SFJAZZ presents Ramshackle Serenade featuring Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, and Bill Stewart
2015-10-11
Joe Henderson Lab
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
8:30 PM, Late Show, Sunday, October 11, 2015

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[8:32 PM lights down]

1. [8:33 PM] Sweet and Lovely
2. [8:45 PM] Putting on the Ritz
3. [8:55 PM] Mr. Meagles
4. [9:08 PM] ? All the Things You Are
5. [9:22 PM] Jive Coffee
   [show ends 9:36 PM]

• Peter Bernstein: guitar;
• Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ;
• Bill Stewart: drums.

We lucked out and enjoyed a surprising easy drive over to SF tonight – flying along until hitting the backup from a minor fender bender at the Fremont exit. Having seen the red stretch on the traffic map beforehand, the stop wasn't completely unexpected, and while it certainly impeded our progress for a few minutes, we still arrived downtown plenty early, and had free choice in selecting parking. Yay! Good start to the evening. Walked a half block to the venue, then claimed a spot at the front of the line – perfect for watching and listening to the last 15 or 20 minutes of the early show.

After a short pause to clear and clean the room, we entered to claim two seats in the second row on the center aisle. Awesome! The staff had placed ADA hold placards on the seats directly in front of us, and though they pulled them up shortly before showtime, no one moved in, so we enjoyed a perfectly unimpeded view, with the best sound in the house! Many thanks to the angels who look after us and make small things go right!

The set was darn good – one of those experiences where time drifts away without notice. Only five tunes in an hour? It didn't seem to me that they were stretching things out any more than necessary. All three guys excelled at comping the other's solos, and soloing when they took a turn in the spotlight. I had a great view of Larry's feet, all the better to try and follow his bass lines. Toe taps were easy, but foot or heel presses were far more subtle, and as often as not, I heard the walking bass without perceiving an effort to play the note. Hard to imagine the brainpower necessary to divide effort between two hands AND feet – I gave up my keyboard practice after several discouraging years trying to establish strict hand independence. Astonishing to see a musician of Larry's calibre – the effortlessness of his playing is simply magical.

I kinda wish that I'd sprung for tickets to another set – this show was that good – but I'll settle for seeing them the next time they come 'round.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!