The Friday segment of new atlantis went very well. Consistent with its name, the Fridge proved to be a very comfortable venue with excellent climate control. I saw four of the five acts. Of the four I saw, three were excellent, with the highlight being the trio of Weasel Walter + Darius Jones + Tom Blancarte. They played what may have been the best live set of jazz I’ve ever heard. It was an aggressive but orderly set, consistently surprising. The drummer (Weasel Walter) played, sneered and gesticulated like a heavy metal drummer. He even had a heavy metal shirt on.

The venue was full. No empty chairs and some people standing. Maybe 100 people.

The headliner, Sonny Simmons, was the night’s only disappointment. Simmons’ act made for strange theatre. He clearly did not respect the people he was playing alongside. Simmons took the stage with much swagger but exhibited little endurance. He would sit in a chair to the side of the stage, let the drummer and bassist play, then he would stand up, and make a wild arm gesture to them like “ok you’re done now”, and he would play something brief and then sit down again at the side of the stage. He spoke after the couple of brief pieces they played, complaining that old age was the reason for his lack of endurance. It was rumored, however, that lifestyle issues and a basic lack of desire were the real reasons. His mates on stage, who were strangers to him, were visibly and justifiably displeased by Simmons’ uncooperativeness. At one point Simmons addressed the crowd sarcastically, complaining about the inadequacy of the applause. There were a few moments when Simmons played beautifully, and his immense talent was apparent, but he would shut it down as soon as it got good. Generally, he came across as an egotist with lifestyle problems.

Simmons was to be the headliner but got bumped to the 4th slot, presumably by his request. The 5th and final act featured 6 musicians, including Steve Swell on trombone. They played a dense, aggressive set and sounded very good.

The 2nd act of the night was Ras Moshe Trio. I caught the 2nd half of their set and was very much into it.

I’m looking forward to going back to the Fridge this afternoon. Tonight’s headliner, Charles Gayle, is a no-show. I have heard that the sweet spot of today’s 12-hour show is mid-afternoon, maybe around 2:00 onward.