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| Bassist Marion Hayden |
I'm not a jazz musician, but if I were one and had
the money to assemble a fantasy jazz ensemble, my first hire would be jazz
bassist Marion Hayden. Hayden has been a force in Detroit since her teen years,
schooled by Detroit jazz greats Kenn Cox, Wendell Harrison, and Marcus
Belgrave. These days, Hayden is Detroit's reigning jazz Goddess and one of the
best and busiest jazz bassists working. Some of her more memorable outings have
been the special projects she's produced over the years, her all-bass ensemble "Bassment,"
her Detroit Legacy Ensemble, dedicated to keeping alive the music of late Detroit
jazz masters such as Roy Brooks, Donald Walden, and Teddy Harris Jr. If Hayden is
at the helm of a project, you can bank on the project being extraordinary. Her
excellence as a bassist and bandleader were again available for public consumption
Saturday evening during a presentation of Alice Coltrane's compositions at the 30th
Annual Concert of Colors. The hour-plus performance was at the Detroit
Institute of Arts. Hayden's ensemble—Tariq Gardner, Vincent Bowen, Dave Sharp,
Michael Malis, and Mahindi Masai—plunged headfirst into Coltrane's EI Cobayo,
El Daoud, Turiya Ramakrishna, and the Blue Nile. Hayden's ensemble also performed
harpist Brandee Younger's In Love and Struggle. Younger was a special guest,
and Coltrane's spirit appeared to be guiding Younger's hands during her solos.
The concert exceeded the lofty expectations I bet many attendees had. Coltrane
was a complete jazz pianist and harpist, and her music was more esoteric and spiritually
oriented than swing driven. So, Hayden's ensemble taking on Coltrane's work had
to be daunting. Still, their handling of it was pleasing and uplifting, rich
with captivating moments. Hayden is a leader who likes to share the ball. Younger
was the marquee player, but drummer Tariq Gardner—Hayden's son—solos were
scene-stealers. Gardner's playing was exuberant and tasteful, and he possessed
a command of the drums akin to jazz drummers Djallo DJakate and the late Roy
Brooks. As expected, Hayden played brilliantly throughout the concert, engaging
in a lovely exchange of virtuosity with pianist Michael Malis near the concert's
end. The near-capacity audience was enthusiastic the entire set and damn near
pleaded for an encore after the last selection. Had Hayden's ensemble not obliged,
I'm sure a riot would've erupted. The performance was that moving.
