Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject: Robben with Yellowjackets, big letdown
Well Gang, I promised I would give a report, here it is.
Like when you break up with a Gal, they say you can never go back.
Well, the Yellowjacket played the big stage at Monterey Jazz Festival
Friday nite. I was peeking under the curtain looking for Robben's
Rig between sets, the double dumbles and the double speaker stack and I couldn't see it, hmmm.
Anyways, the Yellowjackets come out there do a tune or two and bring
out Roy Hargrove. He does a trumpet solo and leaves. They do another
tune or so. Then call out Robben, billed as the originator of the band.
He does 2 tunes trades a couple 4's with the sax player and that was it, :-(
It didn't seem like his guitar was turned up that loud either. Then Kurt Elling comes out does a couple tunes. Not sure if the yellowjackets did much themselves after that.
BUT, what really let me down was they finished with Revalation and didn't
call Robben back out for it. From my limited knowledge I would say the
sax player didn't want Robben to show him up, as he did almost all the lead work on the tune.
Saturday Night I had to make a choice, go see the YellowJackets again
and Robben with his band, OR, Dianne Reeves and McCoy Tyner with
Roy Hargrove and Bobby Hutcherson.
I chose McCoy and Dianne.
If anyone saw that second showing of Yellowjackets and 1st showing of
Robben with his band I'd like to know how it went.
All and All the Jazz Fest has been Great though, Bonnie Raitt was fantastic. Started early and came back out for and extended encore.
Thanks for reading,
patrick :cry:
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:39 pm Post subject:
Hmmm. Sounds as if they tried to be all things to all people. Unfortunate. Of course, you were faced with some tough choices the next night, and I probably would have opted for McCoy Tyner myself. I've had plenty of opportunities to hear Robben, as well as the current YJ's, but have only heard Tyner once in my life, and wouldn't mind a second chance.
How about Kurt Elling? I've heard him live once before, and have a couple of his recordings. To my ear, he's a knock-out. Plays his voice as if it were a tenor sax. Plus, he has a great sense of humor (not to mention a busload of "cool".)
Thanks for the great review. _________________ - BlueRunner
Well, McCoy was terrific. But I have had some more time to reflect on
the Jazz Festival @ Montery and although I do have to hold to my convictions and reiterate that it was a big letdown. I was set on seeing Robben on the BIG stage, doing Jazz with his old "Buddies" through his double double stack playing his nuvoue Les Paul.
If I was a true Robben Fan I would have staked out some front seats in Dizzy's DEN and hopefully Robben reunited with the guys in there... They played right before his band. But how can I be in 2 places at one time. Hopefully someone else was there and can relieve me of the pain of not sticking with my hero, Robben.
Kurt was great, he really can sing, I hate to write it but when he came out after Robben left he blasted into some bebob with the sax player that was over the top! However, later that night he was doing the crooner thing with the big band and it couldn't hold my attention, plus it was freezing outside. Sunday he played Doc in Bruebecks Mini Opera based on Steinbeck's Cannery Row. The man can sing!
Anyways, if anyone out there is a hard core Jazz fan I would recomend going to every and any concert to see
these good old boys. Oscar Peterson played Sun nite also Bruebeck and these guys can still play, although they are a bit slow. Peterson, suffering from a stroke "recovery" does not use his left hand any longer. Nonetheless, at the end of his set, the last set, he came back and did a threesome with Hank Jones and some kid from Bruebeck institute. Why Bruebeck didn't come back out I don't know. This is after Oscar had already had 2 senior moments during his regular set. What a trouper!!
It was Kind of weird, they are leading Oscar off the stage and the drummer is helping the old guy. He has already complained a couple times how cold he is. Then Clint Eastwood comes out of nowhere and pulls him back to his piano and they do this 3 way jam session.
So go see these guys and say Farwell. As Toots Teihlemans told me one time, "All my freinds are gone now, Dizzy, Ella, Duke" Okay gang I'm tearing up now and feeling kinda melancholy.
Luv ya all, luv that jazz/blues.
Let's do all we can to rebuild New Orleans,
before the developers gentrify it.
Regards,
Patrick
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:47 am Post subject: Re: Robben with Yellowjackets, big letdown
patfitz wrote:
Anyways, the Yellowjackets come out there do a tune or two and bring out Roy Hargrove. He does a trumpet solo and leaves. They do another tune or so. Then call out Robben, billed as the originator of the band. He does 2 tunes trades a couple 4's with the sax player and that was it, :-( It didn't seem like his guitar was turned up that loud either. Then Kurt Elling comes out does a couple tunes. Not sure if the yellowjackets did much themselves after that. BUT, what really let me down was they finished with Revalation and didn't call Robben back out for it. From my limited knowledge I would say the sax player didn't want Robben to show him up, as he did almost all the lead work on the tune.
There's some nice photos from the festival posted on the Monterey Herald web site, though I didn't see any pix of The Yellowjackets (except in an autograph tent). There's also an article posted from last Thursday's paper, an interview with Russell Ferrante, that says "Ford will join up and probably play two tunes with the band... " _________________ Travelling by train of thought
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Hmmm. Sounds as if they tried to be all things to all people. Unfortunate. Of course, you were faced with some tough choices the next night, and I probably would have opted for McCoy Tyner myself. I've had plenty of opportunities to hear Robben, as well as the current YJ's, but have only heard Tyner once in my life, and wouldn't mind a second chance.
