SFJAZZ presents a Celebration of Thelonius Monk's 99th Birthday featuring Barry Harris, Fred Hersch, and the Eric Reed Trio
2016-10-10
Robert M. Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
7:30 PM, Monday, October 10, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[7:31 PM; lights down, announcements from Randall Kline; banter from Eric Reed]

1. [7:40 PM] Reflections
2. [7:47 PM] Evidence
3. [7:52 PM] Monk Beurre Rouge
4. [8:00 PM] Crepuscule with Nellie
   [8:03 banter]
5. [8:08 PM] Ba-Lues Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
   [8:17 PM; set ends; break is longer than normal as the stage techs take awhile to break things down, then set up a second grand piano onstage]

[8:35 PM; lights down, waiting for Fred…]

1. [8:37 PM] In Walked Bud
2. [8:43 PM] Ask Me Now
3. [8:51 PM] Blue Monk
4. [8:58 PM] Work
   [9:04 PM; Fred introduces Barry Harris, then leaves]
5. [9:07 PM] Looking Glass
6. [9:11 PM] ?
7. [9:13 PM] ?
   [9:21 PM; Barry aborts next tune, then talks awhile instead of playing]
8. [9:26 PM] Off Minor
9. [9:30 PM] 'Round Midnight
   [9:37 PM; pause for Barry to move to the piano at Stage Left as Fred takes over the hot seat on Stage Right]
10. [9:37 PM] ?
11. [9:42 PM] ?
    [9:49 PM; Eric Reed comes out to take the hot seat, Fred moves around to the share the other piano with Barry, taking the lower register (on the front/left)]
12. [9:49 PM] _?_
    [9:54 PM; bows and applause, then all off; both Eric and Fred leave Barry to shuffle off by himself before Fred dashes back to offer him a helping hand]

• Barry Harris: piano;
• Fred Hersch: piano.

• Mike Gurrola: contrabass;
• Willie Jones III: drums;
• Eric Reed: piano.

Considering that he survived a stroke over 20 years ago, Barry Harris seems to be doing quite well given the evidence of his playing last night. Obviously, he's in his twilight, but an uninformed listener might have assumed that the slowness or light work from his right hand was merely due to the vicissitudes of time rather than a more serious malady.

Fully a generation younger, Fred Hersch was clearly more in command of both his considerable skills and his mental facilities, and he looked quite a bit healthier than a decade ago when he was emerging through his own health struggles. I noticed only too late that he'd also scheduled a solo gig at the Sweetwater Music Hall this week – it's too bad that doesn't fit onto my schedule, it would be fun to hear a full evening's entertainment from him.

And Eric Reed – no longer a young lion, but still plenty vigorous in his middle age – was a real treat to hear during the opening set. I suppose it's been awhile since I last saw him, as my mental image of him (of a reed-thin young man) was totally out-of-whack with reality. Trying to answer that question (when was the last time I saw him play) is another reminder that it would be good to spend more time getting my collection of ephemera online and amenable to simple searching. If only it didn't take so long to get that work done!

Anyways, thanks to Randall Kline and the SFJAZZ crew for putting together another nice Birthday commemoration – if any single jazz composer/performer deserves it these days, it's certainly Monk!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!