OPEN LETTER TO ETHAN IVERSON ONE OF MY FAVS ALTHOUGH I SOMETIMES DIRVE HIM NUTS, RIGHT? DIRVE OR DRIVEL EITHER OR ETHER ORE

I am a former journalist turned concert promoter and record producer so it is always a thrill when someone I know or like is written up in The New York Times, still the paper of record.

It’s especially propitious if there is something good in there day of show — I produced 60 shows last year. I buy the NYT at Mac’s Smoke shop maybe 250 times per year, (plus I get it online).

I’d say that only a handful of times there is something great in the paper and I put it out at the box office table or show it to the artist, to get them especially psyched. 

I also remember very well that the day the papers said Obama was elected POTUS The Times also featured Mary Halvorson a guitarist I saw with John Tchicai in Philadelphia Ars Nova Mark Christman a couple years prior (and who else but Plastic Alto strings a meme: Obama-Mary-Halvorson-Mark Christman-Ars-Nova?)

So it was a mixed blessing to know of a positive new Ethan Iverson review in The Times but to read about it in his substack which is like a blog, and not see it organically in the paper itself first. Of his new Blue Note release “Technically Acceptable”.

And today for further reference or digression of more about ME ME ME and my memes and less about Ethan I bought four papers: NYT, WSJ, The Merc and The Chron. I never read more than five percent of what I buy.

I first heard about Ethan from June Omura, a dancer from Mark Morris Dance. I am not sure if I knew much about Mark Morris before I met Dr. Ellen Omura standing in line to meet Yo Yo Ma at a big box in SF. In 2000, or twenty four years ago.

Ethan was a co-founder of The Bad Plus. And was on the cover of Downbeat. More than once.

I have said, and it bears repeating, Ethan Iverson could win a MacFound Genius Grant just for his writing.

So I am thrilled to have onsale Ethan Iverson solo April 1, 2024 no fooling at Earthwise at The Mitch in Palo Alto, California with Marta Sanchez solo as the opening act or co-bill. Ethan as a trio is playing multiple shows at Joe Henderson Room (the Joe? The Hen?) SF Jazz end of March. Not the ides of March but the EIdes of March, perhaps. 

I admit I have barely metaphorically speaking scratched the surface of Ethan’s new Blue Note cd and I did not notice there was a piano sonata* on it. I don’t think I know what a piano sonata is beyond a song cycle. Or extended composition. By the way, I am trying to produce 8 or EIght days and nights of piano shows, mostly solo, at The Mitch and make less cruel thereby April. Hurry up keys, its time. Maybe that’s what I will call the series HURRY UP KEYS ITS TIME.

Duffy and daddy discovering together the new Ethan Iverson sonata which Seth Colter Walls says is high spirited and sturdy. *as above: despite the fact that it is nearly 16 minutes in duration and literally title “Piano Sonata: Allegro Moderato; Piano Sonata: Andante; Piano Sonata: Rondo: if you are reading here you may notice I sometimes say “And1” to introduce a footnote which is more Elgin Baylor than Errol Garner, peel me?