Nice Photo from China House

This popped up on Facebook from our February 24 gig (seems like distant history now, all the more reason to record it). It is always nice to see things from another perspective. We do seem to be concentrating.

Adrian Jones, bass; Jackie Ashkin, alto sax; C.Y. Chee, guitar; Ron Ashkin, tenor sax.

Drummer James Peterson is hidden. Featuring the famous Keluar sign.

Audio Files, China House on February 24

The audio from our China House gig on Friday, February 24, 2012, is available for download in 320k mp3 format at First Set and Second Set. The zip files decompress as individual tracks.

As a taste, here is our rendition of Eddie Harris' Cold Duck Time.

These are audience recordings on a Zoom H2. Plenty of noise from the bar!

First Set

1. Killer Joe and band intro
2. Equinox
3. Doxy
4. Bemsha Swing
5. Blue Monk
6. Lady's Blues
7. Cold Duck Time

Second Set 

1. Chitlins con Carne
2. Folsom Prison Blues (Jackie vocal)
3. Night Train
4. Blue Bird
5. Tequila
6. Over the Rainbow
7. Listen Here

The Chicago Jazz Quartet +1 Live at China House. Ron Ashkin, tenor sax; Jackie Ashkin, alto sax and vocals; Adrian Jones, bass; C.Y. Chee, guitar; James Peterson, drums. Recorded at China House, Georgetown heritage district, Penang, Malaysia, on February 24, 2012.

Performance Videos from China House, February 24, 2012

Here are some YouTube videos from last Friday night's gig at the Canteen at China House in Georgetown. First, Night Train, the Happy Go Lucky Local variant that was first a hit for Jimmy Forrest in 1951 and then famously covered by James Brown on Live at the Apollo in 1962:

Next, Kenny Burrell's Chitlins con Carne from his Midnight Blue album (1963) which originally had Stanley Turrentine on tenor:

The third video is Charlie Parker's Blue Bird, which was covered by Charles Mingus and his Jazz Workshop in the 1960's. Click on the link to go straight to YouTube.

The band was Jackie on alto and me on tenor, with Adrian Jones on bass and James Peterson on drums. C.Y. Chee on guitar completed the rhythm section and did a fine job. We plan to rehearse together in this format for future gigs. I will post the audio files soon.

Photos From Last Night's Gig

Here are some photos from last night's gig at China House. Another full house, good crowd. I am working on mastering the sound recordings and will post some videos to YouTube over the coming days. Currently hindered by the fact that the internet service in our neighborhood has been out for five days now.

Jackie backed by Adrian and Chee

Jackie, Adrian, and Ron

Ron and Chee

Gig Flyers

Video Trailer - Upcoming Gig at China House

Here is a 30-second video trailer for our upcoming gig this Friday night, February 24, at the Canteen at China House:

Jackie and I will be playing with the excellent guitarist C.Y. Chee in the rhythm section along with Adrian Jones on bass and James Peterson on drums.

As is our habit to introduce new tunes each time we gig, there will be about 8 selections that we haven't performed previously and we've been working hard to get up to speed. Not so easy when everyone has a day gig and we're spread from the mainland to both sides of this very congested island. Come out to China House on the 24th if you are in Penang. Last time the house was packed and we hope for another full house and responsive audience. Jackie will sing one or two again and we'll be playing tunes by Monk, Trane, Sonny, Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, Rahsaan, Eddie Harris and other greats.

The Canteen at China House is located at 183b Victoria Street in Georgetown's UNESCO Heritage District, Penang, Malaysia. The music starts at 9:45 pm.

By the way - Penang tourism hit the big time and was featured in the New York Times travel section about a week ago - check out the article, which features China House prominently, at http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/travel/36-hours-penang-malaysia.html.

Return Engagement - China House on February 24

We're booked into Georgetown's Canteen at China House on Friday night, February 24. This is a return engagement after our initial gig there on January 13.

(L to R) Ron Ashkin, tenor sax; Jackie Ashkin, alto sax
and vocals; James Peterson, drums; Adrian Jones, bass

I'll be getting the set lists together over the next couple of days; likely to include some Mingus this time so Adrian can be featured. Jackie's vocal last time was a big hit with the crowd and I have asked her to prepare a few more tunes for the 24th. As usual we will introduce some new music at the gig. 

The Canteen at China House is located at 183b Victoria Street in Georgetown's heritage district; you may also enter from the opposite side at 153-155 Beach Street. Armenian is the nearest cross street. Music starts around 9:45pm and China House is set up so you can make an evening of it – have dinner up front at one of the nicest restaurants in Penang and then come back to the Canteen afterwards for live music.

Audio Files, China House on Friday the 13th

The audio from our China House gig on Friday, January 13, 2012, is available for download in 320k mp3 format at First Set and Second Set. The zip files decompress as individual tracks. These are audience recordings on a Zoom H2.

First Set

1. Killer Joe and band intro

2. Beatrice (tribute to the late great Sam Rivers)

3. Equinox

(L to R) Leonard, Jackie, Adrian, Ron, James  

4. Flintstones

5. Hold 'Em Joe

6. Kidney Stew

7. Blue Monk

8. Cold Duck Time

9. Mamacita

10. Someone Like You (Jackie vocal) 

Second Set 

1. Doxy

2. Song for My Father

3. Tequila

4. The Black and Crazy Blues

5. The Happy Blues

6. Listen Here

7. 'Round Midnight *

The Chicago Jazz Quartet +1 Live at China House. Ron Ashkin, tenor sax; Jackie Ashkin, alto sax and vocals; Adrian Jones, bass; Leonard Selva, keyboards; James Peterson, drums. Recorded at China House, historic Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, on January 13, 2012. 

* for some reason, the second set closer, 'Round Midnight, did not get recorded and does not appear on the audio file.

Performance Videos, China House on Friday the 13th

Here are two performance videos from China House in Georgetown on the night of Friday, January 13th, 2012. We billed ourselves as The Chicago Jazz Quartet +1, the +1 being Jackie, and played to a full house. We had rehearsed together only the night before - Adrian Jones on bass, Leonard Selva on keys, and James Peterson on drums formed the nice rhythm section. Two firsts - Jackie's first vocal solo with a live backing band (well, almost, she fronted the Dalat Jazz Band last spring singing A Train), and James' first club gig. China House is a cool place, a unique space for Penang, three shop houses that go long-ways through an entire city block in the historic district, housing restaurants, bars, galleries, and performance spaces.

First, Jackie singing a cover of Adele's Someone Like You:

Next, Trane's Equinox:

There are three more videos from that night up on YouTube: Gene Ammons' Happy Blues with Tonal Alchemy sitting in as the rhythm section, Rahsaan's Black and Crazy Blues, and Beatrice, done as a tribute to the late great Sam Rivers who recently passed. Click here for the link.