So due to an underground fire, an extraordinarily malicious virus or your negligence in paying the phone bill, the internet as you know it has disappeared. What better way to spend those sorrowful hours, being cheered up by some of the best drumming, the best saxophony, the best piano playing or the best and wittiest banter in the city. I am talking of course, about live jazz music.We went over to the Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan last night to witness some of the greats show us how live Jazz is done. With Sax, Piano, Double Bass & Drums, the James Moody Quartet played us through our dinner with a mixture of fast and eclectic Jazz and also some beautiful meandering numbers that make a listener stare off into the distance and lose themselves in thought and relaxation. The man himself, James Moody, a spritely 86 years old (!!!), was extremely funny with his crowd banter. We were lucky enough to be at the club for his 17th year wedding anniversary – so I’d like to imagine he played especially well on that night!
I couldn't write a blog about a live music event without focusing on the percussion, so here we go. We were fortunate enough to see Joe Farnsworth play in the Quartet. He is an exceptional Jazz drummer and regarded as one of the best in the world. You should difinitely look at his website or try to listen to examples of his playing if at all possible.
James Moody took us through the first half of the set, then passing
the front spot over to Jon Hendricks. James Moody is the oldest person on his bandstand, but Jon is only 3 years younger than him. The 83 year old bee bopped, scatted and sang for a good 40 minutes, giving us a great selection of Jazz and Boss nova and the history that goes with it. This Guy should know. His university course on the history of Jazz has been the number 1 course at the University of Toledo for the past three years running!
I would definitely recommend going to steep yourself in some old time jazz, especially if you are fortunate enough to witness people who have lived and breathed the music for the past few decades. New York’s Blue Note was fantastic, You could also try Ronnie Scott’s in London or Matt n Phred’s in Manchester, all of which are fantastic Jazz venues.
I’m into funk music in a big way. I like some Jazz too, having spent many a Saturday night in Manchester’s Matt & Phreds sipping whiskey and listening to some real talent. I heard New York had a great music scene so I thought I’d go check out what the city had to offer.
First mission, escape Central Manhattan. Times Square is definitely a spectacle with its massive billboards and shops. At night time, it’s fantastic to look at. However, walking through it is a nightmare and it reminds me of London’s Oxford Street, which is the fore-runner for my least favourite place on the planet.
I found a club called Nublu on Avenue C which was perfect. You’d never even know it was there unless you knew what you were looking for but once you go through the front door , the interior is dark, stylish, covered in graffiti and they have a great bar. On the subject of bars, I’m still getting the hang of when exactly to tip people in America. I was politely told off by the barmaid after not tipping her after my second drink. She explained that she doesn’t get any money for running the bar, she survives solely on tips! I tipped her for my two drinks sheepishly. For future reference, it’s $1 for every drink you’re served. I think on a busy night, it must pay a lot better than what our bar staff get in the UK, she must have raked it in last night. Do I tip them in Starbucks?
Anyway, back to music. I saw a guy who calls himself Curumin and his band. They were fantastic. Brazilian Jazz, Funk & Salsa is quite difficult to play on the drums. Curumin, however, was drumming it all perfectly and singing it as well! A very talented guy indeed. He had the entire room dancing by his third song. I’ll definitely be buying his album when I get back to the UK. I’ve embedded a link to his MySpace page (go! go! go!) so if you want to listen to his stuff, my favourite track is “cidade des homens”. If you can’t bothered to go there, his music sounds a little like old school Ozomatli without Tunafish.