BayTaper.com

Here’s a post from The Trio playing live at Chez Hanny in the Lower Haight on December 2, 2007. Chez Hanny is essentially Frank Hanny’s living room and one hell of a cool venue if you’re into listening to your jazz live in a cozy and extremely intimate space (check his calendar for upcoming shows). The band played two long sets and featured Denny Berthiaume on piano, Chuck Bennett on double bass, and Curt Moore on drums. The band was nice enough to let me pick one track from their performance to share with you, so please enjoy. And if you like what you hear, you can listen to more of their tunes and support the band directly by purchasing their new album Prayer for Peace.

 Snap Parade (Bennet) [7:50m]: Play Now | Download

Photos from the Charlie Hunter Trio live at Yoshi’s West in San Francisco on December 13, 2007. The trio featured Charlie on guitar, Scott Amendola on drums, and Erik Deutsch on keys, along with special guests the Campbell Brothers on steel guitars.

Here’s the third installment of my Fillmore Street Jazz Festival photos and audio recordings. This time I’m showcasing the talents of the East Bay powerhouse the Kurt Ribak Trio. The band features Kurt on bass, Greg Sankovich on piano and keys, and Tim Solook on drums. They played on the Sutter Street Stage in the second time slot on Sunday, so although they started out in the fog, the weather made a big turn for the better during the course of their set. In fact, as Kurt ponders out loud right in the recording, it almost seemed as if special guest Lincoln Adler actually warmed up the day with his tenor playing during his first appearance on stage (Finally Home)! Another guest appearance was made later by Lorna K. on vocals. She sang beautifully on Kurt’s piece titled Like an Old Cigarette. At this point, rather than bore you with a written review, I’ll again able to let the music speak for itself through Kurt and the band’s gracious permission to share the recording with you all (for personal non-commercial use only). So, you can click on the links below to listen to their entire set, and if you like what you hear, please help support their efforts by seeing them play live and purchasing their self-titled studio album. It’s also worth mentioning that drummer Tim Solook has his own CD out, and keyboardist Greg Sankovich is a member of another jazz-funk band called Times 4. I’d like to personally thank Kurt for a great time, and I encourage you to check back soon because I still have more posts coming from the 2006 Fillmore Street Festival. Stay tuned!

 Introduction [0:34m]: Play Now | Download
 880 Breakdown [8:07m]: Play Now | Download
 Ruby [8:37m]: Play Now | Download
 Swaying in the Breeze [8:02m]: Play Now | Download
 Roy [6:46m]: Play Now | Download
 Limbo Jazz [Ellington] [7:04m]: Play Now | Download
 Mayberry Revisited [11:44m]: Play Now | Download
 Finally Home [13:20m]: Play Now | Download
 Just Got Paid [6:34m]: Play Now | Download
 Like an Old Cigarette [6:53m]: Play Now | Download
 Thanks, Julian [11:14m]: Play Now | Download

It’s time for the second post related to my Fillmore Street Jazz Festival recording exploits. This one features photos, audio, and a ten-minute video of the hoppin’ licks of the Terrence Brewer Trio. This was another set at the brutal 10am slot, which was a little more nasty on Sunday than it was the day before because of a slightly thicker fog. The trio features Terrence on guitar, Wil Blades on his classic Hammond B3 Organ and Leslie amp, and the amazing Jeff Marrs on sticks. They played originals from Terrence’s The Calling: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 as well as one of Wil’s pieces What’s Up Doc, as well as a couple of standards by Larry Young and Cole Porter. It’s also worth pointing out that drummer Jeff Marrs played in no less than four of the bands I recorded during the festival: the Mitch Marcus Quintet and the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, and then again Sunday morning with Terrence and Wil, and again with Eric Wyatt in the afternoon! You’ve got to give Jeff some major props for that kind performance. In fact, I’m going to wager a bet that no other musician was up on stage playing their heart out as much as Jeff was over the course of the two-day festival. So, with that said, I’ll leave the music of the Terrence Brewer Trio to speak for itself. Check out their complete Fillmore Street set plus photos and video, and make sure to check these guys out live the next time you have the chance. Enjoy!

 QuickTime Video [10:24m]: Play Now | Download
 Windows Media Video [10:24m]: Play Now | Download
 What is this Thing Called Love [9:32m]: Play Now | Download
 Working for a Rhythm [10:08m]: Play Now | Download
 Tyrone [11:29m]: Play Now | Download
 Peaches & Cream [9:11m]: Play Now | Download
 What's Up Doc [11:07m]: Play Now | Download
 A.D.D. [12:10m]: Play Now | Download
 Lately [11:27m]: Play Now | Download
 Baby Cakes [7:02m]: Play Now | Download