THE DETROIT JAZZ PRESERVATION CONCERT SERIES CELEBRATES THE MUSIC OF KAMAU KENYATTA

 

Kamau Kenyatta

No one at the Detroit Jazz Preservation Concert Series Sunday evening would have guessed the quintet trombonist Vincent Chandler assembled to perform the work of pianist Kamau Kenyatta had only been together for three hours. The quintet included pianist Brendon Davis, bassist Langton Kitchen, drummer Sean Perlmutter, saxophonist Alvin Paige, and Chandler steering the operation. They were tight and sound professionally polished, as any known jazz group I have heard, indicating the wealth of talent currently in Detroit's jazz scene. The only band member I knew other than Chandler was Davis, who the entire concert was comfortable as the centerpiece. Davis has quickly developed his piano skills and has been an excellent addition to many bands. His soloing has an intimacy that listeners could immediately embrace, like a beloved family member. He has an elder pianist command of his instrument. The Kenyatta celebration opened with his 2019 tune "Smoke," Paige wasted no time making his presence felt with a gutbucket lead solo. I could not pinpoint his tenor sax influences, but he owns a thick and mature sound for such a young blower, and his acumen for navigating chord changes belies his youth. He was the perfect frontline companion, blending seamlessly with Chandler. Kenyatta compositions are not complicated. They seem fueled by digestible melodies and allow room to flex and explore. After the quintet smoked on "Smoke," they performed "Peter Kobia," "Don't Forget Your Music," "The Outsider," Shahida," and other gems. Kenyatta's compositions are not standards or permanent features in any jazz band's repertoires, an issue that Chandler addressed before introducing "Watching and Waiting. "Chandler implored the members to include Kenyatta's music in their repertoires when they start bands. The performance overall stuck to your ribs like the tributes to Detroiters Betty Carter, Pepper Adams, and Donald Walden. Attendees will likely boast about the quintet's flawless performance as if they have been touring together for years.

WYNTON MARSALIS & JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER PERFORM NEW ARRANGEMENTS OF COOL AND HARD BOP CLASSICS AT THE UMS CONCERT SERIES

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra are best when performing the music of legendary jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, and Lennie Tristano with crisp arrangements from orchestra members. Such was the case Saturday evening at Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan. It was the orchestra's annual University Music Society concert, and it was more invigorated and youthful than I remember them being, which could rightly be attributed to the excellent soloing of new members, saxophonists Adbias Armenteros, Chris Lewis, Alexa Tarantino, and trombonist Micheal Dease. This time out, the orchestra performed music from the Cool and Hard bop genres, opening with Gerry Mulligan's arrangement of "Godchild" from Miles Davis's landmark album "Birth of the Cool." Marsalis played the changes with such vigor and sophistication God would've had chill bumps listening to him blow. After that opener, the orchestra exposed the heat sources of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" and Lennie Tristano's "Wow." The orchestra performed new arrangements of well-known jazz standards during the set's second half. The jazz pianist Benny Green composed a song," For Duke Pearson, " honoring Duke Pearson." I prayed the night before the concert that Green would be a surprise special guest, but that didn't happen. Instead, the orchestra's longstanding pianist, Dan Nimmer, was featured, and his fingers danced and dashed across the keys as if their tips were on fire. Nimmer's style is akin to Pearson and Green, and he played the song as if Green composed the song in his honor instead of Pearson. There were more memorable features like the Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker-inspired version of "Star Dust, " featuring trumpeter Ted Nash and baritone saxophonist Paul Nedzela playing counter melodies. Trumpeter Marcus Printup had the devil in tears during his remake of Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford." The orchestra kept the audience belly full with picturesque offerings of Elmo Hope's "Minor Bertha" and Luther Allison's "Milk Route." The concert ended with Wayne Shorter's "Backstage Sally." The JLCO's presentation might've appeared all over the place to the untrained and unsophisticated ear. The orchestra is world-class and staffed with sophisticated swingers. There was an undeniable beauty to this cool school hard-bop performance.