Category: Personal

Tour diary #1

Day one of the tour went well. We left New Orleans about 5 am, and drove to Springfield, IL. The drive was as fun as a 13 hour drive can be. We had a good gig in Springfield, sharing the show with the End Times Trio. I’d like to thank Frank, Mark, Richard, and Crissie for having us on their series, and sharing some musical camaraderie. We’d also like to thank Crissie for putting us up for the night. It was a great hang.

We drove to Chicago this morning and picked Ray up at the airport. The next stop was Johnnie’s for a great Italian beef, and now we are at our luxurious low budget suburban motel digs, looking forward to a great show at the Hungry Brain tonight.

For more tour minutiae check out www.twitter.com/jeffalbert

Finally final tour info

A few things have changed since I last posted our tour schedule, so I’ll post the finally final version now. Since it starts tomorrow, I don’t anticipate any more changes.

Upcoming Shows:

Jun 13, 2009 – Springfield, IL (US) @ The Plaza On Adams – Jeff Albert Trio featuring Dave Cappello and Tommy Sciple w/ End Times Trio

Jun 14, 2009 – Chicago, IL (US) @ The Hungry Brain – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ The Engines & ad hoc improv mixes

Jun 15, 2009 – Chicago, IL (US) @ The Skylark – Jeff Albert Quartet

Jun 16, 2009 – Cincinnati, OH (US) @ Baba Budan’s – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ Is What?!

Jun 17, 2009 – Brooklyn, NY (US) @ Douglass St Music Collective – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ Kobrinksy-Sinton Duo

Jun 18, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA (US) @ Chris’s Jazz Cafe – Jeff Albert Quartet

Jun 19, 2009 – Middletown, CT (US) @ Fishbone Cafe – Jeff Albert Quartet

Jun 20, 2009 – Richmond, VA (US) @ Bogarts – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ No BS! Brass, Verbatim & R2Dtoo!

Full details on each show available here.

We’d love to see you, so please join us if you can.

Centerstage Chicago shows us some love

The upcoming Jeff Albert Quartet show with The Engines at The Hungry Brain got some nice preview love from Centerstage Chicago. Read (and click) on…

Sunday June 14, 2009 Event of Centerstage Chicago – Chicago City Life in Chicago, Illinois:

“Bringing improvisation to the traditional sounds of his native city, New Orleans trombonist/composer Jeff Albert combines bits of swing, groove and funk with the clashing rhythms and melodies that define much of the Chicago improv-jazz sound. Albert’s quartet stays musically modest via its arrangement of saxophone, bass and drums, which leads to moments of accessibility and beauty on the group’s new album, Similar in the Opposite Way. Albert also is a member of cross-country collaboration The Lucky 7s, which features a horn-heavy frontline and fellow trombonist Jeb Bishop, a key cog of the night’s second band, The Engines. A sonically diverse mix of nimble runs and subdued tones, The Engines has a new album, Wire and Brass, out on Okkadisk this month. (Scott Morrow)”

cool hangs and digital delivery dissapointments

Last night was a good night for out of town musicians making the hang at the Open Ears Series. Izaak Mills, from the band Reptet, is hanging in town, and we had a nice balcony hang at the Blue Nile. Hopefully we can get them on the series sometime. Chicago bassist Josh Abrams was also in town, playing with Bonnie Prince Billy, and he made the hang too. By the time he got there the music was over, but there was some hanging left. It was great to see Josh, and meet Izaak. The musician community can be so warm and beautiful at times.

If you have read this blog for long, you have probably realized that I am a big eMusic fan, or at least that’s what some people tell me. When I heard that eMusic was adding some major label back catalog, I thought it was interesting. Today when I realized that I would be forced to a new plan at an over 100% price increase, it was much less cool. Now I am on a plan that has been grandfathered in. I have had this plan for three years, and I understand that prices rise, but not 100% at a time. If they said they had to change my plan, and I would only get 60 downloads a month instead of 65, for the same money, I might be ok with that. If they said that I would still get 65 downloads a month, but it would be $160 a year now in stead of the roughly $145 a year it has been, that might be ok. What they told me was that my plan would be changed to $129.99 a year, and I’d get 24 downloads a month. “You’ll only have to pay 90% of what you were paying to get 37% as much music.” ¿que? Is some old Sony catalog worth that?

I have loved eMusic as a place to explore. I have heard lots of music that I likely wouldn’t have gambled $10 on, but would gladly give up 8 or 9 prepaid downloads to be able to check it out. This price change is a bit too much of a shock for me. I think I will let my subscription lapse. It’s a shame.

New piece for woodwind trio and fixed media

Last night was the first rehearsal for a new piece I’ve put together called Reconciliation. It is for flute, clarinet, bassoon, and fixed media. The rehearsal went fairly well.

It will be performed Friday May 29, 2009 on a concert by the New Orleans New Music Ensemble (NONME) at 8:00 PM at The Big Top Gallery, 1638 Clio St. in New Orleans. The concert will also feature new works by Alex Burtzos, Ryan Oliver, BJ Blue, Jason Burge, and Jonathan Freilich.

more social media stuff

Today someone described Facebook to me as “another free advertising venue.” Lately I have had lots of people trying to advertise to me on Facebook, or more accurately use my Facebook profile as a place to advertise for them. Am I wrong to be a bit put off by this? Why should I “be a fan” of a music store I have never bought anything from, or a flower shop that I have no knowledge of other than the fact that the owner friended me, and now won’t quit sending me “blah blah suggested you become a fan of…” messages. WTF?

I don’t want to follow people on Twitter that only tweet ads for their ventures. I would MUCH rather know what some random drummer in Richmond had for lunch (hummus sandwich that sounded pretty good) than know for 18th time this week that so and so has a new book out. Now, I don’t mind when people that also offer other interesting things also tweet about their ventures. I’m totally cool with that. I like Facebook and Twitter as ways of keeping in touch with old friends and making new friends, and getting to better know folks I have met on the internet. I like them as ways to develop some rapport with fans and colleagues and potential fans and colleagues. I really don’t like being seen as a link in someone’s free advertising network. Is that so wrong?

June Tour

I have finalized tour info for the Jeff Albert Quartet June 2009 US Tour.

Jun 13, 2009 – Springfield, IL (US) @ Charles and Limey’s Lounge – Jeff Albert Trio featuring Dave Cappello and Tommy Sciple w/ End Times Trio

Jun 14, 2009 – Chicago, IL (US) @ The Hungry Brain – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ The Engines & ad hoc improv mixes

Jun 15, 2009 – Chicago, IL (US) @ The Skylark – Jeff Albert Quartet

Jun 17, 2009 – Brooklyn, NY (US) @ Douglass St Music Collective – Jeff Albert Quartet w/ Kobrinksy-Sinton Duo

Jun 18, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA (US) @ Chris’s Jazz Cafe – Jeff Albert Quartet

Jun 19, 2009 – Middletown, CT (US) @ Fishbone Cafe – Jeff Albert Quartet

June 20, 2009 – Richmond, VA (US) @ The Camel – Jeff Albert Quartet w/No BS Brass

Full details here.

I’d like to thank the musicians in these cities that helped set up some of these dates, and who will be sharing some of the concerts: Frank Trompeter, Josh Berman, Frank Rosaly, Josh Sinton, Jacob Garchik, Joe Fonda, Dan Godston, Brian Jones, and Reggie Pace. It is amazing what the internet and a community of interested musicians can do.