Tokyo Nights
Life In Tokyo - Neil Stalnaker
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Heard The Mingus Band @ the Blue Note Tonight...
Just got back from the Tokyo Blue Note! Heard the Mingus Big band tonight. They are in town all week, finishing with a New Year's Eve performance on December 31. Mannnnn..they were on fire! It was sooo great to hear that fire and passion and spirit in the music. This is really an all-star band. Members include:

Eddie Henderson(tp),
Craig Handy(sax),
Abraham Burton(sax),
Seamus Blake(sax),
Wayne Escoffery(sax),
Ronnie Cuber(sax),
Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin
(tp),
Jack Walrath(tp),
Conrad Herwig(tb),
Ku-umba Frank Lacy(tb),
Earl McIntyre(tb,tu),
David Kikoski(p),
Kenny Davis(b),
Johnathan Blake(ds)

I heard so many great soloists. Everyone sounded terrific. But, Eddie Henderson really stood out in my mind. I could always hear the "blues" in his phrasing. Yes, he can play as many notes as anyone else and put them in the correct place but, he has that "thang" in his playing. Of course, the band had to do an encore and to my surprise, Tommy Campbell was in the "house" and went up and played his ass off on the encore. It was really a great night. It was so important for me at this time to hear "that sound" from back in the "states". There's just nothing like it.