RIP Misha Mengelberg

[Dan Warburton]

Aiee, I've just found one that one my all time heroes died a couple of weeks ago, after a long battle with dementia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misha_Mengelberg
I absolutely adored Misha, and had the great pleasure of interviewing him in Amsterdam back in 1996: http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magaz ... lberg.html He was, along with Don Pullen, the pianist who personally influenced me the most - I shall play his legendary recording with his pet parrot Eeko right away.

[Steve Minkin]

Thanks for the music!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCFr588NYjI

[Dan Warburton]

That was a great band - saw them in concert back in the early 90s.. Bennink came onstage before the rest of the band and moved two very large decorative rubber plants that were in the wings right next to his kit. They were duly thwacked to bits during the concert (not very écolo but WTF!).. What was curious was that he and Misha took turns to leave the stage during the set - I found out later they'd started a game of chess before the gig and hadn't finished it, so they continued it during the concert That was also the time when Misha's piano stool collapsed under him (I stole the broken leg as a trophy after the gig, and still have it) and he fell chinfirst onto the keyboard, causing him not inconsiderable pain. Great memories

[J.F.]

Mengelberg had a big part in my musical socialization. In particular those early ICPs still are sonic and... how can I say... cognitive? mental? intellectual? spiritual? treasure troves for me.