I have heard people say that before about Marsalis but its just not true he has covered a lot of ground in his career. I think it's heavily dependent on the albums you hear. Maybe you haven't heard the right album. Have you heard "live at the house of tribes" - that album along with "live at the village vanguard" has bags of feel, and you know what?- I would have Marsalis over Miles Davis any day of the week!
"missing the spirit of jazz" - yea right!
I have wanted to see Esperanza live for a while now but she has never come to Ireland and maybe never will. I might have to fly over to Ronnie Scotts (UK) the next time she plays. What was her performance like? Did she play any unreleased material?
I had his Vanguard recording already in my online cart one time but then decided not to. There is so much to enjoy, there is no real need to like Mr. Marsalis
. What he has achieved with Jazz at Lincoln Center as an organization for education as well as a performance space, is absolutely great but I just don't like his work as composer all that much. I have seen/heard his "Swing symphony" performed in the Avery Fisher Hall with NY Philharmonic. I was not impressed, see the NY Times critique:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/arts/music/the-new-york-philharmonic-at-avery-fisher-hall.html?_r=0
As for Miles: I dig only his older stuff, his more experimental electronic journey is not my cup of tea either.
In regards to the three ladies: They played mostly Geri's composition but also one Eric Dolphy tune "Mrs. Anne".
I am not sure what has been recorded/released already and what has been new. The Vanguard is the only club that is in it's original space ever since. If you are there early, you get a seat close to the stage, eh ... you are not actually far from the stage anywhere in there. But at least if you are very close, you can see the entire stage and all the interaction between the musicians, the smiles on their faces when the exactly know what the other is up to and jump right in, that is what for me Jazz is about.
As for Esperanza I was thinking after the concert about how to describe the way she is into her instrument but all that came to my mind would be "rated MA", so I won't put that in writing
. For one song she was singing and playing the bass. If you have chance to see her in a small venue up close, don't miss her.