We get a lot of notices about concerts and club appearances. We don’t publish them (“post them,” in blogese). Rifftides is not, and will not be, a publicity clearinghouse. However, the Rifftides staff is making a one-time exception, partly because Margaret Davis, Henry Grimes’ manager and ranking fan, was too clever and resourceful to resist. She even used the old “speaking of” trick. She went all the way back to Dave Frishberg’s January 23 guest item about Cecil Taylor and used it as a hook for her promo disguised as a comment. Here is Ms. Davis’s message in its entirety.
Speaking of the great Cecil Taylor, the Cecil Taylor Trio featuring Henry Grimes, back with the master after 4O (!) years (Into the Hot, Unit Structures, Conquistador) and drummer Pheeroan akLaff will play tonight, Saturday, Oct. 21st, ‘O6 at 8 p.m. at Jackie and Dollie McLean’s place the Artists’ Collective,
12OO Albany Ave., Hartford, Connecticut, 86O-527-32O5, http://artistscollective.org/events.htm;
and
Thursday & Friday, Oct. 26th & 27th at the Iridium Jazz Club, 165O Broadway at 51st St., New York City, 8:3O & 1O:3O + 3rd set at midnight Friday night, 212-582-2121,
www.iridiumjazzclub.com/schedule.shtml;
and
Cecil Taylor is also playing solo on Saturday, November 4th at International House, 3701 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, 8 p.m., 215-895-6546, 215-387-5125, x 2219, http://www.arsnovaworkshop.com/.
Mostly, however, we succumbed because it’s a pleasure to know that Henry Grimes is on the scene and thriving. It also offers an excuse to refer you to this Gerry Mulligan CD in which Grimes is the stompin’ bass player, working hand in glove with guitarist Freddie Green to underpin the swing throughout one of Mulligan’s least known and happiest albums.
Doug, I am not a devious person and wasn’t using any “tricks” or “hooks” or disguise when I posted the upcoming Cecil Taylor concert dates. What happened was a friend of mine is trying to create an exhaustive list of places the great “avant-garde” musicians of the ‘6O’s played around New York City, and I remembered the Dave Frishberg tale of Cecil Taylor at the Page Three and wanted to send my friend the information, so I looked it up on the link I had saved. Then, having done so and having explored the Rifftides site a little, I realized that Cecil Taylor fan Roger Houston and others might like to know about the upcoming Cecil Taylor concerts, so I posted them in. I had no idea you had a ban on (oh, no, heaven forbid!!)concert listings. Publicizing concerts is something I do all the time, but no one has ever made anything bad out of it before. Ah, well, no good deed (etc., etc…) But I’ll cheerfully accept your apology for characterizing me wrongly in such a nasty way.
#
Dear Margaret,
The furthest thing from my mind was to make fun of or put down your posting. If I had thought it was unworthy, I would have simply ignored it. I intended the tone of the item to be lighthearted, and I’m truly sorry that you took it otherwise. I hope that if a few people show up at the two remaining gigs as a result of the post, it will compensate a little for the unintentional bruising. Mea Culpa.
DR
What must one do to see Cecil Taylor play here in DC? O, lament.