Sunday, June 5, 2022

VIOLINIST LESLIE DESHAZOR ENTHRALLS THE AUDIENCE AT HER DIRTY DOG JAZZ CAFÉ DEBUT


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.

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