Goldstar Member Tips

• Genevieve Lim on Where to Park
  Easy in the lot or nearby streets
• Genevieve Lim on What to Wear
  Casual, as you are
• Goldstar Member on Where to Eat
  Get something to eat before the show and they give first dibs on seats.

5 Goldstar Member Reviews

Goldstar Member

Absolutely fantastic show! We enjoyed every minute of it, although I agree with the other reviewers who criticized the sound. (I also thought the lows were muddy, and it was too loud.)

I don't know if the poor sound is the fault of the sound engineer, or the equipment, or a combination of both, but I go to Yoshi's frequently, both in SF and Oakland, and am almost always thrilled by the groups, but disappointed by the sound quality.

Written on Feb 06 2010

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Hadley Louden

Unbelievably great band! With Billy Harper, Bennie Maupin, and Eddie Henderson on horns and Geri Allen, Dwayne Burno and Billy Hart in the rhythm section it was heaven on Earth! Arrangements by second trumpet David Weiss were also stellar and superbly interpreted by these monsters.

Heartwarming memories of Lee Morgan and the transition from Maupin to Harper therein were wonderful to hear. History was unfolded before us.

Why is the sound at Yoshis always below the caliber of the performers? The EQ on the piano, like usual, was tinny and artificial sounding. Are they simply using the wrong mics or destroying the natural sound by adding compression? With that gorgeous concert Steinway Grand and no less than Geri Allen playing it, it was frustrating. Nonetheless, the horn blend on the front line was superb, albeit no doubt due to the keen sensitivity of the players.

Written on Feb 05 2010

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Goldstar Member

Great show.

Written on Feb 05 2010

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Genevieve Lim

I would have to say this is was the best evening at Yoshi's I've had this and last year! You can't find hotter players than this.They swung like crazy. Not only do they have the chops, they have that hard bop drive and playing in the trenches till 4 a.m. life experience that characterized the Lee Morgan days. The fans in the house had ears and this all-star band deserved the ovation they got on a stormy Thursday.

Written on Feb 05 2010

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More Information About Charisma: The Music of Lee Morgan

Website

http://www.yoshis.com/oakland/jazzclub/artist/show/1093

Description

About the musicians
Billy Harper - Tenor Sax
Bennie Maupin - Tenor, Soprano Sax and Bass Clarinet
Eddie Henderson - Trumpet
David Weiss - Trumpet
Geri Allen - Piano
Dwayne Burno - Bass
Billy Hart - Drums

About Lee Morgan
A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bop's greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the '60s. An all-around master of his instrument modeled after Clifford Brown, Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads and also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects. As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense. Morgan got his start with the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band but rose to prominence with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. In 1964, he recorded The Sidewinder for Blue Note Records. The Morgan-composed title track was a funky, danceable groover that drew from soul-jazz, Latin boogaloo, blues, and R&B in addition to Morgan's trademark hard bop. It was unlike anything else he'd recorded before and became an unlikely hit for the label. It inched onto the lower reaches of the pop charts, and was licensed for use in a high-profile automobile ad campaign. Its success helped push The Sidewinder into the Top 25 of the pop LP charts, and the Top Ten on the R&B listing. Sales were brisk enough to revive the financially struggling Blue Note label, and likely kept it from bankruptcy; it also led to numerous 'Sidewinder'-style grooves popping up on other Blue Note artists' albums. Morgan was asked to write more tunes in the style of The Sidewinder in hopes of a follow-up hit and Morgan obliged but Morgan also formed a working band that was increasingly moving into more modal and free-form music, stretching the boundaries of hard bop. His funkier instincts were still evident as well, shifting gradually from boogaloo to early electrified. This sound is reflected on his last two albums, Live At The Lighthouse and what has become known as the Last Session which featured a tight, energetic, boundary stretching working band with bold new compositions from most of it's members. Unfortunately the development of this group was cut short by Morgan's tragic death in 1972. He was just 33 years old.

About the Ticket Supplier: Yoshi's Oakland

Yoshi's began in 1973 as a small, North Berkeley sushi bar owned by a trio of struggling students with plenty of dreams. Its founder and namesake, Yoshie Akiba, orphaned during World War II, came to the U.S. to study fine arts, dance and dance therapy. She opened Yoshi's Japanese Restaurant with her two best friends Kaz Kajimura, a journalist and carpenter, and Hiroyuki Hori, a painter and Japanese cook. The original North-Berkeley, 25-seat restaurant quickly became successful and by 1977 the three partners moved to a larger space on Claremont Avenue in Oakland and began introducing live music in their restaurant. Over the next 20 years, Yoshi's built itself into one of the world's most respected jazz venues and won a reputation as the Bay Area's premier location for people who were looking for great food and the best jazz. Yoshi's has hosted legendary jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Harry Connick Jr. and Oscar Peterson among hundreds of others.

In 1997, Yoshi's was invited by the Port of Oakland to relocate to Jack London Square as part of a plan to revitalize the area. Together with Morimoto Architects, Yoshi's built an award-winning 330-seat jazz club with a state-of-the-art sound system and design. Occupying 17,000 square feet in the heart of Jack London Square, the club is in it's tenth year in that location which has become one of the East Bay's greatest destinations. The restaurant and lounge have a combined capacity of 220. In 1998 Peter Williams was hired as the club's artistic director. Under his leadership, the club has continued to present the finest in jazz music, as well as world music, blues, neo-soul, latin jazz and afro-cuban music. In fall of 2006, Kajimura decided that it was time to elevate the menu to the quality of the jazz by recruiting Executive Chef Shotaro 'Sho' Kamio, one of the Bay Area's top chefs to make the change. Chef Kamio (formerly of Ozumo) brought a whole new generation of modern Japanese cuisine to Yoshi's, which instantly put it on the map as a destination to dine in addition to the best place to hear great live music.