JOE LOVANO & DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET: SOUND PRINTS | AUGUST 4, 2:45 PM | It seems like their work in the SF Jazz Collective might have spurred this new collabo, which has recently been rolling through Europe. A YouTube clip from the North Sea Festival suggests that there's plenty of open space in their interplay, and the way that drummer Joey Baron frolics while supercharging everything around him is always a joy to behold. There's an understated nod to Wayne Shorter's iconic impact here; word is that Lovano's "The Newark Flash" is one of the band's most hot-shit excursions.
THE BAD PLUS WITH BILL FRISELL | AUGUST 4, 3:25 PM | So far this summer they've played an Austin blues bar, the Marciac Jazz Festival, and Lincoln Center. Material has ranged from a spin on Stravinsky to their own "Silence Is the Question." Yes, the King/Anderson/Iverson triumvirate does many things, and they do them rather well — including integrating new personalities into their 12-year-old creative equation. Josh Redman spent a chunk of the summer stepping onboard. The intrepid Bill Frisell shares the stage this weekend. Methinks they should send up smoke signals to Pat Metheny, also on the bill this year. TBP does a powerhouse version of Ornette's "Song X," which Metheny helped birth, and a two-guitar romp through it would be a killing finale to what I assume will be terrific set.
RYAN TRUESDELL'S GIL EVANS CENTENNIAL PROJECT | SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 12:35 PM | Scholarship marks the young bandleader's recent unearthing of the master's overlooked scores. The big band he assembled to essay a handful of Evans's pieces on the recent Centennial album is way tight; they give us a chance to hear what could have been lost forever. They also give us a chance to hear some beautiful music.
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon |
JASON MORAN & THE BANDWAGON | AUGUST 5 3:20 PM | One of the era's most provocative pianists leads a trio that invariably breeds eloquence. It's a marvel to watch them pass the ball around on pieces like "Big Stuff" and "Old Baby." The boss has a knack for filtering oodles of jazz history into a tune (the like-minded Jaki Byard was a mentor), and the Bandwagon's stylistic breadth often makes way for a nod to hip-hop culture. Moran will also sit in with Jack DeJohnette for a short duo romp during the drummer's All-Stars gig on Saturday (4:50 pm).
Maria Schneider |
MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA | AUGUST 5, 3:20 PM | It's always exhilarating to see the composer-arranger lead her mighty brood through its paces in a club, but with the proper sound mix they just might be more impressive outdoors. Schneider's charts, especially something epic like "Cerulean Skies," are expansive — perfect to launch out over Narragansett Bay.AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE QUINTET | AUGUST 5, 4:20 PM | The young trumpeter made one of last year's best jazz records, When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note). That ranking was due to the level of articulation the quintet brought to its original material. Whether ballad ("Tear Stained Suicide Manifesto") or burner ("Jaya"), Akinmusire makes sure the exuberance is front and center.
John Hollenbeck |
JOHN HOLLENBECK'S CLAUDIA QUINTET + 1 | AUGUST 5, 4:40 PM | I just enjoyed a set by the drummer-composer's sextet last week. Their deep blend of vibraphone, accordion, and tenor sax, their clever designs in support of Kenneth Patchen's poetry, their natural authority in twisting moods — it all adds up to one captivating experience. Vocalists Kurt Elling and Theo Bleckmann vivify the poet's verse on Claudia's What Is the Beautiful? (Cuneiform), and they'll both be on hand at Fort Adams. Groovy meets dreamy.
Topics:
Jazz
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