FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE UNIVERSE
(FAITU#28)
1996-09-23 – SHACK PARTY II
~ John Coltrane’s Birthday ~

	MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD w/ many guests Knitting Factory, New York, NY Monday, September 23, 1996 Set 1: Improv#* > Open Improv* > Improv* > Improv+^ > Conga Solo+, Naima*+^, Bass Solo > Syeeda’s Song Flute > Spy Kiss > Improv% > Piano Solo > Improv% Set 2: Africa+^%$! > Percussion/Drums+! > Africa+^%$!, Improv$ > Drums’n’DJ [@9:06] > Chinoiserie@, Is There Anybody Here That Love My Jesus@& Shack Party II Guest musicians: # Johnny Thunder Cloud – vocals, chanting * Danny Blume – guitar + Eddie Bobe – congas ^ Hammadi – alto sax, percussion % Rob Scheps – tenor sax $ Marc Ribot – guitar ! G. Calvin Weston – drums @ Michael Blake – tenor sax & Sherri Jackson – vocals DJ Logic – turntables – all over this show… (Set I = all; Set II = all) ======================== MORE DESCRIPTIVE DETAIL OF SET I’s IMPROVISATIONS: Jam – bass part similar to first song from 9/16/96 -> Jam – guitar groove -> Jam w/ piano -> 6/8 jam -> Fast 4/4 jam w/ sax -> Conga Solo, Naima, Bass Solo -> Syeeda’s Song Flute -> Spy Kiss -> Unknown – fast funk groove w/ a driving bridge -> Unknown – w/ piano and tenor sax -> Piano Solo -> Unknown slow tune ======================== MORE DESCRIPTIVE DETAIL OF SET II’s IMPROVISATIONS: Jam in 6/8 w/ Conga. Solos, Jam – funky – organ, guitar, samples-> Samples and drums interlude-> Chinoiserie, Is There Anybody Here That Love My Jesus ========================
Trouble playing tunes?

1996-09-23 ticket stub

Source info:
1996-09-23.gefell-m300.12.t-flac16 [TSP1996#13]

– SET I (tracks 1-12) –
– SET II (tracks 13-19) –

FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE UNIVERSE (FAITU#28)
The Shack Project celebrates MMW @25 years!

– SHACK THOUGHTS — SHACK PARTIES I-VII ’96 –
Listen to these gigs. Listen to all of these gigs — it’s the best advice I can give you. These Shack Parties, where the band played for 7 Mondays in a row at the Knitting Factory in NYC, encompass such a wide range of the band’s talents and musical interests that a summation would simply do the music an injustice. Whether you dig a certain track or guest through this run, you have to admit that each guest brings something unique to the mix which in turn causes the band to react and shift, making the music they all create something adventuresome and real for that moment only. There are also plenty of moments where it’s just the trio and you’ll love it. As they explore both groove and open space with/out guests, it is clear this is a band out to make inspired music.

Oren Bloedow’s speech during Set II of the last Shack Party puts it best … so take a listen and Shack-out with these near 20 year-old musical explorations …

1996-09-23 ticket stub

– SHACK PARTY II THOUGHTS – JOHN COLTRANE’S BIRTHDAY

2nd of 7 weekly Shack Party gigs falls on the anniversary of John Coltrane’s birthday, so MMW (being obvious fans) sprinkle much of the evening with Coltrane music — three of the 6 actual songs played are Coltrane tunes (Naima, Syeeda’s Song Flute, & Africa), but songs aren’t really the focus. Coltrane’s music, like their own songs they play (Spy Kiss & ITAHTLMJ) along with one Ellington number (Chinoiserie), sends the band and their welcome guests out into the ether at times. The Africa that opens Set II, for example, is a MONSTER of space and groove with everyone contributing to the whole in true collaborative fashion — cool to hear Africa in here, but too bad the it took over a year for the song to return to MMW’s live shows, and then again too bad that it left again shortly after its return!). Outstanding group work here — this ain’t a case of 4+ guitar players on stage all strumming along together, this a mess of unique instrumentation all finding pockets to fill in the music — you have to hear this! Blume and Ribot offer contrasting styles in the guitar vein, but both have such invention and chemistry with MMW; Hammadi, Scheps and Blake provide sax at various moments, separately and together at times, with unique voices honouring Coltrane on this night. I could keep blabbing, but … just listen.

A nice treat at the end finds Sherri Jackson delivering some vocals on the MMW classic, their take on the old Spiritual, Is There Anybody Here That Love My Jesus … I’m still singing it now …

enjoy the grooves,
dug

BACK TO TOP OF PAGE

THE SHACK STREAM
LISTEN/DOWNLOAD ANOTHER SHOW!