[Dixielandjazz] Claremont, Monty Alexander, Marian Mc Partland and Pinetop Perkins

[Artwoo at aol.com]

Hi Tom: I too was 16 in 1961 when I heard Louis at the Claremont. I just  
celebrated my 62nd birthday on April 4th. My treat to myself and my wife was to  
go to Seattle to hear Monty Alexander at the Jazz alley on 4/5.
 
I had a great time listening to Monty, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton.  There 
is nothing like being ringside in a intimate nightclub hearing great  jazz.
 
John plays an unamplified string bass and of course Jeff plays very tasty  
drums. Monty is, to say the least, a world class piano man, IMHO.
 
I was very impressed by Jeff's approach to percussion which included  rolling 
his brushes across the head of the snare, tapping the cymbals lightly  with 
ringed part of the brushes and occasional explosive contrasts. He outshines  
the typical drummer with his melodic approach... not just a  timekeeper trying 
to dominate or overpower the melody. He is a refreshing  and equal participant 
in the harmony and phrasing of the song.
 
Jeff also played the tubs with his finger tips...the beauty of being in a  
lightly amplified venue is that he could whisper on his set and add nuances that 
 were surprising and very pleasant.
 
The interplay between Monty and John was fun to watch. One time Monty  
appeared to be going for a left hand bass note and instead of actually playing  the 
note, his hand stopped short and John completed the note on the bass. It was  
fun to watch. John also plays arco with the timbre of a cello. 
 
Two other performances I intend on hearing are Marian Mc Partland at  Yoshi's 
on April 26 and also Pinetop Perkin's 94th birthday performance on July  7 at 
the Hayward Blues festival.
 
Sincerely,
Art Wood
 
PS Another interesting effect (not planned, but observed) was the  reflection 
above the keyboard on the highly polished Steinway.  As Monty worked the 
keys, from my perspective on stage right, there  was an undulating mirror image of 
 the keyboard action on the piano  lid area above the keyboard.
 
 



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.