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Live Reviews
Ottawa International Jazz Festival – Day Two, June 24, 2005
John Kelman
With the realization that there will always be more music coming at him than he can keep up with, John wonders why anyone would think that jazz is dead or dying.Scott's tonal and harmonic conception is deeply rooted in Charlie Christian, by way of more evolved players like Grant Green and Wes Montgomery; he's got a firm command of his instrument, with a solid ability to navigate the changes of this largely standards-based set. But as facile as he is, he still needs to find a voice. There are plenty of solid trad-based guitarists and, while Scott can clearly match many of them, he needs to find a stronger personal identity if he wants to emerge from the masses.
Still, that being said, Scott and his sextet—with a tenor/trombone front line and a rhythm section featuring Canadian legend Bernie Senensky on piano—delivered the goods in a nearly two-hour set that included standards like "The Days of Wine and Roses and Grant Green's "Matador, along with Charlie Christian's "Swing to Bop, Hank Mobley's "An Aperitif and the Scott-penned "Friends. Senensky stood out with a more adventurous way of approaching the mainstream material. When everyone but Senensky, bassist Duncan Hopkins and drummer Joel Haynes left the stage to give them the opportunity to stretch out on a radically reharmonized version of "My Romance," Senensky's more modern approach and distinctive voice became crystal clear.
Senensky's playing illustrated the difference between being completely reverential to one's roots and finding ways to expand those influences in new and original ways. Still, Scott may be young, but Senensky has been on the scene for thirty years, playing with renowned Canadians Lenny Breau and Dave Young, as well as internationally known artists including Eddie Henderson, Harvie Swartz and Akira Tana. Greater experience and opportunity may well give Scott the chance to develop the individual voice he needs to get to the next level.
Tomorrow: Ottawa's Pete Brown Trio, the Ed Thigpen Scantet, Quebec's Lorraine Desmarais Big Band and Ensemble en Pièces, and headliner David Murray and the Gwo-Ka Masters Creole Project.
Visit Wayne Eagles, Mike Milligan, Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, Hugh Fraser and VEJI, and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival on the web.
Photo Credit
John Fowler
