Jerry Bergonzi At The Press Room

Tonight I went to the Press Room in Portsmouth to see a quartet led by saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. Accompanying him were Phil Grenedier on trumpet, Bruce Gertz on bass and Brooke Sofferman on drums.

The only musician of the four that I had previously seen was Phil Grenedier who was with John Scofield’s band when Scofield last played at the Stone Church. Grenedier’s role was minimal that night so I was eager to see him step out a bit. Besides, being the brother of renowned bassist Larry Grenedier (Brad Mehldau Trio, Pat Metheny Trio) I knew that he must have more talent in one finger than I have in all combined. The instrumentation of the quartet was made for improvisation. The lack of any chord based instrument usually makes for some serious experimentation. My expectations were high.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I was disappointed. All four members of the group were excellent in their own right. Bergonzi, who I am familiar with through three of his recordings, is an inspired player. Grenedier shone in his playing making me believe that there is something to the myth of musical genes. Both Gertz and Sofferman showed that they are masters of their instruments. However, it was not the first time that four talented players got together to produce a less than enthusiastic performance.

To start with, the volume of the bass was too low. In my opinion this led to Sofferman holding back so as not to drown out Gertz. In doing so he never rose to the intensity level that the horn players were reaching for and getting to. All in all, it was quiet. Even at the bands loudest moments, I could clearly hear conversations around me. During the bass solos (usually the quietest part of a song) people whispered in deference to the band. It was a strange sensation to see and hear the horns reaching for the stars while the rhythm section remained firmly on the ground. These guys had the potential to wow the place and all they were missing was volume!

One aspect that may not have mattered had the preceding issue been remedied was that of group tightness. I don’t know what the relationship of the group was but it appeared as though they had never played together before tonight. As an avid Jazz fan I know that this is a common occurrence. Musicians will often play together for the first on a stage in front of a live audience. They can all read music and given enough experience they are able to read other musicians. Tonight, however, these guys seemed a bit timid. The beginning of each tune was tenderly undertaken. Two or three bars into each song I would sigh with relief knowing that they had taken off successfully. Again, I don’t think this would have remained in my memory if the intensity of the music had reached its imagined possibilities.

Going out to see live Jazz can never be called a mistake. I take something from every show that I see. Given tonight’s performance though I would not rush out to see this group as it was put together tonight. I will look to see them all again in different settings knowing that each is a solid purveyor of their chosen trade.

Long live jazz.

Posted by The Webtoad at 12:12 AM | Comments (0)

Branford By The Lake

Jeff “Tain” Watts is a monster. The GF is tired of hearing me say that but it’s true. The man is incredible. Who is this monster you ask? He is the drummer for Branford Marsalis’ quartet. We had the opportunity to see this group Friday night at the Great Waters Summer Music Festival in Wolfeboro. Two subjects need be addressed here. First, the amazing band that is the Branford Marsalis Quartet and second, the behavior of New Hampshire Jazz audiences.

It is an effort in futility to convey the power of the group that played Friday night. That was the second time that I had the opportunity to see them. I own most of their albums as well as a live DVD of their performance of “A Love Supreme” in Amsterdam. The similarities between this collection of musicians and those that John Coltrane brought together in the sixties is worth mentioning. Branford is not Coltrane. Nobody could be. He is however one of the most powerful personalities in the Jazz world today. I won’t bore the reader with his biography. It is readily available. Marsalis’ band mates stand up to their counterparts in that fabled grouping know as “The Classic Quartet.” Friday night, though, was Tain’s night. The third number was a composition of his entitled “Blackzilla”. It is based on a theme from one of the Godzilla movies of old. It was powerful, driving and chaotic. Near the end of the tune, Tain’s solo was so amazing due mostly to the fact that could not help but yell continuously as he pounded the skins and the other three looked on and kept the melody going. Goose bumps. I would kill to have a recording of that. The performance was made all the more incredible when the audience learned that the group arrived only moments before the show having just flown in from Paris to Boston and then driving up to Wolfeboro. I can’t imagine how they played with such emotion and passion.

This was the fourth time that I had seen a major Jazz musician perform in New Hampshire. The first and second was a double bill of Brad Mehldau and John Scofield at the Portsmouth Music Hall. The third was Arturo Sandoval also at the Music Hall. Of the four musicians that I have seen play in NH, a noticeable amount of the audience walked out on two of them. The first was John Scofield and the second was the Friday night show. Both times, I was appalled. I can not imagine why these people are so rude as to leave. I did notice that those leaving are usually older; over 50. I can only surmise that the music they were hearing was not what they were expecting. Scofield’s show was very funky and not at all standard Jazz. Branford et al can get pretty crazy and push the bounds of the music. That is Jazz though. I will continue to patronize Jazz in the Granite State when its offered but I much prefer the Jazz clubs in Boston. They draw great musicians and the audience is much more appreciative.

Posted by The Webtoad at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)

Miles

I spent a recent afternoon spicing up my "myspace" page a bit and what better theme than Miles. Those who know me are familiar with my passion for Jazz. Miles is the center of that Passion. Everything radiates out from him; forward, back and laterally. The first Jazz album that I bought was "Kind of Blue" back when I was in college. I describe that experience as I imagine one's first heroine high to be like. One is always trying to get that high again. Chasin' the train I believe it is referred to as. I have spent these past 15 years looking for that experience of hearing Miles et al for the first time. On occassion I've approached that feeling again with such artists as Terrence Blanchard and Nicholas Payton. Branford Marsalis could fit that description as well.

No matter what though, I always come back to Miles. Electric or acoustic, it doesn't matter (I must admit that I do have trouble with his stuff in the eighties). Only Coltrane comes close to co-existing on the same plain as Miles. A friend at works believes that one is a disciple of either Miles or Trane but not both. I agree and I am firmly in the Miles camp.

One must be careful in heaping praise upon Miles however. He was a very complicated individual. He was angry. He didn't treat the women in his life well. There were few white people whose company he tolerated. His blackness was a comsuming aspect of his being. I believe that his demons are what made him such a creative musician.

Miles died in 1991 just as Jazz was beginning to enter my life. I remember that Rolling Stone magazine put him on their cover just after his death. He died relatively young (just 65) but he lived very fast. I don't believe that any other musician has influenced modern music as Miles has. Many have changed their own genre or style of music but Miles impacted multiple fields most notably both Jazz and Rock.

I don't think I would have wanted to know Miles Davis but I sure am glad that he lived and gave us the music that he did.

Posted by The Webtoad at 02:59 AM | Comments (0)

The Last Step of Freedom

There are two interests in my life that though seem distant are simply extensions of one another; liberal political thought and Jazz music. The concept that connects the two is freedom. Liberal thought addresses the freedom of human society while Jazz is the musical expression of freedom. It is the latter that I wish to focus on in this writing. Jazz is the last step of freedom before chaos ensues.

Jazz is a conversation and collaboration. More often than not, that conversation takes place between a group of musicians and the audience. Occasionally, that conversation is limited to a single musician but here we shall deal with the ensemble approach. Jazz is art of the spot. It is improvisational at its best. The best albums that this genre has produced have been either live recordings (Brad Mehldau’s Progression series) or albums recorded live in the studio (Miles Davis: Kind of Blue). This form of art allows the listener the experience of watching or listening in as a group works its way through varied chord structures and attempts to navigate those structures occasionally abandoning them all together. Although groups may have played and practiced for years, each performance is a unique undertaking.

Let us imagine a Jazz quintet; trumpet, tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums. These five individuals will decide on a tune to play, perhaps “Autumn Leaves”. All players will know the song structure and will decide on tempo and key. Once they start playing though, the possibilities are endless. More than likely, the two horn players will play the melody of the tune as the remaining three, the rhythm section, keep time and harmony. This may happen through two rounds of the tune. Once they have finished expressing the melody, it’s time for the solos and this is where jazz gets fun.

It is here that the conversation truly starts. Rarely do the musicians speak to one another with there voices but their eyes and nods of their heads communicate volumes. They follow one another’s intensity. Each musician is free to do as he/she pleases knowing that too much freedom will bring down their experiment. The piano player will start using chords more sparingly. The drummer will move away from keeping time, trusting that the bass player will cover that job. The trumpet player will start using notes that verge on dissonance. The soloist is open to express himself fully. Scales are available for his use but not required. As the rhythm section moves further away from the chord structure the soloist moves equally from the melody. At some point the soloists switch off and the experiment continues.

With a new instrument leading the way the band may venture into fresh territories of tempo and mood. This second instrumentalist will put his or her own mark on the conversation, adding what he believes is needed to the exchange. This will happen again and again as the piano player and perhaps the bass player and drummer lend their voice through improvisation. At all times these people are liberated to say what they wish about the subject at hand, the song. There is usually only one restriction; one may flirt with chaos but never invite it in to stay.

The freedom of a jazz ensemble represents the logical extreme of the independence of an individual within a group while still maintaining the integrity of that group. This is exactly the situation that many liberal thinkers are hoping that human society is moving towards. It is the true definition of Anarchy, not the meaning espoused by those who despise it. Anarchy is not chaos. It is the capacity of all members of a society to be free without that society slipping into chaos. Anarchy may be unattainable as a viable model of society but it has found its artistic expression in Jazz.

Posted by The Webtoad at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)