Your last concert was to see who and when?

n80,
I stay away from the big bands at big venues, because they are the most expensive. I seek out interesting bands at medium to small venues. Sound and sight is much better anyway. And yes, ear plugs are a wise idea as we get older.

Charles McPherson, Jeff Clayton, Christopher Hollyday
Aug. 9, 2018

Just saw Yuko Mabuchi (again!), this time at the Vibrato Grill in Bel Air, California. With Yuko were her trio mates, Del Atkins (bass) and Bobby Breton (drums), as well as guest Robert Kyle (saxes and flute).

They put together a polished, elegant set with controlled intensity and artful nuance. This playlist included jazz interpretations of three Antonio Carlos Jobim works and Yuko’s own Waves, all rendered beautifully.

Yuko pounded the ivories with energy, skill, and creativity. A prodigy indeed. As before, Robert Kyle was a great complement to the trio. And the Vibrato was a lovely venue for the evening.

I recently saw the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra play at the Rawlinson Road Middle School Auditorium.

As pedestrian as that sounds it was remarkable in a number of ways:

1) It was the inaugural concert of our new local symphony which was created when many smaller orchestras are going under. And this in a small but rapidly growing, former mill city in South Carolina. It was sold out as is the rest of the 3 concert season. Expenses have been met by ticket sales and local benefactors.

2) The newly built Rawlinson Road Middle School auditorium has amazing acoustics!

3) The performance was really quite good. Which is not surprising since regional musicians are looking for work. We drew from the Charlotte and Atlanta region. There were no try-outs. The conductor (from New York) was able to hand pick.

4) My sister-in-law is on the board and my wife is on the advisory committee. This was truly a grass roots effort.

5) It now has the mayor and other large benefactors realizing that their tenuous plans to build a performing arts center is now not only do-able, but critical.

Anyway, live, high quality classical performances by excellent musician in Rock Hill, SC. Who would have ever believed it?