We Play The Painting

A lot of people are afraid to sit in the front row. If it was a Suicide or a Contortions show I would be afraid too. They used to scare me but I loved it. We took seats in the front row of Xerox Auditorium for the Belgium big band, Flat Earth Society,
and tried to guess how many members would be in the band. The stage was full of equipment and music stands. We guessed ten and it turned out to be 14. The drums and bass were front and center flanked by guitar and keyboards and the horn section ran all across the back. FES is a wackier, more rambunctious Willem Breuker Kollektief. Never mind the movie. This is vivid, action-packed, cinematic, soundtrack music. They introduced a song called, “Broadway Boogie Woogie,” saying (with a Belgium accent) “We play the painting.”

Shai Maestro Trio was highly recommended to us by a couple that we only see at Jazz Fest each year. The band was at the Rochester Club at 10 but we couldn’t hang in there so we came home and listened to Shai Maestro on YouTube. We should have gone. Tonight we have a legit excuse for missing out on the early end of Jazz Fest. USA/Portugal. I’m keeping track of the Jazz Fest over here.

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