that I fondly remembered from the early days at Studio Henry circa 1980. They've reunited in recent years and currently feature Dave Sewelson on alto & bari sax, Robin Holcomb on piano, Dave Hofstra on bass and Stephen Moses on drums. I've known all of these musicians for many years and was glad to get a chance to hear them again. They started with a hushed ballad, which was ulta-subtle with a sublime alto from Mr. Sewelson and a stunning piano solo from Ms. Holcomb. They followed this with an intense freer piece which had layers of shifting lines going on at the same time. What really blew my mind was a long piano solo from Ms. Holcomb, who remains one of early Downtown's most creative and under-appreciated composers and players. As I concentrated on her solo, I kept hearing different lines and/or ideas coming from each hand. She kept a dialogue going with the rest of band with one hand while she added twisted chords with the other hand. For me, this solo was one of highlights of the fest and I can still hear parts of it in my mind.

The final set of the night was by Evan Parker and Matt Shipp, an immensely anticipated set since Mr. Parker doesn't come to town so often and has rarely (if ever?) played at the Vision Fest. Evan & Matt do have a duo CD out on the Treader label and did play a trio set with William Parker last year at The Stone. Over the past few years Downtown's most engaging pianist, Matt Shipp, has been playing and recording in either solo, duo or trio performances. In the past year, Matt has recorded duo discs with saxists Sabir Mateen and Darius Jones, both of which are great. Evan Parker, British sax legend, is something else again, a completely unique improviser. Evan played both tenor and soprano sax for this set, his approach to each very different. Both of these men are heavyweight improvisers, with well-established techniques and ideas, yet they worked quite well together, spinning similar lines of notes around one another in concentric orbits. Mr. Parker, who is one of masters of the circular breathing technique, took his time to build into areas of furiously paced lines. When he slowed down, he is able to play distinctively fractured melodies which Matt would respond to and build upon, layer by layer. Evan wielded a blustery, bluesy tone in one section while Matt stretched his phrases in similar spirals. Midway, Matt took a strong solo piano interlude in which he came up with a few different themes to explore before Evan joined him and added counter-melodies to the dialogue. At one point it sounded like Matt was entering a majestic section and Evan sounded like he was about to break into some standard. They built up the tempo and tension once more almost to breaking point, before they finally came back to the home stretch. It was a near perfect set and an amazing ending to a pretty great night.

Friday, June 10th began with some youth groups playing outside of the Abrons Art Center which I missed since I had to work at the store. I heard these sets were pretty cool. The first set I caught that night was by one of my favorite local ensembles, Paradoxical Frog. Usually a trio, this version featured Ingrid Laubrock on tenor sax, Kris Davis on piano, Tyshawn Sorey on drums and special guest Mat Maneri on strings. Since moving here from London & Germany, Ms. Laubrock has become one of the freshest new voices on sax, so check out her trio or quintet CD's on Intakt or Tom Rainey's Pool School trio on Clean Feed. Kris Davis has also become one of the most adventurous pianists in town over the past few years. The same can be said for the fabulous Tyshawn Sorey, master-drummer and major composer in his own right. Tyshawn, who is influenced by composers like Morton Feldman, John Cage or Anthony Braxton, brings a certain spacious quality any group he plays with. Microtonal specialist Mat Maneri seems to be perfect foil for this group and fits in just right. Starting with small fragments, little sounds are used like minimal pieces on a spacious painting. Everyone took their time, as the parts evolved bit by bit, ever so carefully. Ingrid took a short whistling solo, adding vocal fragments to her breath-like sax wisps. Eventually Ingrid and Tyshawn moved into a riveting tenor sax and drums duo. It seems as if certain parts were written and certain parts free yet it all fit together extremely well. Some sections erupted into more explosive moments while the construction of each piece was well thought out. Another great set!

Considering that legendary saxist David S. Ware had a kidney transplant not too long ago, he still remains a force to be reckoned with. He premiered a new quartet called Planetary Unknown with Cooper-Moore on piano, William Parker on acoustic bass and Muhammed Ali on drums. Although Mr. Ware remained seated during the performance, his playing was formidable throughout. This was yet another colossal set of spiritual free/jazz at its best. Since the passing of the great Rashied Ali, his brother Muhammed has come out of retirement and has been playing with similar creative spirit. Muhammed was actually humorous at times, shouting out the names of certain musicians that have passed away over the past decade. Explosive sparks erupted time and again as this quartet took off for parts unknown. The member of this quartet who got my attention the most was the great Cooper-Moore who listened closely before adding layers of twisted notes at the piano, knowing when to interject and when to lay out. Cooper-Moore helped to shape the contour of the set by nudging the tempo or blending phrases which set off small eruptions or changes in direction. This was a cosmic and triumphant set, giving us hope for things to come.

The final set of the night was the duo of Henry Grimes on bass & violin and Marc Ribot on guitar. I've caught these two local giants playing together in both a trio and quartet led by Marc and have dug all of their sets and discs. The set started with a poem by Henry Grimes dedicated to South African saxist Zim Ngqawana, who recently passed away and who played at the Vision Fest not that long ago. Both Marc and Henry sound great together and have an obvious strong connection. While Ribot attacked his guitar and strummed furiously, Henry also provided a constant flow of notes and ideas whether plucking or bowing intensely. Ideas and feelings seem to go back and forth effortlessly and they combined their spirits into one solid force. Mr. Grimes' violin playing sounded great as both men spun their notes into a web of cosmic ideas. This set seemed like a perfect ending for another great night of Visionary music.

Saturday, June 11th was the final night of the 16th annual Vision Festival and what a long, special night it was. The first set of the night was an early one (6 pm) with Reut Regev's R*Time Special Edition with Burton Greene on piano, Reut Regev on trombone, Adam Lane on bass and Igal Foni on drums. I was taking the late train home to Rahway (NJ) a couple of days earlier and who did I meet on the train platform in my town but Burton Greene!?! Turns out that Burton was staying and rehearsing with Reut& Igal who are neighbors of mine. This was a most interesting set with legendary ESP free/jazz pianist Burton Greene collaborating with the much younger Israeli couple and finding some strong common ground. Reut, who is an amazing trombone player, wrote most of these pieces which covered a good deal of stylistic ground. One piece started free with Reut using some minimal electronics, then morphed into a rather funky interlude before moving into a klez-like interlude. One section featured an amazing piano trio with Burton, Adam and Igal. Reut took a couple of amazing trombone solos as only she can. The high-point for me was Burton's piece which had a lovely, dream-like theme with some superb bowed bass from Adam Lane. This set was pretty cool although it seemed a bit too diverse for its own good at times.

Speaking of great pianists, the Connie Crothers Quartet was next with Connie on piano & direction, Richard Tabnik on alto sax, Ken Filiano on bass and Roger Mancuso on drums. Although Connie, Richard & Roger have studied with or have been influenced by the legendary pianist & composer Lennie Tristano, this is only a part of what they do. This quartet has their own sound, their own approach. It is partially free with a certain logic or subliminal connection between the players. The piano and alto sax consistently spin layers of lines tightly around one another in powerful waves. Ms. Crothers is an incredible pianist who often unleashes intense spiraling lines, pushing and pulling her bandmates into an endless stream of lines. Mr. Tabnick, whose tone reminds me of Lee Konitz, inserts themes and tosses out ideas which Connie kept responding to no matter how dense or quickly they flashed by. Mr. Filiano, who is the newest member of this quartet, is a rare find since he fits perfectly with Connie's spiritual center and deep well of ideas. This was an astonishing and exhilarating set and I was glad to be amongst the chosen folks who were there to appreciate its depth and richness.

I am not sure how the All-Star Mystery Collective got their name but they were indeed wonderful. They featured Rob Brown on alto sax, Roy Campbell on trumpet, Jason Hwang on violin, Cooper-Moore on piano, William Parker on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums and Patricia Parker performing dance. This set was a tribute to the great violinist Billy Bang who passed away earlier this year. Although this set was free, you could tell that these musicians had played together on many occasions. Whenever one of the front-line players (Roy, Rob & Jason) soloed, the other two would play tight repeated riffs underneath to add to the excitement. Each solo was amazing. The Cooper-Moore/William Parker/Gerald Cleaver rhythm team was also superb throughout, balancing the sextet's dynamics perfectly and pushing the soloists higher and higher. Cooper-Moore kept pumping flurries of notes that were completely focused and often explosive. They played a piece called "Lament for Billy Bang" which was a solemn prayer like work with some most expressive dancing by Patricia Parker and an excellent touching and tasty solo from the great Rob Brown. This was an outstanding set of Downtown All-Stars at their best. It concluded with a gospel-like song called, "I'm Going Home, Again" which brought many a tear to eyes of those who remember the wonderful Billy Bang so well. His annual sets at the Vision Fest were always special.

Longtime staple of the Vision Fest, the legendary reedsman Sonny Simmons was up next in a duo with the equally revered but not so well-known French pianist Francois Tusques. Mr. Tusques is once of the first jazz musicians in France to embrace the New Thing ('free/jazz') starting in the mid-sixties. His handful of recordings are incredibly hard-to-find, so check out 'Free Jazz, 1965' and 'Intercommunal Music', if you can find them. The set started out pretty strong with Sonny playing soulful, bluesy lines and making each note count. Mr. Tusques is a fine pianist who obviously knows his jazz history. His playing was elegant, thoughtful, well-paced and drew from different historic traditions. The duo played a spirited rendition of "'Round Midnight' with Sonny's solo telling a story as it evolved. As the set continued, Sonny seemed more restless and unfocused, occasionally walking off stage to let Mr. Tusques play by himself. I don't think that Mr. Tusques has played much (ever?) in the US during his forty-plus year career, so it was a great opportunity to hear him play. He also played a solo set at University of the Streets earlier in the week. Mr. Simmons apologized at the end of the set saying that he wasn't feeling well and would be better shape next time. There is a recent duo disc out with Sonny and French harp player Delphine Latil that I felt was pretty great, so don't miss out on that gem if you can.

The final set of the Vision Festival was an extraordinary orchestral Tribute to Billy Bang with some twenty-plus strings, voices, reeds (Bill Cole & James Spaulding), piano (Andy Bemkey), a handful of basses and drummer(s). William Parker gave a short, poignant introduction about Billy Bang and the piece they were about to perform. It was called "Mystery of the Mekong". This was its US premiere so this was indeed a special occasion. The work was completely mesmerizing with Eastern and Western traditions blended superbly. The lead vocal was performed by Kyoko Kitamura and she did an amazing job, her beautiful, heartfelt voice sailing proudly above the swirling strings, reeds and percussion. There were a number of stunning moments throughout the piece, a duo with Kyoko's voice and Roy Campbell's (?) trumpet, as well as an incredible alto solo from the great James Spaulding. The piece was triumphant in many ways, especially in the way that it brought together different traditions, ethnicities, musicians and the audience into one seamless and joyous ride. It was a perfect conclusion to a another grand Vision Festival experience.

This year, Vision Festival 16 was just seven days, shortened a bit from previous years. Yes, there were a few of those organizational snafu's and the photographers did get a bit carried away, blocking the view of the more committed festival attendees. Patricia did make an effort to keep the photographers in line and we did appreciate that. Overall it was a wonderful year with many inspired sets to remember.
This year DMG had a seller's table downstairs, but more importantly we felt like we were a part of a great community of demanding music listeners and the musicians who inspired us all. Hallelujah & Amen!

- Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery - July 4th, 2011