Tonight was a great show at the Hot House in Chicago. Downbeat critics poll winning percussionist Kahil El'Zabar brought in Hamiet Bluiett and Billy Bang for two sets. I don't know what to say about the music itself, except it was wonderful. El'Zabar was generally the highlight, with his insistent rhythms prodding the soloists up until his drum work exploded pushing the soloists to unimagined heights. They played compositions by everyone, but "Katon," written by El'Zabar for his son, stands out for it's uniqueness as a ballad in a night of burners. Bluiett played baritone the whole night getting down and funky at times, while at others you'd swear he was doing a Roland Kirk and was playing a soprano out of the other side of his mouth. He had some small problems with jumps in pitch early in the first set, but by the time he played an unaccompanied improvisation in the second set he was making that horn sing like few others could dream of, jumping from a growl to a squeal in the same breath, and making it look effortless. Bang's violin work was highly energetic, playing smoothly through extreme tempo changes in his own composition "At Play in the Fields of the Lord," and later getting into some smoking exchanges with El'Zabar. El'Zabar showed true versatility, from melodic work on the kalimba, to a funky backbeat at the drum kit("Silent Observation"), to interweaved polyrhythms on a set of hand drums(like congas, but different, and African looking in origin) on his composition "Space of No Pain". The best thing about the whole night was knowing that they have recorded a CD of this personnel and material that will be released in February of 2000 on a label I don't recall.

I never made it to the old HotHouse, but the "new"(about a year old) location(31 E. Balbo, Chicago) is very roomie and laid back. Raised booths line the outer walls, with tables around the inner area towards the stage. From an early look around, the place seat about 125, which was packed tonight. Interestingly, the musicians roamed the crowd and talked with the patrons between sets, instead of retreating to the dressing room like so many musicians tend to do. A refreshing atmosphere, and an energizing concert.