Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Jonathan Rowden Group at Alvas Showroom

6

Jonathan Rowden Group at Alvas Showroom

By

Sign in to view read count
Jonathan Rowden Group
Alvas Showroom
San Pedro, CA
November 15, 2013

On the intimate stage at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, with warm, colorful lighting and a large, slanted mirror hanging overhead, the Jonathan Rowden Group gave a heartfelt performance to an appreciative audience. Rowden, a young Los Angeles based composer, showcased his own works alongside those of the group's pianist, and everyone in the band contributed inspired playing. The group consists of Jonathan Rowden on saxophones, Ryan Pryor on piano, Chris Hon on bass and James Yoshizawa on drums and percussion.

The set opened with one of Rowden's compositions, "27-1," which featured Rowden, Pryor and a Hon. The sensitive interplay between everyone in the band set the tone for the evening, and everyone took cues from each other, propelling the tune forward until it came to a close with a transition to the next song. Rowden used his pedals to contribute to the imaginative explorations of texture that constituted the transition as the band moved forward into Pryor's "Autonation." Experimentation with timbre and texture was a theme of the evening and is one of the group's strong suits. They continued with Pryor's arrangement of "In the Singing," which opened with a duo between him and Rowden; the subtle communication between the two of them attested to their musical chemistry. Rowden's "Rin's Song," an up-tempo number based around a catchy melody, followed. Composed for solo saxophone for an engagement Rowden had in Japan, the melody is rhythmically intriguing and the setting for the quartet is very open, allowing for a lot of harmonic freedom. The set closed with Pryor's arrangement of Madonna's "I'll remember," which brought forth fiery playing from everyone, particularly Yoshizawa.

The second set began with "Long Road Home," a drum feature written by Rowden especially for Yoshizawa. The first half of this tune found the band playing very rubato, with Yoshizawa making expert use of the kit to create a gorgeous palette underneath. They continued with a composition of Pryor's titled "Outside My Window," a fun tune with a lighthearted melody and intriguing harmony. The triplet feel and phrasing made it vaguely reminiscent of a jig. The final tune of the night provided the band an opportunity to showcase their superb ability to create captivating soundscapes. Rowden's "Snowing in Paradise" began with a completely freely improvised introduction where Rowden made expert use of his pedals, creating ethereal vocal effects. The melody was established and the group quickly picked up the intensity. The song and the night ended with scorching intensity as the band proceeded to crescendo into the final note. Definitely check this group out next time they are playing.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near Los Angeles
Jazz Near Los Angeles
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.