By Jason West
Steve Lacys March 5th visit to Dimitrious Jazz Alley prompted curious students, auditory intellectuals and hard-core jazz heads to congregate en masse and pay tribute to one of the finest soprano saxophonists in the world today. Those in attendance were not disappointed as Lacy and his trio mates, bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel and John Betsch, performed two, ninety-minute sets that included a mixture of Lacy originals and classics by Thelonious Monk. The conclusion of each piece was greeted by honest, exclamatory applause deserving of one whose uncompromising study of free jazz has spanned the last 40 years.
Wearing a loose-fitting, dark cotton suit cut in martial arts fashion, Lacy looked the part of a musical shaman imparting sonic wisdom with his golden staff. His sound was clear and clean, aside from a few brief squeaks into the super-high altissimo register of the soprano, and he and produced a powerful tone while exhibiting complete control over his instrument. No energy was wasted; no note without purpose.
Although Lacy purportedly influenced John Coltranes soprano journeys, no two players could be more dissimilar. Rather than sailing through uncharted sheets of sound, Lacys approach is minimal. Ideas are developed naturally, yet there is a logical flow to his lyricism that is at once captivating to the ear and contemplative to the mind. Lacy chose his notes artfully and his judicious use of space was reminiscent of Miles Davis at times. Indeed, knowing when not to play tends to create balance and heighten expectations, an effect which Lacy proved to have thoroughly mastered.
Bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel had no trouble blending his individual voice with Lacys musical vision. Like most European double bassists, Avenel is classically trained and technically advanced. His playing incorporated two-hand chords, double and triple stops, hammer-ons and pull-offs all with incredible dexterity and intonation. Performing while seated, Avenel more than pulled his own melodic, harmonic and rhythmic weight; he complimented Lacy solo for solo, tune for tune.
A hidden treasure in the landscape of modern drummers, John Betsch made the near impossible seem like childs play. Betschs time feel was unorthodox and uncanny: so perfect and yet so natural. Utilizing both a match and traditional gripping of the drumsticks, he anchored the trio with supreme confidence and the tremendous discipline, peppering his playing with bass-drum-accented cymbal crashes and delicate, understated brush strokes. Betschs single note playing complimented Lacys minimalist sensibilities, and like Lacy, he manipulated space and time to dramatic effect. Throughout the set, Betsch a large, powerful man wore a perpetual, no-nonsense scowl, clearing the way for smiles all round at the conclusion of each piece.
Lacys debt to Thelonious Monk is well documented. In 1960, the saxophonist played in Monks quintet and soon afterward formed a quartet with trombonist Roswell Rudd dedicated to performing the works of the great bebop pianist and composer. This evenings concert offered versions of Monks Shuffle Boil and Trinkle Twinkle, each sounding just as fresh as when they were first perfomed over half a century ago. Lacy originals The Bath, Gospel and Rent were also presented, the latter tune providing the some of evenings most dissonant and dynamic moments.
Lacy is also well known for setting his music to poetry. As Usual, inspired by beat poet Bob Kaufman, developed from a lumbering, Mingus-like circular phrase that repeated every 11 beats. The tunes relatively simple harmonic form allowed Lacys trio to stretch out in all directions, producing fertile solos from its leader and bassist. For his part, Betsch impressed to no end, deconstructing the elements of a textbook snare drum roll from hourglass whisper to thundering roar.
