California dreaming

I couldn't help but think California. Pat Metheny is actually form Missouri, the mid-West, near Kansas City, but the hair, the endless smiles, the spirit of innovation and a feeling of cinematic expanse in his music make me think of sun and adventure and West Coast. He visited Canberra on his extensive touring schedule and it was a blast. One big concert that had the drinkers in the audience squirming in their seats (about 2.5 hours including encore; no interval). Pat was on stage right though. The concert was in four main parts. Firstly, Pat playing acoustic with his Pikasso guitar (42 strings including 6 and 12 string necks and two lute-like additions played open string. Then the Unity Group with Chris Potter, Ben Williams and Antonio Sánchez doing five adventurous, but less expansive compositions in a contemporary jazz vein. Then Giulio Carmassi came on, strangely seated behind the band and hidden for me behind the bass amp, and they performed tracks from their new album, Kin <-->; given the length, presumably the whole album. This was the big, cinematic vision with processed richness that defined the night for me. Then a set of four duos: Pat with bassist Ben playing Jobim's How insensitive, a fairly straight take; Pat with Chris on tenor playing Cherokee, rapid fire and concurrent and verging on free; Pat with Giulio including some wordless vocals from the keyboardist; finally Pat with Antonio and sharp nylon strung guitar and precise drum solo. Then a final blues and an encore which was clearly recognised by his followers in the audience. This was a big show, expansive, suited to a stadium with its life-sized performers and over-sized instrumentation (Pat's creation, the Orchestrion, loomed over the band on each side of the stage). Pat's music sounds essentially rocky / pop influenced to my ears (he claims influences from the Beatles, Joni Mitchell and others), his solos sound fairly straight, tonal, but with quirky twists of rhythm and long lines extending over barlines and odd times. He has an abiding interest in tone, playing a range of guitars, controlling synths and ultimately the grand Orchestrion, which I now understand as a guitar-controlled looper controlling a batch of percussion instruments, drums, cymbals, keyboard percussion, organ-like blown bottles (?), whatever, all with associated lighting. Chris provided a straight and jazz-acoustic-toned response to this with bass clarinet, contrabass (or bass?) flute, tenor and soprano saxes played with contemporary sensibility. Ben was punchy and laid a strong groove on double bass and was quick for his one (slightly odd and challenging) switch to electric for a short solo then back again. Nicely done! Antonio was always tight, interestingly capricious at splitting his beats, all concentration but smiling just fleetingly in the final blues of the night. The drums sounded a dream, as they do when a drummer can let go on the skins. It's not something you can quite get in the intimate atmosphere of a jazz club. Giulio was hidden from me and his playing seemed to meld into the Orchestrion and the mass of sound which was this concert although I did notice some sustained chords and piano and those vocals. But I did enjoy it. The whole was a bit loud from where I was sitting, but an involving and inventive outing it was. And another example of hard-working musos at the professional level. Several people I talked to after felt the same, not too knowing of Metheny before the gig but impressed by the night. It worked a charm for me.

Pat Metheny (guitars, Orchestrion) led his Unity Band at the Canberra Theatre with Chris Potter (bass clarinet, contrabass (or bass?) flute, tenor and soprano saxes), Ben Williams (double and electric basses), Antonio Sánchez (drums) and Giulio Carmassi (keyboards and perhaps more).

The band requested no pics on the night. Thanks to Paul C Herbert and Wikicommons for the pic of Pat Metheny with the Linda Manzer Pikasso guitar

Most worthy recommendations

My outing to the Jazz Gallery to hear Daniel Szabo and band with guest Chris Potter came with a string of recommendations. DS had plaudits from Martial Solal and had won the piano competition under his name; Jazz Gallery was suggested by one Australian musician now resident in NYC as the only jazz venue he needs; Chris Potter is on everyone’s lips and I’d heard him with Dave Holland anyway so knew what to expect. But I was still floored. It was a sadly poorly attended gig, but this small, informal, concert-like venue and the band produced the goods.

The music is mostly written by DS although altoist Kristof Bacso provided at least one compostion. It’s a strangely sounding form of jazz, as much European jazz is. There are influences of classical, in the capability of the players but also in the structure of the improvisations, but perhaps more of east-European folk music in the complex, convoluted, jagged melodies. I often count tunes, and did this time, and realized they were all in 3 or 6 other than one in 5 and one that repeated at 20 but I wasn’t sure how that divided up. I mentioned this to bassist Jozsef Barcza Horvath in the break and he said it was just luck of the draw. I asked the same to DS after the gig and he said the same. I’m not so sure; I don’t think there was one four. The combination of instruments was different too. This band used percussion rather than drums and added a cello. The cello added that bowed string sound, and this was welcome and Balaza Kantor was a seriously good player and improviser, but it was the percussion most varied the tone from US jazz. The rhythms by Andras Des were much the same, but the tone was softer, less insistent and less punchy, and the result was a gentler although no less active groove. I heard this in bassist Jozsef Barcza Horvath’s tone, but especially in the comparison of sax solos. Chris Potter’s sound was muscular whilst KB’s was intimate. It may make little difference in a studio, but on stage it was obvious. The approaches of the two saxes was also different for most of their solos. CP’s approach was classic modern jazz, with four note structures that stated the chord and modes with immense clarity. KB’s solos were initially more effusive, with lines that moved in long sprees that changed tonality with the underlying harmonic movements, but I noticed he also played a more four-note jazz structure in later solos.

The playing all round was great. I mention the classical training, not simply for their skill levels and the wonderful classical training that so many Euro jazzers have, but also for their approach to melody. There’s a breadth and sense of embellishment and melodic structure that shouts classical to me. DS and KB sounded that way. There was also a sense of rubato and dynamics that I also associate with classical music, and this music had that.

There’s more to say. The band is from Budapest, Hungary, and has worked with a string of collaborators including CD releases with Chris Potter and Kurt Rosenwinkel. There was one piece in four, a ballad called Tangiers and written by Chris Potter which was in US jazz territory and played with subtlety and relative sparseness by the duo of DS and CP. The band took off with energy in solos, but especially with CP who is so unforced but so powerful and well structured. CP mainly played tenor, but also played soprano and bass clarinet once each.

Whatever, this was too poorly attended for such a good concert. It was a great night of complex jazz with some wonderful playing and Chris Potter’s stunning presence. Memorable. Daniel Szabo (piano), Kristof Bacso (soprano, alto sax), Balaza Kantor (cello), Jozsef Barcza Horvath (double bass) and Andras Des (percussion) were joined by Chris Potter (soprano, tenor sax, bass clarinet) at the Jazz Gallery, NYC.

Trombones a close second (Wang 3)

Wang 2

It seems trombones are having their place in the sun at the moment. I’ve noted that in several CJ articles recently. Wang also provided its share: Robin Eubanks from Dave Holland’s Quintet; a pleasant surprise in Root 70 with Nils Wogram; and the busy young female trombonist, Shannon Barnett.

Dave Holland was the star international import and much awaited. He played on the Friday evening at the very start of the Festival. It was a high point of the festival, but thankfully didn’t end in an unhappy denouement. Robin Eubanks (trombone) was stunning and along with Chris Potter (tenor, soprano sax) were a formidable front line. Robin was stunning with clear, accurately intoned melody, solo and contrapuntal lines with minimal movement of the slide. His technique interested me. Apparently you can play full scales using high harmonics on a trom without moving the slide. Presumably it’s possible on every brass instrument. Robin was a master, with melody pouring out at speed with only occasional slide movements. The normally clumsy trom became a thing of unusual celerity. Stunning playing; and all so musical. I especially loved his counterpoint with Chris Potter. Chris is another renowned player. I found him intellectually satisfying, but less so emotionally. This was harsh and challenging playing, but so capable. Again, great counterpoint: this return to collective improvisation seems to be a theme in today’s modern jazz. Nate Smith (drums) is the newby in the band, but is a key member, and was much raved about. Steve Nelson (vibes, marimba) provided a wash of harmony with these relatively soft chordal instruments. Dave Holland (bass) played his deceptively simple, syncopated style on that stubby bass, and smiled as the proud father throughout the gig. Mostly Robin and Chris were stony-faced. I was sitting in the front row and just caught Chris ask “Twice?”. Robin replied with a nod and a smile. So these guys also play it just a bit roughly at times – not that you’d notice otherwise. Another thing to note was the fabulous mix on this gig. I hear Dave brought his own mixer. The sound was crisp at adequate volume, and every instrument was clearly defined, so the PA itself just disappeared from consciousness. Truly a lesson in how jazz should be mixed.

An unexpected surprise by most listeners was Nils Wogram’s Root 70. The band is made up of two Germans: Nils Wogram (trombone) and Jochen Rueckert (drums), and two New Zealanders: Hayden Chisholm (alto sax, bass clarinet) and Matt Penman (bass). This was light, airy, perfectly articulated music, harking back to swing and pre-bop styles, with collective and solo improvisation and some humour. It was lovely, sweet stuff which enchanted an unexpecting audience.

The other notable trombonist was Shannon Barnett. She seemed to pop up in several places, and played with considerable confidence and audacity. I heard her in two sets with Barney McAll’s septet. She was reading complex charts and burning through solos. She’s a notable player and apparently young to boot, so she’ll be worth watching over time. She also appeared with Barnett-Saarlaht-Browne, but I missed that set. Mostly Barney McAll’s complex, composed, latin-based was lost amongst poor sound engineering, along with Kurt Rosenwinkel. Barney McAll’s Septet comprised Barney McAll (piano, leader, composer), Jurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Sam Lipman (tenor), Danny Fischer (drums), Shannon Barnett (trombone), Philip Rex (bass) and Javier Fredes (percussion).

I didn’t miss the Allan Browne Quintet performing his suite modelled on, and dedicated, to the poet Arthur Rimbaud, The Drunken Boat. This was a complex and rich thematic piece made up of short snippets of varied time signatures and tonalities, with final haunting singing by Stella Browne. I found it memorable and satisfying, but a mate thought it was inconsistent. Definitely it was varied. The band was Allan Browne (drums), Eugene Ball (trumpet), Phil Noy (alto), Geoff Hughes (guitar), Nick Haywood (bass).

Wang 4