exposed

Wayne Horvitz – Piano and Keyboards
Timothy Young – Guitars
Keith Lowe – Acoustic Bass
Eric Eagle – Drums

Wayne Horvitz

Keith Lowe

Timothy Young

Eric Eagle

Wayne Horvitz

Keith Lowe

Timothy Young

Keith Lowe

Eric Eagle

Timothy Young

Eric Eagle

Wayne Horvitz

John Abercrombie

By a lucky chance I came across the Jazz Bakery’s January calendar. I haven’t kept up much on who’s playing where and when other than a handful of familiar friend. The calendar caught my eyes because the name Gary Versace. I met Gary last year in New Orleans when he played with my friend John Ellis and his Double Wide quartet. We fast befriended because he didn’t mind my being obnoxious towards him. I was interested to get to see him play again with another group — with John Abercrombie no less.

I finally got a hold of him then headed out to their Friday show of Wed-Sun run. I, of course, showed up minutes before they stepped on stage. I got a quick introduction and was assured that all were in that good touring spirit… the kind that is light-hearted and on the silly side. From what I saw, Nussbaum was the king of it, cracking jokes, making endless teases and funnies. 

The show soon started. I’d never heard them before, and was open fully to hear. During the breaks, there was a guy coming up to me and offered his opinion on Abercrombie’s playing, how he didn’t play as much as he used to. I inquired about this later to find that he was just one of many who came with an expectation for some fusion, of which Abercrombie was known for from an era passed.

I couldn’t believe Gary, of his playing… fucking amazing this guy. Actually I was so floored by the whole quartet that I later insisted Nels to come with me on the last day of their Jazz Bakery run. Nels knows Abercrombie from long ago… the 70s or so? He also knows Nussbaum relating to his drummer brother Alex. Nels and I barely got back from a trip to SF (Sat>Sun) but managed to get to the venue in time for the show. This was a “palette cleansing” music. The soft and delicate crafted sound was the most enriching since I can remember. I was floored. We were floored. I love it when my puny mind aligns itself and able to receive something amazing as this. 

Jerry Bergonzi

Gary Versace

Abercrombie and Nussbaum

Bergonzi before show

Abercrombie Organ Quartet

Mike Watt brings in the new year

 Mike came by to do another radio show on new year’s eve. It was an interesting evening, to say the least. He brought with him a bottle of Jim Beam, plus a six pack of beer. Only just a few days back from Japan, Mike was running on some kind of an exhaustion high. He downed bottles of beer impressively while nursing the Jim Beam. The recording was a little rough because the microphone he brought was … shitty. We had to retake some stuff. By 1 am, after ring in the new year, Mike was pretty much done and out. Still he woke up at the crack of dawn fully ready to go to his Polar Bear annual jumping in the ice water event in Pedro.

Mike Watt with Cat 1 New Years Eve 2008>2009

 

Watt hauling gear

 
The last gig of the year, as it was billed by Mike Watt, I had the duty to show up. It turned out to be a weird reunion of many musical strides, running of the same circle. I went along with Nels Cline, and through him I met/remet many faces I’d seen over the past couple of years. It was a little socially overwhelming to be in a place where a good amount of people know each other. It was almost like a community, an actual live, living community, flesh..blood, and faces. Yes, I sound a little tripped out, because I did. One of things characterizing LA is how spread out, hard to organize it is. I can only think of one month out of the year where this is possible. Specifically the last week of the year – seems to be the most willing of all occasions for people to actually come out of their comfortable hiding places and secure the connections after the family obligations were over with. It is as if christmas time put a huge pressure for people to be with families, and because of it, the slight revolt in people needing to verify their own choice of their own free willed connections, the other identity. 

All in all it was a weirdly exhilarating evening.

Jessica Catron and Jeremy Drake

Watt talks to audience

Pete Mazich of Secondmen

yet another instigation for people to 'start your own band'

Watt's post gig socializing

Charlie’s left hand

By the time this date came around, I felt bad to nearly forgotten about Charlie Hunter trio playing in town at the Mint. By now it’s about bi-annual event that Charlie would bring his group through, once in the summer and once in the winter. I first heard about the show from Charlie’s previous trio member John Ellis a few months back. I wanted to know when John will bring his Double Wide quartet to Los Angeles. He mentioned the possibility that he might open for Charlie. I assumed this was going to happen. Then the devil of the details got in the way. I’d just have to settle with only Charlie’s trio.

Settling isn’t an accurate term here, really. Charlie’s current trio with Erik Deutsch on organ and Tony Mason on drums certainly is a lot of music intensity. I convinced my friends Ravi Carman and Matt Cook, the Highland Parks musical residents to go with me to the first show on Friday night. It’s interesting to hear musicians’ take on Charlie. They both had never seen him before. Matt mentioned that he refused to follow Charlie’s technicality and focus only on hearing the music. I felt that I occasionally have to do that as well. It’s been said by many… that “Charlie is a freak”.

Offstage, I hardly see Charlie exhibits any hints of anything freak-like. He often dubs himself as a “boring suburban dad”, suggesting in the subtext that my ‘inner city life’ is the more exciting? Or at least in the drama-filled sense? Talking about the mundanity of life and immediate reflections of current events is the safest for me to do around him, I think. If anything is freaky about him is his incredible wealth of music knowledge tops with how well well read he is. Ended up it seems, much like his music, I’d stick with simpler conversations instead of slip off into the depth of his thoughts. Yes, I’m a little fearful, but not because of him, but for myself to free fall into something I have no grasp on.

Catching his shows and catching up with the latest gossips becomes mandatory for me. It’s nice to know some heroes to be inspired by.
 

Charlie

Tony

Erik

Charlie

Charlie

Tony

Charlie Hunter Trio at the Mint

Erik

Tony

Charlie with friend