Live Gig Room

[SK]

It might be cool to have one thread to share our live gig recordings. People have been sending me a bunch of recordings of recent gigs I'm on - whole nights and a broad variety, so thought I'd post a few.

 

I didn't post it in Shameless Plugs because I'm not plugging/selling anything here, and these aren't entirely shameless. Not any one band, none of the tracks feature my songs or my new band, and I don't mention the names of the bands/players. (If it needs to be moved to SP, no problem, but participation might be better here.) Some things in SP, like Carlo's excellent live trio, could fit here nicely too.

 

So just for listening, let's post our recent live gig recordings. Audio or video, any genre/style. Quality unimportant, "lo-fi" is welcome here and encouraged. :grin:

 

Hope you find some of these fun. (Some things won't appeal to everyone, but I'm not sure what I can do about that. :idk ) So thanks for listening.

 

__________________________________________________________________________

Gig 1 - hardcore/traditional jazz, standards - 3 weeks ago

 

A mix of tradition and insanity from some top players. Trumpet, tenor, bari, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard.

 

The guy who recorded it had his mic too close to my amp so it's distorted, which for this recording, I kinda like.

 

"Eighty One" (funny comping on this during the sax solo)

http://www.divshare.com/download/14930690-71f

 

The craziest version of "Stella" you'll ever hear:

http://www.divshare.com/download/14930336-bb3

 

"Like Someone In Love" http://www.divshare.com/download/14930718-001

 

"Softly" http://www.divshare.com/download/14930723-52e

 

A bit of "Green Dolphin"/"Matrix"

http://www.divshare.com/download/14930728-b09

__________________________________________________

 

Gig 2: Prettier stuff - 4 months ago

 

Two piano concert, Steinway D's, at a Maryland college hall. This is supposed to become a CD the other pianist will produce. He's excellent, on the faculty, and invited me to do this. We stretched on other stuff that day, but he wrote this song the morning of the concert. I looked it over for 5 minutes before we had to leave for the gig, and felt my way through it.

 

It's a folksy style, so I did not want it to come off like 'dueling Jarretts', which would be absurd. So I took a sparse approach. I added the virtual piano intro later and some bass, neither of which will be on the CD. Sample:

 

"First Light" http://www.divshare.com/download/14947900-bfb

_________________________________________________

 

Gig 3: Standards as sarcastic tone poems - 2 weeks ago

 

Our annual series of reunion gigs with a quartet I had for 11 years. Famous baritone sax player - definitely one of a kind. Check his radical solo entrance after mine on Basin St., and his trading at the end of Bittersweet like Einstein on acid.

 

Two songs on one track: "Basin St. Blues"/"Bittersweet "

http://www.divshare.com/download/14865253-29c

 

_________________________________________________

Gig 4: FUSION! Or as I've called it, my "day gig". Not a plug, but grateful to have it. Sound guys, lights, equipment provided, green rooms, opening for Dave Koz and others. Guess my rock experience from my 20's is finally paying off.

 

The track is different solos from one song with one chord, C#7+9, spliced together from different venues in the past two months - strangely all the same tempo. My solos are a bit Twilight Zonish here - what happens if you solo on a single chord long enough.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/14947936-7db

 

[Dave Ferris]

Nice idea for a thread Steve...

 

Listened to most of the tunes. Loved the Standards group. Everyone sounds excellent. I'm partial to the Trumpet player. Your friend on Bari sounds great too.

 

Burnin' solos on LSIL, Softly and Stella. The latter is pretty wild, loved it. Reminded me of Miles's "Live at the Plugged Nickel" CD. Sometimes lo-fi is cooler, more earthy and real....

 

The two piano piece was a nice departure from the intensity of the others. Like you said, pretty, tasteful and enjoyable.

 

Quality unimportant, "lo-fi" is welcome here and encouraged. :grin:

 

Speaking of lo-fi......well you've come to the right place.

 

I can't remember exactly when this was, but it was definitely pre-Zoom/Sony handheld digital recorder days. There's lo-fi and then there's real lo-fi...I'd recommend listening with a pair of phones if you wanna have any chance of catching some semblance of bass. From what I recall, this was for an audience of about 5; three of us were the Trio..

 

Solar

http://www.divshare.com/download/14950778-7f0

 

Pent Up House (might have posted this a long time ago, can't remember. If so, as Gilda Radner used to say--" never mind" )

http://www.divshare.com/download/14952201-503

[SK]

Yeah, Dave. Nice, confident, relaxed, creative playing. Always a pleasure to hear you.

 

The drummer works well with you - I couldn't hear much of the bass. Thanks for adding to the thread and the comments. Lo-fi is just fine when listening to ideas.

 

Apologies for posting so many tracks up there, but I still have about 5 times as many left. I have some of my new band too, but we're doing another gig soon, so I'll wait and see how that recording turns out.

 

Hope others will contribute. These are just gigs here - a chance to hear each other at work.

[Piano4U]

Great idea for a thread SK!

I didn't get a chance to listen to all of yours and Dave's stuff yet, but what I heard sounds great! It's always nice to hear a player play in different types of groups/situations.

 

Here is a clip from a recent gig...a performance to promote a recent Jazz Festival here. (Sorry for any video/audio sync problems, blame the encoding).

 

"Not Quite Yet"

 

[SK]

Roger! Here Dave and I are posting stuff recorded with cardboard microphones, and you come in with Grammy Award winning quality... :grin:

 

Sounds good, looks good, everything. Good playing, nice tune, and thanks.

[linwood]

Man, you 3 guys made my day. Great stuff; all three of you. I'm so glad I don't play gigs anymore so I don't have to post in here.

[Dave Ferris]

This was a steady Thursday gig at the L' Ermitage hotel in Bev Hills ; after last week (and this rendition) they moved us to alternating Thursdays.

 

We're backing up this singer--maybe the best way to describe her would be Grace Jones meets Eartha Kitt meets Lola Falana.

 

These Boots were made for walkin'

http://www.divshare.com/download/14986022-074

 

The bass player mistakenly ended the tune too soon (maybe not soon enough for some listeners ) before we really were able to take it out. When we play again in a week I'll post the extended version. The bass player recorded it with his iphone.

[J. Dan]

OK, not sure how to do this. I already posted 5 full length videos on shameless plugs:

CLONK

 

But here's the compilation we came up with from them:

[video:youtube]

 

it was shot about 6 weeks ago.

 

I think it turned out great. If you guys are interested in dropping some dough for a serious video, I would highly recommend this guy. He's a musician and has done sound and lights. VERY professional, and while not cheap, for what he did, was very reasonable! He said he'll travel, but if you contact him, mentioned that you were referred by me so he knows it's legit. My REAL contact info:

 

Dan Elze

That 80s Band

St. Louis, MO

 

You can PM me if you need more - his contact info is at the end of the video.

[marino]

Great music from everyone, as usual. My favorite so far is "Eighty-One" (love when the rhythm section does something creative behind the soloist!) and Dave's "Solar" (a song I like to twist in a similar manner).

 

I've posted a lot of material on Shameless Plugs already, so for now I'll just contribute this little ballad/lullaby, a very simple feel. I also have video for this and a couple more songs; I just have to find the time to do the sync.

 

Song of Two Friends

 

The recording is decent, but the piano was desperately out of tune.

 

Also, I have a more recent gig, more of the "cardboard mic" persuasion.... I'll have to massage the audio a bit before making it available. Soon.

 

 

[SK]

This thread dropped off the page and I lost track of it.

 

Good playing by everyone. I like your song, Carlo, and professional video, Dan.

[SK]

If anyone thinks drummers aren't musicians:

 

[video:youtube]

 

And here's a real flashback to the past. The same drummer on a gig with me in the late 70's. We used to jam when we were kids - he was killer then. An old Chick Corea song, very fast, lo-fi - just a little of the piano/bass solos to get to the drum solo here.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15042800-4f2

Check the last part of his drum solo - double time. drums/J. Barron, bass/Octavia Bailey

 

[Dave Ferris]

Steve, man you sounded miles ahead of me in the late '70s. Jeez, what I was doing back then was ...

 

That was a burning uptempo version 500 MH there. Yeah that was our generation's "Cherokee".

 

I didn't know you were friends with Joey. He has to be one of the most musical drummers I've ever had the privilege to play with--unfortunately only once or twice in the short time he was out here.

 

I remember one night in the early '80s at this club across the street from MacArthur Park called "Maiden Voyage". The place was packed as it was Wynton Marsalis's debut run with Art Blakey. Everyone in town was there. I was hanging by the front door 'cause it was so packed and in walks Joey right after the first set. We had just played a few weeks earlier so I said "hey Joey, what's up ? you coming from a gig?"

 

He said "man that's it ! I've f..ing had it with this f...ing LA !" "You would not believe what I had to do tonight !" He continued," I had to dress up in this f..ing clown outfit with a hat and play for this f..ing children's birthday party !" "It was the most humiliating thing to make $100 that I've ever had to do in my life". "I am so outta here, get me back to NY !!"

 

I was working pretty much at this time , doing my typical under the radar stuff but playing with good people and making good dough--certainly didn't have to "go there". I felt really bad for him. I knew somebody like him did not belong in a place like LA. Actually I've said that about myself many times over the years as well...but that's a whole other thing.

 

In any case he moved back East and took his rightful place among the Jazz heavies. He's certainly one of the greatest Drummers in the world, any style or era.

 

Thanks for the little clip on JB Steve.

[SK]

I remember him telling me about that birthday party! Joey is very special. When he was a teenager, his dad would book him in clubs to play brushes along with a record player. I haven't spoken with him in a few years now.

 

Well thanks for the compliments about the late 70's, Dave, but in the early 70's, I really sucked. I didn't even start trying to learn jazz in earnest until the early 70's.

[SK]

With Dave's permission, I added some parts for the "Boots Variations". Total silliness.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15044298-ff0

[Dave Ferris]

With Dave's permission, I added some parts for the "Boots Variations". Total silliness.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15044298-ff0

 

Perfect ! That deserves it, maybe even more strings.....

I'll record it again tomorrow night and we'll stretch it even more. Hopefully you won't even recognize it.

 

Here's a couple tunes we played out in front of her coming up to do her thing. Recorded with the bass player's iPhone.

 

Someday My Prince Will Come

http://www.divshare.com/download/15051847-56c

 

Monk's "I Mean You" (hadn't played this in ages so excuse the interpretation of the head)

http://www.divshare.com/download/15051871-a21

[SK]

Yeah Dave, I liked the loose abandon in the approach throughout these tunes... the displaced melody on I Mean You in the solo, the trading on Prince, etc. Very nice. And that iPhone records pretty well!

With Dave's permission, I added some parts for the "Boots Variations". Total silliness.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15044298-ff0

Perfect ! That deserves it, maybe even more strings.....

The Nancy Sinatra/Penderecki Sessions, as performed by Earha Kitt and the Inmates of the Asylum Orchestra. Looking forward to the next Boots variation.

[Mike Warren]

With Dave's permission, I added some parts for the "Boots Variations". Total silliness.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15044298-ff0

 

Needs more cowbell!!

 

 

 

[SK]

Or cowbells.

[Dave Ferris]

Another one from the second set of that same gig:

 

Hot House (What Is This Thing Called Love)

http://www.divshare.com/download/15054157-529

 

[SK]

Good playing again, Dave - fun to listen to. Again, that iPhone recording is decent!

 

Here's another one from my quartet reunion gig about a month ago. Semi-traditional, laid back version of Hank Mobley's "This I Dig", but it's still on the edge while it swings, with some nice moments. The mic was behind the keyboard speakers, so I'm all but buried by the closer drums.

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/15061703-b40

 

[Dave Ferris]

Cool rendition of "This I Dig" Steve. One of my favorite HM tunes. Adventurous yet really swinging with nice solos by both of you guys. Yours was more understated then the Bari but very effective.

 

The recording level's a bit low here on my Sony PCM D50 and there's a bunch of crowd noise. Again for best results (some semblance of bass) listen with phones or monitors.

 

Lee Morgan's "Ceora"

http://www.divshare.com/download/15066681-5dd

 

And as promised, a reprise of Boots WMFW. Version #2 with a semi-crazed piano solo in the middle.

http://www.divshare.com/download/15062610-b17

 

 

[SK]

As always, I enjoyed that Dave - I particularly liked your voicings, phrasing and feel on the melody of Ceora. Cool trio. Funny, for some reason, when a band I was in used to play Ceora at a certain slow tempo, it would always empty the room - so we used it for the end of wedding receptions. Your version makes the song sound good again.

 

Yeah, that TIDig was the first song of the night. The sound guy forgot to turn my stage monitor on. So the recording is exactly how I heard myself - which was not much at all.

 

Now onto the next installment of the Boots Variations- the unexpurgated version.

[Piano4U]

SK - nice version of TID - too bad about the sound - no trouble hearing the bari and drums though ;-)

 

Dave - great Ceora - I love that tune but can't quite seem to get that tricky head under my fingers. I like the harmonies you put under the melody. Nice sounding recording too.

[linwood]

You guys are killin'.

[Dave Ferris]

Hey thanks guys, appreciated. Yeah Ceora is one of those melodies I've really worked on over the years. I have to practice it before I play it if I haven't done it in awhile. Like Roger said it is tricky and not "Piano friendly" under the fingers. A couple spots it didn't exactly come out like I wanted but oh well...

 

Here's one more from last Thursday. Again with the Sony recorder but a different placement. It was the first set and I had placed it on the left side of the music desk of the piano, one mic kinda pointing indirectly in the piano and the other at the bass & drums. Personally, on the break and listening with phones, I thought the piano was a bit hot so I moved it for the second set/Ceora. Then again, can the piano ever be too loud ?

 

Monk's "Bye ya" (bass solo first and no trading)

http://www.divshare.com/download/15074564-d89

[marino]

Did a bit of homework - lots of musical gems here. Dave's "Someday My Prince" was outstanding imo. And Steve's "Ligeti plays Cole Porter" treatment of "Boots" is pure genius! Although a bit twisted.

 

Joey Baron? Wow. One of my overall favorite musicians. The first time I saw him with Bill Frisell he left me speechless. I really envy my fellow Roman Enrico Pieranunzi, who has a permanent trio with him and Marc Johnson. I must ask him to lend them to me sometimes.... even for just one gig...

 

Btw I felt compelled to contribute something. So here's "Time Remembered" . This performance was intended to demonstrate Bill Evans' late style, so it's played very straightforwardly.

 

Then for the "carboard mics" series, some fragments of "Solar" . I've always considered this song as an empty box for experimentation, where everything can happen - and it shows here. The whole thing was really too long to bear, so I have extracted three bits - the crazy intro, a slice of the solos, and the ending.

It was recorded with a crappy mic positioned at random, so it sounds quite offensive to the ears. Sorry.

 

Lastly, from the same gig, an offering to Steve's crazy genius: Some free piano/drums improvisation , followed by a gentle ballad of mine, "Piano Possibile". Needless to say, Steve, if you feel like using the 'free' part to superimpose some, um, "special" treatment, you're more than welcome. Just a suggestion of course.

 

 

[Dave Ferris]

Really liked the free thing segueing into the straight eighth ballad Carlo. Man you can really play the piano ! Nice crowd response too, it's good to be appreciated.

 

Here's the last tune ( I promise ) from last Thursday's hotel gig.

 

Sam River's "Beatrice".

http://www.divshare.com/download/15074570-4d6

[marino]

Good feel on the beautiful "Beatrice", Dave. I've always liked that song.

 

About leaving the applause in the live recordings... on my first bunch of videos I had cut out all the clapping, but for some reason the result had a strange dry quality; it felt a bit less "live" to my ears. So I decided to leave at least the starting moment of the applause in subsequent videos and recordings. It may sound like a selfish thing, but it just feels better to me.

 

 

[orangefunk]

Nice idea folks! Gonna check this thread out now!

 

I have done a few gigs recently... more pop flavoured but it was nice to take the SV-1 out (audio is from the mixer to my Roland R05 recorder which I mixed with the images afterwards)

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

More jazz-wise I was supposed to take part in a tribute to Gil Scott Heron playing pieces from the Pieces of A Man LP on Wednesday with a lot of pop/rock bands playing other music but our act got pushed until we would be playing around 11 and I felt the vibe had changed... shame that!

 

 

[kanker.]

Filmed this bit of mcgoo playing the other day, my Hammond, his Wurly.

 

CLONK HERE