Author: mahmutaydin4

Jazz nerd

VENUE REVIEW: Acoustic Hot Tuna & the Tale of Two Venues




December, 2015: Acoustic Hot Tuna passed through but I could not make the show at Glenside’s Keswick Theater. So I rolled the dice and attended the show at Vineland NJ’s Landis Theater instead. Both were about equal distance from Philly. The recently refurbished theater is a gem of a venue with comfortable seats and an actual vestibule between the lobby and the theater. These two fine points are the qualms I always had with the Keswick: small uncomfortable wooden seats and chatter emanating from the lobby during performances. The Landis theater has great acoustics and sighlines. Not a bad seat in the house. I hope the venue gets more shows! How was Acoustic Hot Tuna? EXCELLENT. Americana folk-blues at it’s best. Period. The appreciative crowd egged on bassist Jack Cassidy into three separate solos during the band’s two sets. Vineland NJ has limited restaurant options so eat before you go but there is a funky bar across the street from the Landis, in the basement of a sketchy motel. And yes, the Landis Theater sells alcohol.

The Meeting: Tacuma & Zankel joined by Webb Thomas @ Chris’ Jazz Cafe

9/5/15: It was a good “meeting” last night at Chris’ Jazz Cafe. This trio comprised of bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and sax player Bobby Zankel joined by drummer Webb Thomas and was billed as “the Meeting”. It was great to see two local jazz veterans play together because they usually don’t and both are leaders within their own respective universes. Kudos to all 3 musicians for shaking things up and stepping out of their usual associations to present, for the first time in recent memory, avant garde jazz at the normally musically conservative jazz venue. Let’s hope Chris Jazz Cafe continues this trend and extends its booking practices to encompass regional avant players (Baltimore/NYC) as well.

L to R: Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Bobby Zankel, Thomas Webb

Hans Bennick @ NYC Winter Jazz Fest 2015

ICP Orchestra

My 2015 NYC Winter Jazz Fest experience was book-ended by two sets by
one of my favorite drummers, Hans Bennick. First he played with the ICP Orchestra (above) and later in a duo with Uri Caine (below). In between I saw Trio 3 (Oliver Lake/Reggie Workman/Andrew Cryille) & Kris Davis’ Infasound. I was shut out of David Murray’s sets due to venue overcrowding.  Boo Hoo for me!


URI CAINE / HAN BENNINK DUO