David Adler
December 2001

New York @ Night
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By David R. Adler

Regrets

For various reasons it was a short month, and some very important shows had to be missed. Topping the list is trumpeter Baikida Carroll’s double-bill with Roscoe Mitchell at Merkin Hall. A close second is the Dave Holland Quintet’s run at Birdland. Brad Mehldau at the Vanguard, David Gilmore and Orrin Evans at the Jazz Gallery — all missed. Next time.

The Vanguard

Cyrus Chestnut’s trio stint at the Vanguard, with Michael Hawkins on bass and Neal Smith on drums, included some clean, precisely played originals — "Sunshine on a Rainy Cloud" was a standout. The pianist also offered an unaccompanied "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and was especially sharp on "Alone Together." Chestnut’s approach couldn’t be more inside, but he’s bringing back a kind of "soul jazz" that is compelling on its own terms. He’s got a strong sound and an offbeat sense of humor, too. At the end of the set he told the crowd: "We’re going to take a brief pause, seek liquid refreshment, think about what we’ve done, and make sure we never do it again."

Later in the month Tom Harrell played phenomenally with his quintet, featuring Xavier Davis on piano, Jimmy Greene on tenor sax, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and Quincy Davis on drums. Much of the music was new, with complex lines and captivating harmonies, a good deal grittier than Paradise, Harrell’s latest album. Recording mics were in place, suggesting that there’s a live disc in the works. Harrell is clearly an embattled soul, but he commands nothing less than reverence with that horn (and pen) of his. Give it up to him also for keeping the tunes focused and concise. When Xavier Davis backed Harrell on a duo version of "Everything Happens to Me" the room swelled with emotion. The underrated Davis plays as though he were born on the piano bench. Greene too sent Harrell’s music soaring. After working through some highly challenging music, Harrell decided to wing it and signed off with "Like Someone In Love."

Diasporas: South Asia and the Middle East

Guitarist Rez Abbasi played Cornelia Street with Marc Mommass and Adam Kolker on saxes, John Hebert on bass, and Satoshi Takeishi on drums (subbing for Michael Sarin). Brandishing his Coral sitar guitar as well as his usual solidbody, Abbasi unfurled new music that subtly expressed elements of his Pakistani heritage. Highlights included "Destiny Owes You," "Leather," and "Hindu Myth" (a play on Hindemith). The extraordinary difficulty of the material posed no problem for these players, least of all Abbasi himself, who played with blinding facility but also consistent soul. Abbasi has gone too long without a current recording, but there’s one in the can that will finally see release. He’ll also be recording these new tunes, and thank heavens — they’re just too good not to be heard.

When pianist Vijay Iyer and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa play duo, as they did at the Jazz Gallery on November 16, they go by the name Raw Materials. Most of the music is usually performed by either Iyer’s or Mahanthappa’s quartet, so when they break it down to a duo setting, the rhythmic skeletons are laid bare. As they work through a given tune, you can just imagine Elliot Kavee or Derrek Phillips on drums, but it’s left for piano and sax to generate all that rhythmic information and drive. They manage just fine — although they both say they keep meaning to sit down and write some actual duo music. (Some newly procured grant money ought to help in that regard.) Both Iyer and Mahanthappa are sons of Indian immigrants, and their ethnic heritage informs their work. Mahanthappa inflects his iron-strong tone with the sound of double-reed instruments and Hindustani vocalists; Iyer’s playing is steeped in Eastern polyrhythmic concepts.

Avishai Cohen plays piano, rather than bass, when leading his International Vamp Band, which returned to the Jazz Gallery on November 14. Playing music from their excellent Stretch debut Unity, the group focused intently on Latin and Middle Eastern themes. Cohen was talkative and very warm toward the audience. He’s an able pianist, but it’s his frontline players — trumpeter Diego Urcola, trombonist/flutist Avi Lebovich, saxophonist Yosvany Terry — who really shine on this music. Bassist Yagil Baras and drummer Eric McPherson held down the rhythm section; Terry put down the horn occasionally to play a mean, remarkably creative chekere. The showstopper was when Cohen took up the bass, set up a slow and funky riff, and then handed the instrument off to his student, Bryan Keleen, who put his own stamp on the figure before handing it over to Baras — and so on, in a round-robin fashion.

Trios Without Drums

The John Pizzarelli Trio brought down the house at Birdland. OK, so he’s a little showbizzy, a little schmaltzy, but he, brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass, and Ray Kennedy on piano are as tight as can be, channeling the classic Nat Cole Trio. And in addition to his infectious voice, J.P. is a mother of a bop soloist, scatting effortlessly in unison with his machine-gun lines and shout-chorus chords. The satisfyingly long show began with "Shine on Your Shoes" and went on to include "I’m an Errand Boy for Rhythm," a lush "When Lights Are Low" (featuring a guitar solo played fully with false harmonics), "Portrait of Jenny," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and many more. Pizzarelli even blew through his "Wonder of It All" jingle for Foxwoods casino and did a hilariously unabridged version of "I Like Jersey Best." (Didn’t even know that was his.)

Vibraphonist Tom Beckham founded "Norville" to investigate the music of the great Red Norvo Trio circa 1950-1955. Guitarist Craig Ebner and bassist David Brodie joined Beckham for a happy hour set at Detour (Beckham matter-of-factly referred to the gig as a rehearsal). Faithful renditions of "Can’t We Be Friends," "Godchild," "Tea for Two" and more brought out the understated yet fiery elegance of the Norvo Trio sound. Beckham may be doing straight Norvo transcriptions (with a few twists) at this point, but he plans to use the same instrumentation to explore his own music, as well as that of Lennie Tristano.