oldtimer Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I went to hear the Chick Corea Trio at the Berklee Performance Theater in Boston last Friday. The trio consists of Corea, Eddie Gomez, and Airto Moreira. They performed a single set lasting about an hour and a half to two hours. The concert was a mix of Return to Forever material revisited, mostly from the first two lps, and other material including a two song Bill Evans segment featuring Gomez, as well as a Richard Rogers homage. Airto also showcased some of his talent and of course all his toys (percussion exotica), almost stealing the show with his playful personality and grace on the stage. A two song encore included the T Monk tune Sweet and Lovely. Most of the concert was straight forward, although there was one cacophonous stretch which threatened to lose the audience until relief came with a segue into familiar ground. Overall the audience was mostly reserved and knowledgeable, and appreciative of their local boy (Corea grew up in Chelsea). The show was dedicated at the beginning to his family. The acoustics from my balcony near the side wall seat were maybe B-plus good. My largest complaint would be that the bass was often difficult to hear clearly, while at other times sounded crystal clear. Corea at the beginning of the show gestured to someone off stage to crank up Gomez bass more than once, so he must have felt the same way. Some of the problem must have been the acoustics of the narrow bandbox, as well as Gomez rig which he was constantly tweaking. I kept thinking of the power that Stanley Clarke would generate from his acoustic bass, but that is not to put down the quality of Gomez performance. All in all, I would recommend seeing this show if you can, and in as small a place as possible. That is almost always the case though isnt it? It was a very pleasant way to spend an evening, listening to giants in their field making it look easy. There were no intentionally wowing displays of virtuosity designed to blow an audience away by musicians with something to prove, just pure competence at a level most will never achieve. $40 well spent on music, combined with time well spent with great friends made for a beautiful weekend in Boston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Nice review, glad you enjoyed the show. Might I ask, I see you list Texas as home, wondering how you ended up in Boston, visiting, student, or living there? I've been in upstate N.Y. for 40+ years, it's my home, and where I raised my family, but Boston is where I was born. Berklee School of Music is quite a place, been around a long time. Don't get back to Boston much, a Red Sox game every couple of years, that's about it. Just curious how a Texan ends up in Beantown, and if you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 I love Boston! It is the only east coast city I would consider living in. My best friend ended up there so I visit when I can. It is a great city, easy to get around, the revolutionary history is right there in your face, plus it is an awesome beer town. He used to live on the edge of Jamaica Plain right near the pond, and now he and his wife have a tidy condo in Cambridge right near the river. The concert was a great excuse to enjoy a weekend with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 That's great, I was just curious, alot of talent has passed through Berklee. If you guys like Base-Ball you should try a game at Fenway Park, great place to watch a game, so close to the players, fun day. Cambridge, can be a crazy place, and your right about history, it's everywhere. Glad you enjoyed yourself. Sorry this had nothing to do with your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 No problem. I have been to one game at Fenway, with great seats close behind first base. That was a real highlight for me concerning the Major Leagues. I was living in Seattle for the Pilots games, and then grew up in Arlington watching the Rangers after they moved from DC. The new park in Arlington is really a nice place to see a game, but Fenway has to be the best, maybe followed by Wrigley. Sorry NY'ers, you can have your so-called stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 Another Boston boy here, and a major Red-Sox fan, but I gotta' disagree about Fenway. Tickets costs double the (at least) the face value to get them, the seats are made for people that are miniature (and I'm not that big a guy.. but c'mon, they suck).. and it cost me $26 for a hot-dog, and cheeseburge, small order of fries and two cokes.. they were all cold and the cheeseburger and hotdog were less than dog-food. Love the Sox, BUT, I can stay at home, see better than real baseball on my HT in Comcast hi-def TV, watch the replays, not have to pay $30 for parking, get beer spilled all over me by a bunch of Boston drunks, and actually sit in a comfortable seat... ...yeah, I know.. "it's the atmosphere"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 Another Boston boy here, and a major Red-Sox fan, but I gotta' disagree about Fenway. Tickets costs double the (at least) the face value to get them, the seats are made for people that are miniature (and I'm not that big a guy.. but c'mon, they suck).. and it cost me $26 for a hot-dog, and cheeseburge, small order of fries and two cokes.. they were all cold and the cheeseburger and hotdog were less than dog-food. Love the Sox, BUT, I can stay at home, see better than real baseball on my HT in Comcast hi-def TV, watch the replays, not have to pay $30 for parking, get beer spilled all over me by a bunch of Boston drunks, and actually sit in a comfortable seat... ...yeah, I know.. "it's the atmosphere"... Yeah but, Steve if you have never been to Fenway a person should see atleast one game there. Hey, try being a Red Sox fan up here in Yankee country, it's tough, and it's fun. I can die happy, we won one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 >>> if you have never been to Fenway a person should see atleast one game there <<< I guess... for historical reasons. Have you seen it since the added the roof-top bar in right field? ...the Green Monster seats and huge Coke Bottles in left field? The new luxury boxes behnd home plate? Blasphemy. They should be ashamed of themselves. They wanted to kick the sausage vendors out of the street on Landsdown so they could get the sausage sales inside the park. Scr*w the working man.. it's all about the Benjamin's with these new guys. Give me the old regime any day to this new cast of characters, at least they pretended to care about something other than profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 14, 2006 Author Share Posted May 14, 2006 I was fortunate enough to see a game there before the modifications. It was a great experience. The Ballpark in Arlington was better before they screwed around with a few things, too, and now has the indignity of being called Ameriquest Field, despite assurances to the taxpayers made to the contrary. At least Fenway is still just Fenway (I hope?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 Unlike the Boston Garden, turned Fleet Center, now TD Banknorth Garden, or the Foxboro Stadium, turned CGMI stadium, now called Gilette Stadium, Fenway will ALWAYS be Fenway. If it isn't, expect another revolution. In the mean time I do get over to the Berklee concerts on ocassion. It's somewhat strange that one of America's finest music schools doesn't seem to be able to get the sound perfect in that long skinny concert hall that is obviously built for good acoustics. I've seen multiple concerts there where the house just couldn't get the sound right. On the other hand I saw a couple that were very good. Branford Marsalis comes to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 No matter what you think of the new owners, or the old FENWAY, the new guys got us a WORLD SERIES win, Gilette Stadium, saw the STONES there when they opened the place, nice stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 >>> the new guys got us a WORLD SERIES win, Gilette Stadium, saw the STONES there when they opened the place, nice stadium. <<< Yeah, and Fenway also had the Stones and Bruce Springsteen last year. I love them both and I love the Red-Sox. I'm just a tad disappointed with the priorities of the management. Did you know, for instance, that they have licensed ALL of the games exclusively to cable TV? If the average working Joe, or retired old timer that can't afford cable television (read = anyone on a fixed income) can't watch ANY Red-Sox games in TV. Nope.. wanna watch the Sox? Then you need to shell out $39.95 a month for cable, or go back to 1949 and listen to them on the AM radio. I guess that's just life in this day and age. I'm finding I don't go to the big events anymore.. between the costs to score tickets and the lack of quality in the sound and accoustics it doesn't seem worth the effort. I've been going to the smaller venues and listening to the less famous acts, or world class acts like Chick Corea that don't draw 35 thousand fans but still put on a fabulous performance and you can actually see them in the hall without the use of binoculars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Boy poor old Chick, we've taken over the thread, Go Sox. It's a different world today, I remember seeing Ted,and Yaz, and Pudge, today you have maybe Popi, it's not the same, but what is? Cable to me hurt the fans with their package deals, we have the YES network up here for the Yankee's, but the Yanks are on different stations, so fans can usually watch a game free. We need to confess that sports are BIG BUSINESS, no more no less. Don't laugh at this, we I was 12 or 13 years old, I could go to a Red Sox game, have snacks, and bus fair for $5.00.......Try that today, bus fair is probably that much. It's hard for a family to go to a game, a family of 4, seats, dogs, drinks, about $250. but they keep selling seats. You mention AM radio, many a night I would lay in bed with a radio on under my pillow, listening to Curt Gowdy, rest his soul, paint a picture of a ball game. What a Master he was, I didn't need a tv, Curt was one of the all-time great announcers, Period. There are not that many good radio announcers left today, and that's a shame, kids today will never get to HEAR what a game sounds like, they have to watch it. Maybe life today needs to slow down alittle, and return to forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 15, 2006 Author Share Posted May 15, 2006 Gowdy was great to listen to. For radio sports, the Dallas Stars team of Rayzor and Strangis are really good, they do radio and the same broadcast is for television, the best of both worlds. I remember listening to some old guy in the sixties on radio calling the Tacoma Cubs games after bedtime. He was great, but now I can't remember his name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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