New York Sucks

Once again, New York has foiled me in its concert listings. The same folks who coordinate the excellent Vision Festival every year, which I got to attend this past summer, have put together a benefit for New Oreans set for September 20th. More of the same New York faces reappear like Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Charles Gayle, Bill Dixon (a solo performance... should be interesting), and any combination of those and the standards of Vision. The surprises, however, are exciting and quite creative: John Zorn's klezmer jazz-punk quartet Masada, a Muhal Richard Abrams solo piano recital, Jazz Passengers with Elvis Costello and Deborah Harry (yes, from Blondie), and what could be amazing or horrible, Yo La Tango with Other Dimensions In Music.

As always, this event will be recorded and we'll have to cross our fingers to see release in the next 10 years (as per standard). Sigh. I still want a copy of the Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Han Bennink/Sabir Mateen and Joe McPhee/Lori Freedman shows.