Once in a great while you may be watching a show of some sort, and at any given moment, maybe even after the show is over, it’ll hit you: you’re witness on this night to something that’s truly special.
On Canada Day in Nathan Phillips Square, there were many moments when I sat in slack-jawed amazement watching Dave Brubeck and his quartet – saxaphonist/flautist Bobby Militello, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Randy Jones – and even more such moments when they were joined on stage by Brubeck’s son Matthew on cello. But my real “holy sh*t” moment came when I went home and looked up just how old Dave Brubeck is now. And I was struck by this question:
How can a man who’s pushing 90 years of age be that incredibly good, lead a quartet/quintet that incredibly tight, play for nearly two solid hours in the not inconsiderable humidity, and end with two of his most recognizable tunes that were recorded 50 years ago that still, incredibly, sound just as fresh and cool as they ever did?
Brubeck’s list of accolades is ridiculously long. Living Legend Award from the Library of Congress. Presidential Medal of the Arts. The Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. Named Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. Induction to the California Hall of Fame. It goes on and on. Besides jazz suites, he’s written cantatas, ballet scores, a jazz opera, TV soundtracks and for orchestras and choirs. He’s one of the most influential jazz pianists ever for his improvisations and experiments with different time signatures.
And despite having done all this and being 88 years old, he’s still touring. And his show is, in a word, sensational.
Toronto – Five-time grammy award winner Chucho Valdés played the Enwave Theatre last night. This was one of my most anticipated shows of the jazz festival and it did not disappoint. Chucho is a Cuban-born pianist that has flawlessly fused elements of latin jazz, afro-cuban music, and even touches of Classical into a sound all his own. The result was a stand-up set that will remain a signature show of the jazz festival for me this year.
Latin jazz, and Cuban jazz in particular, is all about the rythmic underpinnings. It’s why the genre is so infectious. By keeping the music grounded in such a laid-back groove, it allows for some really fun and inventive improvisation. When you pair these rythmic sensibilities with a beautiful sounding room like the Enwave Theatre, the result is engrossing. The Enwave Theatre knows how to do acoustics, and bands that are heavy on percussion are well-suited to play there.
One highlight was when they started playing these African drums called Shakera by inserting the neck of the drum directly into the condenser mic’s at the front of the stage. I couldn’t help but sense how timeless this was. It reminded of what our African forefathers would have sounded like hundreds, if not thousands of years ago when they made weird effects with drums and condenser mics.
How do I describe Chucho’s sound? He’s definitely a virtuoso, but he’s grounded in completely unpretentious style. His playing is an eclectic fusion, but it works so beautifully that calling it a fusion detracts from its distinct voice. Over the course of the night, he displayed fast piano chops, pensive ballads, and a few nods towards Classical. This was fantastic live music.
One highlight was when the bassist and percussionist started playing these African drums called Shakera. They made these really cool sound effects by inserting the neck of the drum directly into the condenser mic’s at the front of the stage. Not only did it sound wild, but I couldn’t help but sense how timeless this was. It reminded of what our African forefathers would have sounded like hundreds, if not and thousands of years ago when they made weird effects with drums and condenser mics.
I would not hesitate to go out of my way to see Chucho Valdés play again.
Toronto – Chris Potter’s Underground played The Pilot last night. He was accompanied by drummer Nate Smith, pianist Craig Taborn, and guitarist Adam Rogers. Chris Potter is new blood in the jazz world and updates things by creating a funk fusion that, while incorporating straight-up rock beats, is still firmly grounded in the traditions of jazz.
[The Pilot has] all the pre-requisites for being a great jazz club: it’s small & packed, it’s intimate, the room is awkardly weird and long, and it sounds great.
Before I go into more detail about the show, I’d like to take a moment to describe The Pilot. Located on Cumberland street in the heart of Yorkville, this was surprisingly my very first show at The Pilot. Not surprisingly, the place follows an aviation theme. It’s got all the pre-requisites for being a great jazz club: it’s small & packed, it’s intimate, the room is awkardly weird and long, and it sounds great. I think the biggest drawback of the Pilot is that it’s smack dab in Yorkville. I ordered a rusty nail, a blend of scotch and Drambuie and was charged $17 for the honour.
Honestly folks, it’s not going to break my bank to buy a $17 + tip drink, but the very thought of it made me cringe. I’ve been living in this city for over a decade and by now consider myself a Torontonian. That being said, there’s never been another moment in recent memory where the sad display of big-city conspicuous consumption has made me want to pack up my things. Aside: Conspicuous Consumption is a book written by social scientist Thorstein Veblen over 100 years ago that neatly explains why we humans will gladly pay for a $17 drink because we happen to be in Yorkville.
A lot of modern jazz really loves the rock beat. [They’ll incorporate traditional beats and roam free] but there is something to be said about when the drummer finally gets back to belting out a straight-ahead rock beat. It makes for one helluva groove.
Anyway, let’s get to Chris Potter’s Underground. This band has been playing in its current format for about 5 years now, which is like 10 years in the jazz world. The first time I saw them was at the now defunct Top of the Senator club in 2004. When I asked them about that show, they recalled that it was one of the first shows they played in Toronto as a band. They’ve been spending their time since then honing their skills and their craft.
Keeping the time was Nate Smith, who readily lets loose with the rock beats and can drip funk. Interestingly enough, a lot of modern jazz really loves the rock beat. They fuse it with more traditional jazz beats and then roam free. But there is something to be said when the drummer finally gets back to belting out a straight-ahead rock beat; especially when a master soloist like Chris Potter is riding the wave. It makes for one helluva groove.
Chris Potter is a virtuoso of a sax player, but he just doesn’t play fast because he can, as is evident during the more atmospheric songs that this band will concoct. The quartet is about to start a European tour for the summer. When I asked Chris if there were any particular European clubs that he was looking forward to playing, he replied that it’s really more about the people than the place. If the crowd is into it, it makes his job that much easier. Like all musicians, Chris and his band feed off the energy of the crowd. Thankfully for everyone, the crowd was digging it last night. We’re happy to help out any way we can.
Toronto – Last night the Four Seasons centre hosted some veritable jazz legends in Gary Burton & Pat Metheny. On their very last engagement of their third tour as a group, this quartet did not disappoint. Opening the night was Robi Botos, a Toronto-based pianist that was ecstatic to be playing the Four Seasons with his brothers. The Botos brothers played a great opening set of straight-ahead jazz that whet the appetite for what was to come.
If there was one thing that was unfortunate about the Botos brothers set, it was some technical difficulties that led to a noticable feedback hum that was especially evident during the introspective solo piano parts. This of course isn’t the fault of the band, but it is unfortunate to run into these kind sound issues in a place as stellar and classy as the Four Seasons. Thankfully the technical issues did not persist into the main act. The Botos brothers played an admirable set of very listenable, oft-times swinging, and above all crowd-pleasing jazz.
This band is a super-group of jedi musicians: 3/4 of them have been honing their force powers since the 70’s. The result was a lush and textured sound that drifted around and then enveloped you.
But we all know why the crowd was drawn to the Four Seasons. It was to see the stellar vibraphone work of Gary Burton, and the jazz-fusion guitar legend that is Pat Metheny. Rounding out the rythm section was Steve Swallows, a bassist extra-ordinaire in his own right, and the young drummer Antonio Sanchez. This band is a super-group of jedi musicians: 3/4 of them have been honing their force powers since the 70’s. The result was a lush and textured sound that drifted around and then enveloped you.
Now, Pat Metheny hasn’t changed his hairdo in decades. Nor has he really changed his sound. He’s a master guitarist that can stand in the spotlight and belt out a blistering and intense solo. Thankfully, he’s also just as capable of sitting back with the rythm section and adding to the atmosphere with a padding that is both subtle and elegant. One thing that he still does rely upon is some guitar effects pedals that he found in the 80’s. As nifty as these echo and reverb effects can be, it does make for a dated sound reminiscent of the 80’s synth.
But we’ll forgive Pat his eccentricities because he his a fantastic wicked-ass guitarist. The quartet was in fine form, playing some of Gary Burton’s material, some of Pat’s songs, and even a Keith Jarrett tune. However, for me the highlight of the night was when Gary & Pat pared down to duet format and played two well-known jazz standards. I had never heard a duet of vibraphone and guitar interpret these standards. In the hands of these two, it was an absolute treat. But why are jazz standards so, well standard in the jazz world?
In jazz, it’s more about the singer than the song. [If we are familar with the song] then we cross the chasm between innovation and familiarity. It’s both new and old. Everybody wins. Hurray!
Over the years a lexicon has been built of standards that all jazz musicians learn. Call it a rite of passage. Many of these standards start life as contemporary pop music. As jazz artists discover and re-invent them, they bounce around the collective conscious and in time, a few lucky tunes reach the lofty distinction of becoming a standard. Perusing my music library, I have no less than 15 versions of the tune Summertime from different artists. And yet, Pat Metheny and Gary Burton were able to play Summertime last night in way that was fresh and new to me. Why?
In jazz, it’s more about the singer than the song. When we understand and know a song well, it makes it that much easier for us to follow the artist when he or she reinterprets that song. You can better hear how they’ve embellished the melody and left their own unique fingerprints. When we get right down to it, jazz is collective improvisation. And if we are improvising over familar patterns and familar songs, then we can cross the chasm between innovation and familiarity. It’s both new and old. Everybody wins. Hurray!
Musicians of this calibre have the uncanny ability to turn it on like a switch, and seeing them in action is well, special.
The next standard played was a Bossa Nova song from the pioneer of the genre: Antonio Carlos Jobim. It’s a tune called O Grande Amore and was tastefully interpreted by Stan Getz in the 60’s. This particular version of the tune was so evocative that I could practically hear Getz’s saxophone on the other side of Gary’s vibes and Pat’s guitar.
Now some people feel that the vibraphone is a bit of a limiting instrument in expressive capability. It has a very particular sound that evokes a very particular feeling. It’s hard to make the vibes sound sad. The timbre they produce sounds almost as happy as a steel pan. That being said, when you’ve got such master-vibraphonist in Gary Burton, playing with three other top-calibre artists, I will not be among the first to complain with the sounds that surround me. Musicians of this calibre have the uncanny ability to turn it on like a switch, and seeing them in action is well, special.
