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Friday, Aug 29, 2008
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The Refuge Trio, Anat Cohen and the Willem Breuker Kollektief shine at 2007 Earshot Jazz Festival |
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| The Refuge Trio, Anat Cohen and the Willem Breuker Kollektief shine at 2007 Earshot Jazz Festival | |
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by E. Joyce Glasgow -
SGN A&E Writer This year's Earshot Jazz Festival, which ended on November 4, featured some exciting highlights. The Refuge Trio's concert (and their afternoon workshop) at Cornish College on October 26 were one of my absolute favorites. If you enjoy actively listening to music and you appreciate musicians who are actively listening to each other through innovating new and fresh material, you would love them, too. John Hollenbeck (composer/drums/percussion), Gary Versace (composer/piano/keyboard) and Theo Bleckmann (composer/voice) are exemplary musicians, creating brilliant and tight compositions and taking previously written material by other artists and giving those pieces a delightful new twist. They have a great deal of respect for lyrics and poetry. These three musicians first started working together as a trio when they participated in a 24-hour live music marathon tribute to the music of Joni Mitchell in New York and performed four of her songs, including "Refuge of the Roads" (where their name "Refuge" Trio came from). Bleckman - an eclectic vocalist who has worked in cabaret as well as with performance artist Meredith Monk - uses his voice experimentally; sometimes playing with electronics on wordless vocals, other times lovingly expressing lyrics with sensitivity and care. Hollenbeck is a prolific composer, working with large and small ensembles. He enjoys using unusual and unexpected objects as percussion instruments to compliment his drumming with a sonically surprising and funny edge. Versace's playing is impressionistic and thoughtful and he is also an incredible organist and accordionist in other ensembles. When I was in NYC, I always heard buzz from musicians about Anat Cohen, Israeli clarinetist/ tenor saxophonist/composer, but never got to hear her until her concert at Cornish College on October 25. Cohen is a terrific musician and a dynamo on clarinet and tenor sax, whether playing a smoothly energetic clarinet version of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz", the sweet original "The Purple Piece", or a hot, rhythmical composition by Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti. Cohen is truly "following her bliss." It is clear that she totally loves playing music with every fiber of her being; she exudes incredible joy in her playing and has a big smile on her face while listening to and interacting with the other musicians. Playing in her quartet were excellent musicians: Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman, bassist Joe Martin and Sicilian drummer Marcello Pellitteri. Local pianist Dawn Clements, with bassist Geoff Harper and drummer D'Vonne Lewis, opened the evening with a solid and elegant set. Later in Cohen's set, Cohen invited Clements to come up and join her quartet on piano. Clement and Cohen played together in the collegiate women's jazz band, "Sisters in Jazz" at the 1998 International Association for Jazz Education Conference and have been friends for quite awhile. It was great to hear these two beautiful, talented and accomplished young women playing jazz together and see more women being recognized and being supported in jazz and leading their own groups in what, until now, has primarily been a man's world. Willem Breuker has fashioned a score (2003) for F.W. Murnau's 1926 silent film classic Faust, which moves through moods which are suspenseful, dark, bombastic, whimsical, adventurous and humorous. His ten-piece ensemble played the score live with the film at The Triple Door on October 29. The Kollektief, from Holland, consists of keyboard/piano, harmonica, saxophones (soprano, alto and tenor), two trumpets, two trombones, drums/percussion, acoustic bass and a conductor. At times the music reminded me of composer Kurt Weill and Berlin's cabaret and circus music. I had never seen Faust before and it is an amazing film. Murnau utilized unusual lighting and other special effects revolutionary for their time to craft this visually compelling, hour and forty-six minute film. The video available of the film accompanied by Breuker's score is very engaging and definitely worth buying or renting and inviting your friends for a film party. Try contacting the Kollektief online or ask your local video store if they order this entertaining film for you. Pianist Billy Childs and his chamber jazz sextet from Los Angeles played beautifully at The Triple Door on November 2. The music - including his uplifting, Grammy Award-winning composition "Into the Light" - was rich, full and gorgeous. The concert harp at the heart of the performance gave luminosity and lushness to the mix, which included guitar, flute, soprano and alto sax, electric bass and drums. Guitarist John Abercrombie's quartet delivered a virtuosic performance at The Triple Door on November 1. Abercrombie is not afraid to go out on a limb to new realms of musical discovery with the other musicians - a trait always pleasing to audiences. His quartet was rounded out by great jazz drummer Joey Baron, acoustic bassist Scott Colley (filling in for regular bassist Marc Johnson), and sublime violinist Mark Feldman. In my opinion, Feldman is the best violinist around. He plays with passion and the sweetest tone I've ever heard on the violin. I'd love to hear him playing Bartok as a soloist with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall. He has chosen to not go in a classical direction, but if he did, he'd blow other violinists out of the water. The good news is that he's chosen to play jazz and newer, more experimental music, with an incredible facility for innovative free improvisation. His musical interaction with Abercrombie on guitar was thrilling and wonderful to hear. The great Cedar Walton, pianist and terrific composer, played solidly and with sophistication in a purely straight ahead trio performance with acoustic bass and drums on October 28 at The Triple Door. Tenor saxophonist David Sanchez played fiery and intense improvisations and original compositions with a quartet of electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums at The Triple Door on October 25. Due to the intense nature of his music, I would have liked to have heard him in a smaller, more intimate space like Tula's, where the music would have a greater, more immediate effect on the listener. Pianist Fred Hersch played with his usual beauty and sensitivity with his trio of Ben Street on acoustic bass and Nasheet Waits on drums at The Triple Door on October 30. Hersch plays from the heart and writes lovely compositions. His performance included "Endless Stars" and his Grammy nominated "Valentine", along with a variety of pieces by other composers including "Mood Indigo" by Duke Ellington", "Work" by Thelonious Monk and a unique arrangement of "Change Partners" by Irving Berlin. John Zorn brought his "Moonchild Trio" to the Moore Theater on November 4. This show, dark and devilish, would have been perfect for Halloween. Singer Mike Patton, drummer Joey Baron and electric bassist Trevor Dunn interacted in Zorn's pieces while he manipulated the sound in the back of the theater. I would not call this typical jazz festival booking. I would call this ear-achingly loud music "experimental Death Metal", as Patton screamed, squealed, meowed and breathed heavily while writhing on the floor, wrapping himself in the microphone cord and leaping around the stage. At times Patton seemed as though he could use an exorcist. Rumor has it that he was coughing up blood after the show due to the extreme use of his voice. I respect the creativity of the trio and they are definitely unique, however, once is enough! Pianist Jason Moran and his trio "Bandwagon"; Taurus Mateen, bass and Nasheet Waits, drums, played at The Triple Door on November 4. Moran approaches his material with a great deal of intelligence and innovation. Both times that I've heard him I've appreciated his talent, but I haven't been moved emotionally by his music. I feel as though he's in a separate room. There is a disconnect with me, as an audience member, that is difficult to explain. Iva Bittova, Czech vocalist, violinist and composer, performed her self-professed "personal folk music" in a solo concert at the Chapel Performance Space on November 2. Her music is original and atmospheric, blending influences of Eastern European, experimental and classical. Bittova's voice - reminiscent of the sound of Bulgarian folk singers - created a kind of meditative spell in the room. It sounded like it came from a very ancient place. She moved around the room singing accapella and accompanying herself on violin. Her songs included vocalizations of bird sounds and other evocative sounds. I particularly enjoyed a piece she performed in which she sang sweetly, accompanying herself on mbira (thumb piano). On the world music front, Musafir played at Town Hall on October 27. Their name comes from the Hindi and Urdu word for "traveler" or "wanderer" and they are descendents of the Rom people (Romany "gypsies"). Musafir is from Rajasthan, which means "land of Royalty", in Northwest India. The performers have been gathered from three different tribes; the Manganiyars, the Langa and the Saperas. Each member brings their different traditions to the group. Their music is robust and full of life and joy. They combine powerful vocals with Indian percussion instruments: kamayacha, been, dholak and tablas, bowed string instrument, the sarangi and the harmonium. A beautifully-attired woman danced while balancing a pottery vessel filled with water atop four water glasses on her head. She also stood barefoot on a bed of nails and walked while balancing on two water glasses. Musafir's performance was terrific, filled with warmth, charm and sharing with the audience. The "Festival in the Desert" was a sold-out affair at Town Hall on October 31 and a dance floor was set up special for this performance in front of the stage. The evening combined a set by Vieux Farka Toure - son of the late, great Malian guitarist and composer, Ali Farka Toure - with a set by Tinariwen, a group compiled of Touareg tribal musicians from the Malian desert. Toure is definitely following in his father's footsteps and is a tremendously virtuosic guitarist, combining traditional-sounding African music with very bluesy playing more reminiscent of southern, African-American blues. His band had many audience members up on their feet with their energy and strong dance rhythms. Tinariwen, in their tribal turbans and caftans, played music that combined African traditional music and southern blues with Islamic singing and electric guitars and drums into an interesting hybrid dubbed "Tishoumaren", or "the music of the unemployed". Their musical message of political awakening and demands of sovereignty found their albums banned in Algeria and Mali. Their music is hypnotic and trance-inducing. Eric Person and Meta-Four played a tight, energized show at Tula's, appearing on October 31 and November 1. Saxophonist Person played with excellent musicians Jarod Kashkin (piano), Peter O'Brien (drums) and Adam Armstrong (acoustic bass), navigating strong, straight-ahead tunes with intriguing improvisational solos. Person was plagued by a drunken woman at the very front table next to the stage who wouldn't stop talking and had no respect for the musicians (or the rest of the attentive audience). Person started playing a beautiful, soft, thoughtful intro to "Stella by Starlight", in which he was leaving lots of lovely, purposeful silences. He suddenly looked over at this Chatty Cathy and said what I think is the best line I've ever heard a musician say to get a point across to a disruptive audience member: "You can't fill up my spaces like that!" Pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, with acoustic bassist Dan Lutz and featured drummer Ari Hoenig, played Tula's on October 26 and 27. Their music was at times playful with Hoenig manipulating the heads of his drums with his elbows and fingers to make them "sing" the blues. Frenchman Pilc is a great pianist and former rocket scientist. I enjoyed the music, but prefer a more emotional approach than is Pilc's forte. The Aaron Goldberg Trio - with surprise guest, legendary drummer Al Foster - played very straight-ahead sets at Tula's on November 2 and 3. The playing was formidable but didn't go out on a limb into exciting unknown territory. Canadian bassist Michael Bates and his quartet, "Outside Sources", put forth some nice improvisations with skill and ease at Tula's on October 29 and 30. Seattle trumpeter Coung Vu, with Stomu Takeishi on electric bass and Ted Poor on drums at the Seattle Art Museum on October 28, created moods that were at times atmospheric, spacious and dreamy, and at others wild and frenzied. Vu gained international recognition when jazz icon Pat Metheny requested Vu join his band. The group earned two Grammys during his tenure. He is now on the University of Washington jazz faculty. He said it took him about seven years to find a musician who shared the same musical chemistry. Vu likes using electronic effects, like reverb, in his playing. I find his music very cinematic and evocative and I think he'd make a great film composer. Pianist Butch Thompson - who many may recognize from his performances on Garrison Keillor's NPR show, "A Prairie Home Companion" - played with Matt Weiner (bass) and Hal Smith (drums) at Tula's on October 28. Thompson's music was delightful and historic, stemming from the pre-bop, traditional era of ragtime, stride piano and blues. Familiar and popular pieces by Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake and Fats Waller were a comforting change from all the intense improvisations I'd been hearing at the festival, and I truly enjoyed it. This is happy music! It's laid-back, pleasant and homey and I imagined sitting back with friends by a fire and having someone playing this cozy music at the piano in the living room. Featured songs included Waller's " Honeysuckle Rose" and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", Jelly Roll Morton's "The Crave", a New Orleans tune "Stump the Lowdown", "American Beauty" by Joseph Lamb, a protégé of Scott Joplin, and a very beautiful, impressionistic, quiet solo piano piece, "In the Dark" by Bix Beiderbeck. This performance was a definite favorite. Another of the Earshot festival's highlights, presented by the Experience Music Project on October 30, was an interview by jazz writer Jeff Levenson with the amazing Lorraine Gordon who, at 85, is the proprietress of the Village Vanguard in New York's Greenwich Village. The Vanguard is considered the greatest jazz club in the world and its history is incredible. The list of talented and phenomenal performers who have played there is mind-boggling! Gordon has a new memoir out called "Alive at the Village Vanguard" and I highly recommend reading it for a journey into the fascinating lives, music and community history of the American jazz scene. Gordon is feisty, gutsy and has an incredible sense of humor and I found her to be candid, forthright, charming and very funny, with entertaining and enlightening stories to tell. Earshot presents concerts throughout the year. To find their schedule visit: http://www.earshot.org. Keep your eyes open for regular events at Tula's: www.tulas.com and The Triple Door: www.thetripledoor.net. Both clubs offer delicious food and nightly music. |
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