THE XAVIER DAVIS NEW YORK JAZZ QUARTET OPENS THE MIDTOWN JAZZ CRAWL AT THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS.

 

Pianist Xavier Davis

The Midtown Jazz Crawl, presented by the Carr Center, exemplifies the organization’s commitment to outstanding jazz programming. The first event in 2022 featured top jazz musicians, including Tia Fuller, Camelle Thurman, Keyon Harrold, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Jazzmeia Horn. Due to budget reductions, this year's crawl—taking place at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the Cathedral of St. Paul—is less star-heavy compared to its debut. Nevertheless, the opening performance by the Xavier Davis Quartet on Friday evening in the Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts was exceptional. The quartet performed material from his discography and from the works of well-regarded Detroit icons such as Pepper Adams and Tommy Flanagan. Davis introduced saxophonist Greg Tardy, drummer Quincy Davis, and bassist Vincente Archer by joking that he might call the group the Professors of Jazz, as each member teaches at a prominent university. Davis himself is a Jazz Piano professor at Michigan State University. The 90-minute performance felt like a graduate seminar exploring every nook and cranny of acoustic jazz. No fanfare or unnecessary grandstanding—just four adult jazz musicians cooking. This jazz quartet is about as excellent as you could hope for in a straight-ahead. group. Davis never clarified when the band got together or how long they had been performing as a group. If I had to guess, I would say as long as established other powerhouse jazz outfits like the Branford Marsalis Quartet and the James Carter Trio. Davis opened with "Plan Unknown” from his first album. Tardy, who established a solid reputation in the late 1990s alongside notable musicians such as Roy Hargrove, Mark Shim, Christian McBride, and Jason Moran, truly made an impact several choruses in, wolfing down the chord changes like snack cakes. Tardy’s tone was arresting but never too aggressive, which perfectly fits Davis’s sophisticated and thoughtful brand of piano playing. It’s so pleasing to hear a jazz pianist like Davis treat the piano with such care and reverence, as do pianists Kenny Barron and Eric Reed. Davis never whips and bangs the piano like some nut working out his aggression. On “Quiet Corner” and “Dance of Life,” Davis’s fingers melt over the keys. He surrounds himself with like-minded chops like his brother Quincy Davis, an undemonstrative drummer who never gets in the way or attempts to divert the audience’s attention to himself. Midway through the set, Davis confessed that he struggles with assembling setlists. I found that hard to believe, given the unified beauty of each composition the quartet performed.