AusJazz (Roger Mitchell) does a double take on the Mothership.

Journo and well-informed jazz fan Roger Mitchell wrote quite a few words about the Mothership concerts on friday and saturday at the Wangaratta Festival with Charles Tolliver. A useful companion to John Shand’s account of the Basement concert few nights earlier. Sure, the venue and audience are considerably different. I love Mitchell’s conciliatory words, “it’s not all about blasting away, though that sometimes happens.”
Regarding Tolliver as a bandleader, after reading these reviews I sense now that I’m no longer certain how deep Charles’ influence ran into our performance of his music, perhaps deeper and more subtle than I realised. Although, without discounting Charles Tolliver’s formidable experience, I have to say I always dread and resent the words “everybody gets a solo” when a big band is involved, no matter who’s on stage.