 |
| Jose James |
Jose James (JP Morgan Chase Main Stage)
The jazz vocalist Jose James released Yesterday
I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday in 2015. He revisited the project
at his Detroit Jazz Festival set Sunday afternoon. James is a vocalist with stagecraft
and an enormous voice. Unfortunately, it was rainy and windy during his concert.
However, James joked that such conditions are an opportune time to listen to
Holiday's music. James added new herbs and spices to God Bless the Child,
Strange Fruit, and Body and Soul. I'm not sure how many attendees
who braved the rain will consider this performance a favorite. However, hearing
James remake Holiday's classics was worth getting drenched.
Nubya Garcia
Nubya Garcia (Absopure Waterfront Stage)
The British tenor saxophonist's improvisational savviness
has been likened to the great Sonny Rollins. Any doubt about the accuracy of
their likeness was immediately dispelled during Garcia's soloing on the opening
number of her set. Garcia's band—pianist Greg Spero, drummer Sam James, and
bassist Lawrence Shaw—performed mostly music from Garcia's highly-touted first
album, Source. The band modernized acoustic swing was refreshing to hear.
Garcia was the marquee attraction, for sure. However, listening to Spero back
her and solo with such raw enthusiasm, I wondered if Garcia's quartet would still
swing hard if Spero was absent from the mix. His style reminded me of pianists
Craig Taborn and Jacky Terrasson.
Cecile McLorin Salvant
Cecile McLorin Salvant (JP Morgan Chase Main Stage)
A litany of show tunes, gems from the American
songbook, and obscure songs that are an acquired taste are expected from a
Cecile McLorin Salvant performance. Honestly, I've been bored to death at some
of her shows; at others, her angelic voice melted my soul. However, her Sunday
night set was the best I've experienced since she became a regular headliner at
the Detroit Jazz fest. I was intoxicated by every song I heard, and she's been
blessed with a soulmate in pianist Sullivan Fortner.
Chucho Valdes
Duets: Dianne Reeves, Chucho Valdes & Joe
Lovano (Carhartt Amphitheater Stage)
Given Reeves', Valdes's, and Lovano's different
musical makeup, I wondered if the pairing would work. But merging their uniqueness
turned out well. Valdes played solo piano to start the set and had the piano
airborne. After that, saxophonist Lovano joined him for a duet. Lovano was
blowing so aggressively that he nearly blew a hole in the moon. This duet replaces
Archie Shepp and Horace Parlan as my all-time favorite pianist and tenor sax duet.
The duet was enough to send the audience home gratified. Valdes's duet with
Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves was a bonus. Reeves was at her best,
scatting up a storm. When nestled into a slow-tempo song, her voice had a
puppy-love innocence. This set was hands down my favorite experience Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment