[JMT]

....that is what it is all about.

I went to a concert last night featuring my favorite Contemporary Jazz group, Spyro Gyra (Ok, no discussion regarding CJazz. I will delete the thread if it turns into CJazz vs. non-CJazz flamewar.

) They played some stuff from their upcoming CD, and played a lot from their past CDs. But, the jam is what got everyone on their feet. Heliopolis is one of their "hits," the chart ran about 12 minutes last night. Each great musician taking solos. The keyboardist (Tom Schuman) is an incredible talent, and his solos lasted the longest. Changing tempo, metering, key...with the drummer, bassist, and guitar player right with him. I love listening to my gear, but there is no match for listening to the artists do their thing live.

....it was a great way for my BW and I to celebrate our 19th.

 

[dougli]

I agree, it's all about live performances. Studio and even live recordings are but a shadow of the real thing. There are some groups that are only worth listening to live; just skip the recordings. But I've stopped attending live events for two reasons: accellerating hearing loss and skyrocketing ticket prices. I do have a set of Etymotic musicians earplugs that are supposed to cut the loudest sounds, letting through a proper musical experience, but I haven't tried them yet at a concert due to those ticket prices. Maybe I'm just living in the past, but I can't quite bring myself to pay $80 to $100 for 2 concert tickets for my wife and I. And of course there's dinner before or after, and parking, and on and on. Fortunately, she agrees with me

 

[squirt]

i recently heard the local group Kapena live and it was immediately apparent that there was something about the sound of the live performance that made my SCD-1 and Creek 5350SE sound like an AM transistor radio...well ok AM/FM radio...

Its clear to me that much of the nuances of music that makes music so "musical" is lost in a recorded song transferred to CD or even SACD...an example is the intricate timbres of a cymbal as its being tapped or slammed for that matter just never sounds right to me in a recorded song...

 

[pigmode]

We went to see Hillary Hahn in concert a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome. BTW, I never ever try to compare the sound of audio equipment to the sound live performances. The venues are too radically different, but I can still enjoy both equally.

 

[neil]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode We went to see Hillary Hahn in concert a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome.

She as cute in person as she is in photos?

 

[AdamP88]

I completely agree. I'm a big Flecktones fan, and listening to them through my headphones is quite enjoyable and can leave you in awe of their musicianship, but I just recently saw my first Flecktones show, and it just blew me away (standing 10 feet from the stage helped a bit

). They are all simply incredible musicians -true virtuosos of their instruments - particularly Victor Wooten (bass) and Béla Fleck (banjo). There were moments when I was literally standing slack-jawed in awe at some of the solos they pulled off. The show was about 3 1/2 hours, and they didn't really play a very long setlist, it's just they integrate extended solos into nearly all of their songs.

Vic Wooten, for those of you who don't know, is - without a doubt - the most phenomenal bass player alive. He had a 15 minute bass solo where he played a basic groove, looped it, added another groove on top of that, then another, etc, until he had about 10 levels of harmony going and he then soloed for about 5 minutes off that. He then started to get crazier and crazier, increasing the tempo, and then he actually started detuning his guitar - not just a little or in sync - just random detunings to the point where he was basically playing percussion with no distinguishable tones. Then over the course of about 5 minutes, he - while continuing to play feverishly, retuned his bass, and, again without pausing, picked up playing the grooves he was before. I don't think I can adequately describe it in words, but it was the most phenomenal thing I've ever seen anyone do on a bass or any sort of guitar for that matter.

Of course I've now been on a Flecktones kick at home and have pulled out all the old cds I haven't listened to in months and rediscovered some gems.

But nothing beats a live performance.

 

[rickfri]

I've been really fortunate on live shows in the last three or four months. There's a little hole in the wall place called 4th and B in San Diego. It seats about 500 or 600 and serves drinks. Got to see Lucinda Williams and Wilco there, they were each less than $25. The Lucinda Williams concert was the first on her latest tour. You could see how she was trying to figure out what songs to play on the tour, she was checking a notebook before and after every song and taking notes. In the middle of one song she stopped, cursed, said she had left out the best line, laid down her guitar, started the song over, and really nailed it. You don't get to see or hear that kind of thing on CD's or radio.

 

[kerelybonto]

squirt, you're a Kapena fan! Hell yeah! I used to live on an island out on that side of the world and Kapena was huge there. Pacific reggae is great. I used to know all the words to "Masese" even though I don't know the Hawaiian language.

I didn't get to any live shows this summer. Pissed me off greatly. ...

kerely

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, I'm getting pretty tired of live performances.

I mean, it is good for the type of music that you are talking about (see Al Di Meola if he ever comes by your area), but for most of the type of music I listen to, it's just boom boom boom until I'm ready to brown my pants.

Several notable exceptions:

Pan Sonic -- OMG, have you heard it at a concert when they find a sympathetic resonance with part of your body? These guys found sympathetic resonances with every part of my body, elbows, knees, chest, heart, you name it...I was literally "buzzed" when I came out of that one.

Sigur Ros (sic) -- nice visuals to accompany beautiful music.

The aforementioned Al Di -- simply some of the most beautiful music I listen to (I usually listen to ugly music, and, yes, on purpose).

There are others, but I'll leave it at that.

 

[squirt]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode We went to see Hillary Hahn in concert a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome. BTW, I never ever try to compare the sound of audio equipment to the sound live performances. The venues are too radically different, but I can still enjoy both equally.

My friend also went to the Hillary Hahn/Honolulu Symphony concert and he said she was fantastic. He really like the duet...

I ran into a former co-worker a few weeks ago and she said she was in town because her husband is in Lou Rawls band (i think she said the bass player) that was to play with the symphony...i couldn't help but be a little shocked not just to hear about her husband but also that Lou Rawls was still alive...

 

[squirt]

Quote:

Originally posted by kerelybonto squirt, you're a Kapena fan! Hell yeah! I used to live on an island out on that side of the world and Kapena was huge there. Pacific reggae is great. I used to know all the words to "Masese" even though I don't know the Hawaiian language.

Hey kerelybronto its nice to hear Kapena has a following out there...listening to Kapena its hard not to start getting down and boogie-ing to the music even if you don't know how to boogie like me...it just happens

 

[freethetree]

Quote:

Originally posted by JMT Watching live performances.........that is what it is all about.

True that.

AdamP88: Bela is the ****! I saw bela this summer and of course, he was amazing.

I also saw about 50 other bands this summer

. Music is good.

 

[dhwilkin]

Had the pleasure of seeing Keb' Mo' perform in Stewart Theater at NC State University last night. Great show, just him and his guitar tech. alternating between tearing it up and slowing it down. Funny thing was that at one point, some random State student walked onstage during one of the songs, asked if he could join in, and sure enough, the kid started jamming w/ Keb' on one of the guitars. Keb' just got this look, like, "Hey, not bad, kid, you got some cajones!" The kid did pretty good... couldn't play on demand, but he had talent. In any event, Keb' is very cool and accessible, go check out one of his shows if you get the chance.