30 Notes
November 1, 2023 Fittingly, I think, the events of our 30th Anniversary Celebration kicked off with one of our mainstays, the Alan Wyatt Quartet. I’ve called our Lounge “The Vanguard on Dodds Avenue” the first Wednesday of each month when Alan’s quartet performs, because no group gives me the vibe of that NYC jazz mecca more consistently than the AWQ. That core quartet—Alan on saxes, guitarist Shawn Perkinson, bassist David Schwab and drummer Stephen Humphries—started the evening with characteristically excellent quartet playing. Without going into great detail, they were joined at various points in the evening by Nashville-based percussionist extraordinaire Ed Freytag, saxophonist Shaun Sneed, acoustic guitarist Alan Shikoh, and a wonderful horn section from Lee University. Plus a vibraphonist and trianglist whose names I apologize for not having at hand. The theater was packed, and it was clear that all in attendance dug it and realized this was one very special evening. What a start! Bruce
November 8, 2023 One week down! Week 2 kicked off with a solo guitar performance by Alan Shikoh. It was a particular pleasure having Alan participate in the Celebration because we have seen him “grow up” musically at Barking Legs. He began attending shows as a teenager attending McCallie School. He particularly loved guitarist Preston Reed. His classical technique has found a unique niche in the interpretation of jazz standards. For this performance he played through a recently recorded album of jazz material (Haunted Heart), rounding out the evening with works often commissioned for area churches. His playing was technically phenomenal, he swung (though he doesn’t improvise in these pieces!) and the emotion was rich. I strongly urge you to check out Haunted Heart. Bruce
November 11, 2023 We HAD to have Bob Stagner and the Shaking Ray Levi Society be part of this celebration! The Levis opened our eyes to the possibilities that existed in Chattanooga, and so many great events have been done together during these 30 years. I was so glad that Bob was able to participate, and he put together a stellar evening. Imaginations ran wild during innovative percussion pieces by Bob, Kenito Murray and Jon Brumit, solo and in various combinations. For the evening’s finale, The Heroes Are Horses—with Mr. Stagner on drums—took us through a beautiful set of tunes. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bob! Bruce
November 15, 2023 Our third Wednesday came about as a matter of good timing, namely a rare US tour featuring esteemed British saxophonist Trevor Watts. Trevor is now 84, and he’s the last surviving member of the original Spontaneous Music Ensemble, a landmark improvising group. Trevor veered towards more heavily rhythmic music in the nineties with incorporation of African drumming, and this tour pared things down to sax and drums. The drums were handled masterfully by Jamie Harris. The audience response was ecstatic. Wow! Bruce
November 16, 2023 When the idea of doing an ambitious performance series to recognize our 30 years was proposed, one show was at the top of my wish list. Mandolinist Mike Compton and guitarist David Grier are two of the most honored musicians in acoustic music, and they both played astounding solo shows part of our inaugural season of music under the moniker Flying Fingers Productions with George Bright. Both also performed for us many times in the years since, but only once did they appear as a duo. I was delighted beyond measure when Mike and David agreed to perform together f,or us. The evening exceeded even my very high expectations. The two masters casually pulled off two sets of absolutely exquisite music. Mike indulged my request for his take on “Sitting On Top Of The World”, done much more with the languor and soul of Howlin’ Wolf than the charged up bluegrass style usually heard in bluegrass. In addition to the fantastic music, I took great pleasure in seeing some of the folks who had been to shows at the Legs with David and Mike over the years. This couldn’t have been better. Bruce
