Six months in a leaky boat – not
Phillip James’ Musiclogue: from yoga in Times Square to electric heaven
When I decided to take a six-month sabbatical from Sydney, the first decision I made was to NOT spend the time sitting on a beach.
Phil James in front of Miles Davis's gravestone at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx
With my partner, we visited a number of places we’d never seen before – several Caribbean islands (including Cuba and Jamaica), caught up with old friends in Buenos Aires, and rode a motorcycle through the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile. We climbed through the morning mist to the Inca marvel, Machu Picchu. Later we joined 2000 other yogis on the street in Times Square to welcome the Summer solstice.
Yoga in Times Square
But this piece is less a travelogue than a “musiclogue”, so other than to mention our raucous night drinking Cuba Libras and dancing to Van Van at the Casa de Musica in Havana, I want to focus specifically on New York where we lived, really lived, for almost three months.
New York nights
Music lovers, especially jazz lovers, know that there is SO much to experience every night of the week in New York City. Several benefits flow from this. Generally events don’t sell out. So you can be flexible and book at the last minute. And the ticket prices, even for the biggest names (I’m not talking Lady Gaga) are very affordable.
Size doesn’t matter
The variety of venues is wide. There are the poky and claustrophobic places like the 55 Club where musicians such as Aussie expat SEAN WAYLAND has to squeeze through the crowd to the stage before setting up his own gear. No side door, green room or roadies there.
Aussie expat Sean Wayland at the 55 Club
Then there are the famous names. Blue Note was having a double birthday while we were in NY. The Club celebrated its 30th birthday (it feels older!) and Jon Hendricks celebrated his 80th with a show there. Long time pal and colleague Annie Ross shared the bill. Both were in fine form.
Baby it’s cold outside
The Village Vanguard, with its unique triangular shaped room and awesome acoustics, did not disappoint when expat French pianist JACKY TERRASSON entertained a cozy crowd while the heaviest snowstorm of the season raged outside.
Jon Hendricks with Phillip James' daughters at the Blue Note
Then there are the newer venues, none more justifiably celebrated than Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at the Lincoln Centre with its perfect site lines and sound. New Orleans’s Catherine Russell and Brazil’s Eliane Elias are stylistically miles apart but shone equally brightly before the breathtaking view of Central Park and the lights of the Upper East Side behind the stage.
Pajama Party
The older, bigger ballroom venues often have standing room only for the rock acts they feature. Such was the case at The Bowery where Neil Finn chose to launch his brand-new outfit PAJAMA CLUB featuring his wife on vocals and bass. Another ballroom, the Highline was the site of our most outstanding night. BOBBY McFERRIN was an even more unique and thrilling performer than I had expected. And he was backed by the world’s best backing band, the Yellowjackets. Front row seats to electric, eclectic heaven.
Bobby McFerrin backed the Yellowjackets at the High Line Ballroom
This is the sort of show I’d choose if I was about to be hung in the morning and had to select music to go with my last meal. There is so much more I could mention, like the night with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. But I’ve run out of sp…………