The Beantown Jazz Festival went down the drain

Saturday, September 27th, 2008 was scheduled to be the 8th annual "Beantown Jazz Festival." The Berklee College of Music sponsored event included Javon Jackson, Walter Beasley, Kurt Elling, James Carter, and Ralph Peterson, among others. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side. At the last minute, I checked the festival's website to confirm the performance schedule when I saw a banner across the top of the site explaining that all events for Saturday had been canceled. Will next year be billed as the 9th annual Beantown Jazz Festival or will it still be the 8th?

The Dave Holland Sextet, Live at the Regattabar, Boston

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Dave Holland Sextet recently performed for 3 nights at the Regattabar. The first set drew a strong crowd who had come to see the bassist perform music from his new CD, "Pass it On." The group featured alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and drummer Eric Harland. (On the new recording, pianist Mulgrew Miller replaces Steve Nelson).

Opening up the set was the composition, "Eb and Flow," which featured straight-eighth note playing and well executed horn arrangements. This was followed by "Lazy Snake," a slow blues tune in which Alex Sipiagin dazzled the crowed with impressive chops.

Antonio Hart brought the room to elation on Hollands tune, "Rivers Run." This freely inspired composition was dedicated to Sam Rivers, with whom Holland had often played with in the 70's. Drummer Eric Harland took an extended solo as well, which had both audience members as well as band mates cheering.

The Dave Holland Sextet is scheduled to finish the month of September in San Francisco and Oakland before returning to New York's Birdland in October.

Danilo Perez Trio, Live at the Regattabar, Boston

Danilo Perez Trio
Regattabar Jazz Club
The Charles Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts
September 13, 2008

Pianist and composer Danilo Perez has been busy. A brief snapshot of his recent schedule includes last year's Panama Suite, a 15-minute, three-movement composition that was followed up by this year's Across the Crystal Sea (Verve, 2008). As a teacher and director, Perez serves as the Ambassador of Goodwill for Unicef, Cultural Ambassador of his native country of Panama, President and Founder of the Panama Jazz Festival, Artistic Advisor of the Mellon Jazz Up Close series at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and faculty member of the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. Through it all, Perez manages to fill the chair as pianist in the Wayne Shorter quartet and still devote time to his own trio.

Given all of his diverse activities, Perez has developed quite a following in Boston, as was especially evident on this Saturday night as the Danilo Perez trio played to a standing-room-only, sold-out Regattabar. The first set began with Perez's attempt to break the audience-performer barrier by encouraging the room to sing. Not only was he able to transform the atmosphere to that of a meditation session, with everyone humming in unison, but the pianist then proceeded to play an introductory improvisatory piece based on the hummed note. Satisfied with the newly established ambience, Perez then called up band mates Ben Street and Adam Cruz.

Highlights from the set included Stevie Wonder's “Overjoyed,” as well as a tribute to Bud Powell with the legendary pianist's own “Bouncin' with Bud,” during which Adam Cruz had the audience cheering for his drum solo. At key moments during the solo, Perez interjected chords and rhythms that fueled the intensity and ferocity of Cruz's playing.

Bassist Ben Street had no trouble playing the complex harmonies and rhythms of Perez's Panamanian- influenced arrangements. He was no less effective on standards, especially with a solo on “Alone Together” that was both subtle and complex.

The set ended as it began, with Perez bringing everyone back to the meditative state. He then played another solo improvisation—this time based on the familiar melody “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” While it elicited laughter, the effect proved untimely: the audience simply was not ready to call it quits. By creating their own sound, one moreover that draws from the uniqueness of Central America's rich musical legacy, the Danilo Perez Trio demonstrated once again why they are a force to be reckoned with.

Chris Potter Underground, Live at the Regattabar, Boston

Chris Potter Underground
Regattabar
Boston, MA
September 10, 2008

For the past 4 years, Chris Potter has been forging ahead on the music scene with a new vision. Compare his 2004 release on Sunnyside, Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard, with the 2007 Sunnyside release Follow the Red Line. Both were recorded live at the Village Vanguard and clearly show Potter's creative train of thought in action. Among many of the differences is the fact that the Underground group has done away with swing. Instead, tight grooves and heavy back beats abide. This came to mind last night at the Regattabar as the Underground played their first engagement in a series of dates leading toward the release of a new album due in Winter of 2009.

The first set showcased four original compositions along with the Billy Strayhorn standard, “Lotus Blossom.” The originals have yet to be recorded and are new enough to require reading on the part of guitarist Adam Rogers and keyboardist Craig Taborn. Undoubtedly, the musicians rose to the challenge of reading new material. In fact, they seemed to welcome the change and could be witnessed experimenting with new sounds. Drummer Nate Smith's use of a shaker on a tune still without a title was intoxicating. Potter himself was maximizing each solo opportunity, often starting on tenor only to switch to bass clarinet, and then end the song on soprano. The effect was an inviting atmosphere for delving into new material.

As a rhythmic unit, special mention must be made to the trio of Adam Rogers, Craig Taborn, and Nate Smith. The past four years have allowed each player to become accustomed to one another's intuitive sense of interaction. Last night, Potter took full advantage of the powerful unit backing him. A single comping figure was often picked up by all three rhythm instruments and played in unison so that Potter could launch an effective onslaught of notes.

Although the room was far from sold out, the musicians got the crowd moving. Perhaps in this sense there is a similarity to Potters music from 4 years ago—whether swing or hard-hitting grooves, it still makes you want to dance.

Ari Hoenig and Punk Bop, Regattabar Boston

Ari Hoenig and Punk Bop
Regattabar
Boston, Massachusetts
April 8, 2008

On Tuesday, April 8, drummer Ari Hoenig and his Punk Pop trio featuring Gilad Hekselman on guitar and Orlando LeFleming on bass played at Boston's Regattabar. Although he can be heard as a sideman on numerous recordings and performances with artists such as Kenny Werner, Jean-Michel Pilc, Chris Potter and Kurt Rosenwinkel, Hoenig has made a unique niche for himself as a melodic drummer and composer capable of reproducing complex bebop melodies on the drums note for note. Since the release of his self-produced solo drum albums Time Travels (1K, 2003) and The Life Of A Day (Ah Ha, 2003), musicians are beginning to realize the possibilities of creating actual pitches on a standard 4-piece drum kit.

This shift of the drums into the front line was exemplified Tuesday night when the trio performed Bobby Timmons' classic hard bop piece “Moanin.” The crowd became particularly engaged during the out head, when Hoenig took the melody up a half step by bending the drum heads. As if this wasn't enough, he then took it up another half step! Guitarist Gilad Hekselman and bassist Orlando LeFleming smiled and followed by serving the role of the accompanists. No doubt few in the room had previously witnessed such a reversal: guitar and bass accompanying the melody as stated on drums.

The trio worked through a set of originals as well as Hoenig's arrangements of Jerome Kern's “The Way You Look Tonight” and Coltrane's “Moment's Notice.” Although Punk Bop incorporates hard hitting rock beats and phrasing into its selections, the group displayed an impressive range of dynamics and styles. One section might be whispered only to be followed by an aggressive shouting rant. Any given piece led the group through swing, rock, and latin as well as various odd meters. When I expressed my awe at the group's ability to move effortlessly between such dynamic extremes, Hekselman informed me that such flexibility is something that Hoenig insists on.

For Hoenig, sheer musicality is not limited to playing alone but extends through his compositional, supportive and leadership abilities as well. When you add up these elements—drums as the front line instrument, a wide dynamic range, the incorporation of unique musical styles, odd meters, and the superimposition of new beats on top of one another to create entirely new meters—you are left with one of the most original sounds in jazz today.

Taylor Eigsti Quartet, Scullers Boston

Taylor Eigsti Quartet
Scullers
Boston, Massachusetts
May 14, 2008

From recent recordings with John Scofield, Joshua Redman, Peter Bernstein, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, James Genus, Billy Kilson, the Brubeck Brothers, and the Czech National Orchestra, 23-year-old Taylor Eigsti has already established himself as a brilliant composer and jazz pianist. At such a young age, his unusual level of maturity has helped him earn the respect of major players as well as labels, as evidenced on his recent Concord CD, Let It Come To You (2008). On May 14 Boston was fortunate to be part of the current album's U.S. release tour, as the quartet brought an enthusiastic audience to its feet at Scullers Jazz Club.

The show featured Eigsti and included three musicians from the new record: Reuben Rogers on bass, Eric Harland on drums, and 20-year-old guitarist Julian Lage, who has recently received international recognition touring with vibraphonist Gary Burton and appears on both of Eigisti's Concord releases.

The quartet performed six tunes from Let It Come To You, including complex arrangements of Cole Porter's “I Love You” and Duke Ellington's “Caravan.” Another highlight from the set was an arrangement of the Cooley-Davenport hit song for Peggy Lee—”Fever.” On Let It Come To You, the song is done as a duo with Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda. Eigsti announced that working with Castaneda provided an amazing opportunity to learn entirely unfamiliar and complex rhythms. “Tonight we want to use this song just to see what happens,” said Eigsti. The result was an exploration of the limitless rhythmic possibilities in live improvised music.

Other standouts included The Eels' “Not Ready Yet,” Wayne Shorter's “Deluge,” and a hauntingly beautiful original entitled “Broken Lullaby.” For an encore, Eigsti and Lage performed as a duo on their co-written tune ”True Colors,” from Eigsti's Grammy-nominated Concord debut album, Lucky To Be Me (2006).

In the liner notes for Let It Come To You Eigsti writes: “Someone I trust and admire defined happiness as the ability to let go.” As a result of the application of this principle, the effect of last night's show was not simply happiness, but instead a reminder of the sheer joy and fun we can experience through live music. As an audience member I felt, to put it in the words of an Eigsti recording, lucky to be me.

Hiromi's Sonic Bloom at Scullers, Boston

Hiromi Uehara: Hiromi's SonicBloom
Scullers Jazz Club
Boston, Massachusetts
June 13, 2008

Globalization has penetrated every aspect of our lives, and pianist Hiromi Uehara could not be more at home, wherever that may be. Commenting on her 2007 Telarc release, Time Control, Hiromi says, “I was inspired to write these pieces because my life is so hectic. I regularly feel jet-lagged and always seem to be in a different time zone. I find myself at airports with more time to think about time, and I often wonder, ”Am I controlling time or is time controlling me?”

In Boston Friday night Hiromi commented between songs explaining, “I think I fly around the globe at least six times a year, and the furthest I have been is South Africa.” While she may not be able to feel comfortable living in multiple time zones at once (who can blame the 29-year-old Japanese native?), her music certainly has no problem flowing through multiple complex time signatures. The music has assimilated the cultural and stylistic differences absorbed from such a worldly lifestyle. The effect on the listener is the feeling we experience from traveling to many different places: a combination of awe and exhaustion stemming from a band whose synergy thrives in the era of Globalization.

Considering that each member of the band hails from a different country and speaks a different native language (the exception may be bassist Tony Grey from England and guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski, who was born in the US but raised in Germany), the music is inspired by the explosive, impulsive yet diverse chops and stylistic differences among the musicians. Says the pianist, “I wanted to work with Fuze because I was looking for somebody who would be strong enough to influence the band. I didn't want someone who could easily fit in—I wanted a crazy new voice, a very strong tasting spice. He's very spontaneous, and you never know which direction he'll take.”

“The effect on the listener is... a combination of awe and exhaustion stemming from a band whose synergy thrives in the era of Globalization.”

On June 13 nothing could have prepared the audience at Scullers Jazz Club for what Hiromi was talking about as accurately as the composition “Time Travel.” Weaving through synth effects, fast-break beats, ensemble fusion hits, and up-tempo swing, “Time Travel” can be variously seen as a journey through the evolution of jazz, Hiromi's journeys, a study in stylistic contrasts, the very meaning of what constitutes jazz, or the question of time itself. After the applause died down, the image of a tired traveler who has seen and experienced a whirlwind of events...perhaps too many, immediately came to mind.

Given Hiromi's desire to incorporate the influences of everyone from Oscar Peterson, Sly and the Family Stone, and Michael Jordan, the music can be a bit daunting for someone not ready to accept the multiple influences reflected in much music of the age of globalization. For those individuals, the evening's opener, Romberg's “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” must have been deceptively shocking. Hiromi played an introduction in the classic stride piano style of the 20's, sounding every bit as convincing as Oscar Peterson's evocation of the challenging style. As she descended on the final chord, the band jumped in with electronic distortion and a heavy 7/8-fusion groove, proving there was nothing soft about this particular morning.

Fiuczynski's guitar effects on Duke Ellington's “Caravan,” the evening's closer, were vividly painted the image of traveling through a desert—not in a caravan but instead a stomach-dropping machine of transport from the future. On this tune, special mention and praise must be given to Slovakian drummer Martin Valihora, who displayed a dazzling showcase of technique as he burned through an impressive solo incorporating cowbell and drum rims alike.

The audience was treated to an encore solo piano performance of the timeless standard, Gershwin's “I Got Rhythm.” Images from black and white footage of the legendary Art Tatum came to mind, Hiromi's technique was that breathtaking. Playing complicated lines at warp speed is one thing, but to do it with such control and dynamic subtlety is extremely rare. Sadly, the piece brought our evening's journey to an end.

Says Hiromi, “Other people can put a name on what I do. It's just the union of what I've been listening to and what I've been learning. It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I don't want to give it a name.” Equal parts fusion, swing, groove, electronica (Friday night Hiromi used two keyboards in addition to the house piano), and every bit improvisatory, SonicBloom defies any conventional name. For now, the term Global Music might be as accurate as any description.

Roy Haynes and The Fountain of Youth Band at Scullers, Boston

Roy Haynes and The Fountain of Youth Band
Scullers
Boston, Massachussetts
July 25, 2008

On Friday, July 25th Roy Haynes and The Fountain of Youth Band played to an enthusiastic crowed at Boston's own Scullers Jazz Club. It was hard to believe that Haynes, who recently won Down Beat's 2008 Critics Poll award for drummer of the year, is 83 years old. His spirit, energy, and seasoned leadership continue to drive the quartet with an uncommon youthful joyfulness. This particular lineup is somewhat recent, with bassist David Wong replacing John Sullivan and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw taking the frontline, originally manned by tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. Still on piano is Martin Bejerano, who has been with Haynes for almost 8 years now.

Johnny Mercer's “Autumn Leaves” kicked off the evening as an engaging conversational piece. The first several choruses were played as a series of trading bars. Haynes used brushes—not simply to keep time but instead to punctuate phrases with heavy accents on snare and bass drum alike. The forceful brush playing launched Shaw's climbing alto solo and worked equally well behind Martin Bejerano's tasteful piano playing.

Two songs in particular have been a part of the bands repertoire for several years—Haynes' 6/8 Afro- Cuban arrangement of Cole Porter”s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” and the classic Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays tune “James.” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” is an exciting piece for musicians and audience members alike, as Mr. Haynes typically leaves room at the end to directly engage the audience. Friday night, as the melody faded away, the drummer continued the bembe 6/8-groove on his sticks. With the hypnotic bass line still fresh in listeners' minds, he proceeded to tap his sticks directly into the microphone.

Haynes likes to introduce “James” with a drum solo, and Friday night was no exception. What began with mallets crashing over the toms and cymbals escalated into a full roar with sticks. Shaw could be seen grinning from the side of the drums as he listened with complete intensity and reverence. In the tradition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Roy Haynes is effectively schooling a new generation of players. Pianist Martin Bejerano remarked to the audience, “I have been playing with Roy for almost 8 years, and it just gets better and better. I am so lucky to be up here with him.”

The first set included a total of six songs; however, after “James,” Mr. Haynes took the microphone and within minutes had the audience rolling with laughter. He is equally entertaining behind the mic as he is behind the drums. “I'm from Boston originally,” he told the audience. “In the summer of 1945 I was working in Martha's Vinyard. I got a call to come to New York but had to stay until after Labor Day weekend to finish my commitment. I have been living in Manhattan ever since, and every day is like Thanksgiving.” Haynes then proceeded to encourage each band member to talk to the audience and share a story. We learned how each member has come to be part of the current lineup, including how Jaleel Shaw, then a student at Berklee in Boston, first sat in with Haynes in the year 2000.

In 2007 Dreyfus Records released the 4-disc box set, “A Life In Time—The Roy Haynes Story.” Drawing from music that spans some 60+ years, the collection features Haynes from his early recordings as a sideman with Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk. It concludes with selections from his more recent work as a leader. On the inside box stands the quote, “There are moments when I feel inspired as I did when I was in my 20's.” Friday night was one such moment. Long live Snap Crackle!