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Live Reviews
Caramoor Jazz Festival 2005: Day 1
R.J. DeLuke
R.J. DeLuke is an indefatigable jazz fan and arbiter elegantiarum who aspires to ultimate hipness; also an upstate NY freelance writer for various media.The three drummers, Hart, Andrew Cyrille and Michael Carvin, presented a "Percussion Discussion that was also far from mainstream, but their musicianship held it all together and the statements they made in unison, each on their own trap set, were very musical. They melded styles to get across riffs, like "Drums or Girl Dancers, or songs like Monk's "Hackensack and "Salt Peanuts. Each played sparkling grooves and seemingly effortless swing. All acknowledged their debt to Max.
Bird and Diz Live was the theme of McPherson and Harrell's set. As billed, the group ripped through tunes by Gillespie and Charlie Parker, McPherson in great form, his speed and dexterity an appropriate choice. Harrell is not a Gillespie acolyte, his sound more full and phrasing more melodic than the dazzle of Dizzy. Yet the difference wasn't important. Harrell can play, and was a good foil for McPherson's more fierce bebop offerings. It was a good set of tunes like "Quasimodo, "Anthropology and "A Night In Tunisia.
Day Two of the festival is Saturday, Aug. 6, and features a tribute to Sinatra, pianist Bill Charlap, trombonist Steve Turre, vocalist Luciana Souza and more.
