 |
| Leslie DeShazor |
It's a crying shame that violinist Leslie DeShazor doesn't
have a permanent residency at a popular jazz club in Detroit. She's an extraordinary performer with diverse musical chops, able to play classical, jazz, smooth
jazz, and R&B with equal aplomb. And she's been a Godsend to the many groups
she's performed with over the years. If you've heard her with vocalist Naima
Shamborguer's project Sister Strings and on the frontline with the group Musique
Noire, you know my praise has merit. As we speak, DeShazor is building a name as
a bandleader. Thursday evening at Detroit's Dirty Dog Jazz Café—her debut there
as a bandleader—she performed choice gems from her impeccable debut recording Journey
With Me. In her band were keyboardist Demetrius Nabors, drummer Nate Winn, and
guitarists Damon Warmack and Sasha Kashperko. DeShazor's music was a departure
from the straight-ahead acoustic jazz you'd usually get at the Dirty Dog, but
the near-capacity audience was enthralled with her music. A key part of her appeal
was her leadership style. She was comfortable explaining the impetus behind
each original composition the band played, and she never micro-managed the band.
She gave Winn, Warmack, Kashperko, and Nabors equal portions of the spotlight.
That bothered me some. DeShazor is such a complete and dynamic musician. I wanted
her to solo more. But when she soloed, she had the audience transfixed. The
Dirty Dog's bartender, Carl—who has a critic's passion and understanding of
jazz—cheered during every solo she took. She performed Acceptance and
Journey with Me with such warmth that I was convinced the violin would melt
in her hands. Of her bandmates, she had the most chemistry with Winn and
Nabors. On Simply Complicated, Nabors had the piano floating, and Winn's
rimshots ricocheted off the walls on Kashperko's composition Anxiety Society.
Halfway through the set, I wondered if the show would've been more enjoyable
had she opted to play with a trio. The inclusion of the guitarists was overkill.
Given the enthusiastic outpouring from the audience, DeShazor can bank on
having a frequent residency at the Dirty Dog.
