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Double Bass Best Jazz Concert You've Seen?

#22
What a great show that was. They are at the beginning of their duo tour, so there were some raggedy edges to the tunes that they hadn't played in a couple of years, and a tune that Chick wrote two days ago in O'ahu. Just unbelievable level of virtuosic interplay. My wife and I hung out with Chick and Gary afterwards in the dressing room. Two of the coolest guys in the biz, IMHO.
 
#23
Keith Jarrett Trio at Boston's Symphony Hall in, when was that, 1999 or 2000, right when Keith started performing again after his hiatus. I'd heard so many live recordings with that group I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. The best jazz performance I've heard, and the best musical performance I've ever witnessed.

The best jazz performance I didn't go to: the Branford Marsalis Trio at the IU auditorium which was subsequently released as the live album "Bloomington." It's one of my favorite recordings of all time, but I didn't go to the show even though I lived ten minutes from the hall. 15-year-olds are idiots...(Branford who? "Jazz?")
 
#24
Johono5 said:
The best jazz performance I didn't go to:
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Ah, that's a very clear one for me. Around 1977 Paul Brown brought the Charles Mingus Workshop to Hartford for a free concert as part of his Monday Night series. There was a gale, or hurricane -- a BIG storm. Word was released that the show was cancelled.

Six people sat in the Bushnell Memorial Auditorium and watched the Mingus Band, featuring Woody Shaw on trumpet, for free. I was not one of them.

The moral of the story: a) Don't trust the news. b) Mingus loved a hurricane. And c) PB never cancels a show, kids.
 
#25
I think it was 2000 or 2001 in St. Paul, MN at a club called the Dakota with Benny Green, Russell Malone, and Ray Brown.

Benny Green and Russell Malone were to play with Christian McBride to support Benny's new record that had come out (Naturally), but Christian had a new record of his own out and had a scheduling conflict so Benny asked Ray Brown to step in for his tour.

The energy those three put out was amazing.

After that show I was hooked on wanting to buy a DB and learn how to play it.
 
#27
There's a funny story from Bill Crow's book - this piano player in LA has been making most of his digit arranging movie music but he finally lands a steady, straight ahead jazz gig at this little club. After doing it as a single, he at long last talks the owner into letting him hire a bass player. Which is cool, until he starts calling cats to make the hit. EVERYBODY is busy, nobody can make it. He's scrambling and getting a little nervous when he finally bites the bullet and calls Ray Brown, whose number he has from the movie soundtrack things he's been scoring. Ray is IN town and is NOT doing anything, so he says that he's down for the gig.

The piano player shows up for the gig and Ray comes in a minnit later and starts taking the case off the bass. The owner, who's awestruck, comes over and asks ' Is that RAY BROWN?"

To which the piano player replies, "Yeah, I couldn't get anybody else."
 
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#29
:D
Ed Fuqua said:
There's a funny story from Bill Crow's book - this piano player in LA has been making most of his digit arranging movie music but he finally lands a steady, straight ahead jazz gig at this little club. After doing it as a single, he at long last talks the owner into letting him hire a bass player. Which is cool, until he starts calling cats to make the hit. EVERYBODY is busy, nobody can make it. He's scrambling and getting a little nervous when he finally bites the bullet and calls Ray Brown, whose number he has from the movie soundtrack things he's been scoring. Ray is IN town and is NOT doing anything, so he says that he's down for the gig.

The piano player shows up for the gig and Ray comes in a minnit later and starts taking the case off the bass. The owner, who's awestruck, comes over and asks ' Is that RAY BROWN?"

To which the piano player replies, "Yeah, I couldn't get anybody else."
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Great story Ed.
 
#30
The best one I experienced was in Toronto when I was a student. Oliver Jones was on piano (he plays just like Oscar Peterson) with Dave Young on bass.

It was in a bar and the band was in the middle of the floor. I was seated about 5 feet from the front of Dave's bass. He played many arco solos all over the neck.

It was pretty mind-blowing!!
 
#34
Sam Sherry said:
But all of that takes a back seat to:

June, 1981. Kix Disco Juice Bar, Boston. Miles Davis comes out of retirement in a 200-seat bar. First night, second set. Fourth night, first set. History is in the house. So am I, spinning a tape in my backpack.
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Gotcha beat I think. I saw Miles at the now defunct Keystone Korner here is SF sometime in the late 70's or possibly early 80's. It's about the size of a big living room. I saw Bill Evans with Marc Johnson and Joe Labarbera there in 1980 (Bill passed a couple weeks later). I also saw Jaco's first tour with Weather Report at the Berkeley Community Theater (1977?)




bob
 
#35
It's not really jazz, but it is improvised so maybe that counts (?)- Richard Bona in Cork in July was absolutely mind blowing. What a musician! He's an amazing vocalist and just happens to also be one of the best bass guitarists around.

Dave Holland's various groups are always pretty great, and I also saw him do a solo concert at the Montreal Jazz Fest in the early 90's that was pretty impressive.
 
#37
I just saw the Wayne Shorter quartet at the London Jazz Festival, and they've moved to the top of my best-of list. wow... stunning levels of interaction. I really wasn't a Pattitucci fan before this gig, but he played beautifully and was never gratuitous.
They really are unmissable, so inspiring that wayne shorter is still one of the most exciting 'new' players around.
 
#38
Sam Sherry said:
November 1, 2003. Merrill Auditorium, Portland, ME. Herbie Hancock Quartet with Gary Thomas, Scott Colley & Terri Lynne Carrington is utterly in the moment. Several hundred people leave the hall before the concert is over.
Click to expand...

Hey, I was at that show too! And I agree, great stuff.

Sam, did you happen to Dave Brubeck at the Merrill with the Maine All-star Jazz band? Great show too...
 
#40
ROY HAYNES, Dave Holland, Dave Kikoski, Nick Payton and Kenny Garrett at the Riverside (Milwaukee) a couple of years ago ranks up there.

Art Pepper at the now-defunct Jazz Gallery (also Milwaukee) a couple of decades ago. David Williams on bass, but unfortunately, no George Cables on piano (Roger Kellaway subbed.) Can't recall the drummer.

Funny story; I saw that show with a friend of mine who, aside from being a very good woodwind/brass tech and alto player, was also an Art Pepper freak. Art was very uptight, and at one point, he accidently tripped over his clarinet, which he had on a peg stand. A couple of keys were stuck, and he joked, "Is there a repairman in the house?" Of course, my buddy's hand shot up. He was able to get the horn working again (with no tools), which was fortunate because we got to hear Art play it. A lifetime memory for him (and me).
 

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