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| Jason Marsalis |
The last time vibist Jason Marsalis played the
Dirty Dog Jazz Café, he unveiled a new band assembled to honor the music of
Benny Goodman. Unfortunately, the set was underwhelming, partly because the
band was still in its infancy and hadn't gelled. At Marsalis's return to the
Dirty Dog, he presented classics the great Lionel Hampton wrote or popularized.
Marsalis's hour-long set Saturday evening began and ended strong. This time,
Marsalis was accompanied by bassist Noah Jackson, drummer Louis Jones III, and
pianist Brendon Davis, jazz musicians who are household commodities in Detroit.
The set opened with Lionel Hampton's "Airmail Special." Then, the
band swam through "Sweet Sue Just You" and Eubie Blake's "Memories
of You." Marsalis is a solid vibist who has a proclivity for dressing up
classics. He's not as gung-ho as jazz vibists Steve Nelson or as showy and
acrobatic as Stefon Harris. Still, there's an allure and savviness to
Marsalis's approach, complemented by the excellent piano work of Brendon Davis.
Davis's soloing was cutlery sharp, and the ghost of the late great Cedar Walton
possessed Davis's left hand. Undoubtedly, Davis was the band's centerpiece.
Marsalis prefaced each selection with a backstory, which wasn't surprising. A
lot of jazz history is what you get at a concert by any Marsalis brother. The
best moments happened near the conclusion. First, the band performed guitarist
Pat Metheny's tune "So May It Secretly Begin" the way Marsalis imagined
Hampton would've powered through it. Then, they spoon-fed the audience an ultra-modern
version of Ellis Marsalis's gem "Tell Me," which was a fitting ending
to a terrific hour of music.
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