AT THE PARADISE JAZZ SERIES, THE SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL SUITE IN SEVEN MOVEMENTS

The SFJAZZ Collective

 

The SFJAZZ Collective, an all-star ensemble, commemorated 20 years of music on Saturday night at the Paradise Jazz Series with a commissioned suite in seven movements. Since its inception in 2004, the collective has featured renowned jazz musicians, including Joshua Redman, Sean Jones, Rene Rosnes, and Bobby Hutcherson. The collective has showcased music from the great American songbook, pop songs, and original works by various members. For the Paradise Jazz Series presentation, the group performed a suite in which vibist Warren Wolfe, saxophonists David Sanchez and Chris Potter, pianist Edward Simon, trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Kendrick Scott contributed individual movements. The suite could have felt disjointed with so many hands in the pot, with one or two movements overshadowing the others. However, that wasn’t the case here. All seven movements were equally captivating, featuring standout solos by Wolfe and Potter. The 90-minute concert was my first time hearing Potter live. I’m familiar with his studio recordings, but there’s nothing like witnessing the gunslinger perform live with similarly skilled musicians. Potter embodies a massive tone on the tenor saxophone, drawing you in just a few choruses into one of his gorgeous solos. On Saturday night, he was the crowd favorite. This was the first live concert I attended, where every moment felt like it could make the highlight reel. This performance was undeniably better than the last time the group performed at the Paradise Jazz Series, where they played music by Michael Jackson. That was my least favorite jazz concert of all time. The reason being, there’s nothing sadder than a group of jazz musicians playing pop music—that’s more than my jazz purist heart can bear. This time, the collective was masterful in presenting the seven-movement suite, making it a fitting way to celebrate 20 years of swinging at the highest level.

THE BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET DEBUTS AT THE UMS CONCERT SERIES

Branford Marsalis, Justin Faulkner, Eric Revis & Joey Calderazzo

On Wednesday night at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor, MI, the Branford Marsalis Quartet debuted in the University Music Society concert series. As I enjoyed one of the best jazz bands around, I couldn’t help but wonder why it took the UMS organizers so long to bring Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner to town. The quartet performed hits from past recordings and their upcoming Blue Note Records debut, “Spiral Dance," as if being part of the series was a top priority on the quartet’s vision board. Unfortunately, Marsalis did not discuss the new recording. The quartet has been together for about 30 years, with just one personnel change: Justin Faulkner took over for Jeff “Tain” Watts in 2009. Faulkner quickly emerged as the guiding light of the quartet. His drumming on Wednesday was soul-stirring. The quartet began the 90-minute set with Calderazzo’s burner “The Mighty Sword.” Right from the start, one could sense the band’s cohesion and their ability to comfortably explore the nooks and corners of each other’s musical psyches. Marsalis is the pilot, but by the time the quartet powered through Keith Jarrett’s “Long as You Know You’re Living Yours” and Paul Whiteman’s “There Ain’t No Sweet Man Worth the Salt of My Tears,” it became clear that Calderazzo and Faulkner are more than just the band’s copilots. Their chemistry is unmatched. Often, they get so fired up that one might easily mistake their back-and-forth trading for showboating. In reality, it’s simply two professional swingers doing what swingers do: satisfying the cravings of an audience eager for great jazz. Rest assured, no one left with an empty belly after the quartet finished performing. It’s easy to become entranced watching Calderazzo’s hands race across the piano keys and his feet flop like a fish out of water. The individual play on Revis’s “Love/Stranger,” which Marsalis jokingly called Revis’s take on a modern love song, was the highlight of the set. Each member soloed as if it were the last solo they would ever play. Revis writes eccentric songs, and Marsalis often playfully teases him about them. At a Paradise Jazz Series concert several years ago, Marsalis described one of Revis’s abstract songs, telling the audience that this is the kind of music you play when you don’t want to get paid. What’s interesting about Revis’s songs is their complexity, which allows musicians to expand their virtuosity. Marsalis paraded the breadth of his chops on this number with a controlled intelligence he has cultivated over time. Marsalis’s quartet delivered an outstanding debut, which is no surprise. The UMS organizers should consider bringing the quartet back to the series at least every other year.

 

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.