Herman Leonard's Stolen Moments June 6,7,8 - New Jersey Jazz ...

Caught in
the Act
By Joe Lang
NJJS Music Committee Chair
Tribute to Ruby Braff
Columbia University — March 25, 2008
Rags, Strides and Stomps
Allen Room, JALC — March 28–29, 2008
David Finck Quartet
The Jazz Standard — March 31, 2008
The Four Freshmen
The Theatre at RVCC — April 5, 2008
By Joe Lang NJJS Music Committee Chair
There is so much good music happening in
the New York City metropolitan area, that,
even if you were to go out to hear live
sounds every day, the daily decision about
which gig or gigs to catch would leave you
with a sense of loss about those that you
opted to miss. Unfortunately, my time and
finances do not allow me the prospect of a
daily dose of live jazz, so I choose even
more carefully when opportunities present
themselves. Over the past month or so, I
have been privileged to see quite a bit of
fine music, so here is some feedback about
several of these evenings.
Ruby Braff was a jazz player with a
musical voice that was instantly recognizable.
He was a particular favorite of
many NJJS members, so it was fitting that
tribute was paid to him on March 25 at
Columbia University by four musicians who
have also graced many NJJS events,
trumpeter and cornetist Warren Vaché,
guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and Howard
Alden, and bassist Nicki Parrott.
In a 13-song set, these four players, each of
whom played with Ruby in some context,
captured the spirit of the Braff legacy. His
impish sense of humor, his originality as a
player and composer, and his dedication to
performing jazz at the highest levels of taste
and creativity guided this fine quartet
through their unflaggingly spirited tribute
program. At a typical performance, Braff
concentrated on choosing material that was
JerseyReviewsJazz
never less than first rate, and the songs
played on this evening would certainly have
met with Braff’s approval, as would their
formidable execution. Vaché is probably the
living brass player closest to Braff in style
and substance. Pizzarelli and Alden each
worked extensively with Braff. They share
his sense of how to overwhelm an audience
with substance rather than bombast. Parrott
is simply a sensational bassist in the mainstream
tradition where Braff chose to live
his musical life.
The group was similar in makeup to the
classic quartet that Braff co-led with
guitarist George Barnes, but there were
no attempts here at imitation. The group
played a few standards like “Them There
Eyes,” “Spring Is Here” and “Body and Soul.”
They added some Braff originals, including
“Everything’s George” and “With Time to
Love.” There were tunes like “Limehouse
Blues” and “Jubilee” that have been favorites
among jazz players for years and years. Two
particularly outstanding moments were
Howard Alden’s solo rendering of Duke
Ellington’s “Reflections in D,” and a
charming vocal by Nicki Parrott on “I Love
the Way You’re Breaking My Heart.”
The evening could well have been called
“Reflections on Ruby.”
Three very different piano players were
featured in a March 29 concert at the
Allen Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center in a
program titled “Rags, Strides and Stomps.”
Aaron Diehl is a young, classically trained
pianist who graduated from the Jazz
Program at Julliard. Jonathan Batiste is
currently in the Jazz Program at Julliard,
and has extensive experience playing in
various jazz settings in his hometown of
New Orleans. Marcus Roberts has been a
familiar figure in jazz circles since he joined
the group of Wynton Marsalis at the age of
21 in 1985.
Diehl opened the program with a temperate
performance of “Ripples of the Nile” by
Lucky Roberts. He picked up the tempo
with a Fats Wallerish approach to Eubie
Blake’s “The Charleston Rag.” The beautiful
“Echoes of Spring,” composed by Willie
“The Lion” Smith was followed by a goodhumored
rendering of James P. Johnson’s
“The Steeplechase Rag.” Diehl is quite
studied in his playing. He has the chops to
develop into a fine jazz pianist, but must
add some more emotional elements to his
exquisite technique in order to break out as
a jazz player.
His deeper exposure to jazz at an early age
gives Batiste something of a creative edge on
Diehl. He played three numbers, Scott
Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” Jelly Roll
Morton’s “New Orleans Blues,” and Joplin’s
“The Entertainer.” The Morton selection
built in intensity, as Batiste added a heavier
dose of stride while progressing through the
piece. On his closer, he gave what amounted
to a brief overview of modern jazz piano, as
he took this rag, and applied the influences
of Fats, Monk, Bud Powell and Erroll
Garner to create an olio of an arrangement.
While Roberts gave a nod to the theme of
the evening by assaying “Snowy Morning
Blues” by James P., and Joplin’s “The Easy
Winners,” he eased away into Cole Porter’s
“You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,”
retaining some stride elements, but moving
in a more modern direction. He then played
two originals, “After the Party Is Over,” a
piece of many moods that had more of a
film soundtrack quality than much of a jazz
feeling, and a forgettable piece titled
“Hidden Hues.” He closed with his most
satisfying performance on “If I Had You,” a
straight ahead jazz approach that ended the
evening on a high note.
Overall, the evening proved to be more
pleasant than exciting.
In the February issue of Jersey Jazz, I
reviewed bassist David Finck’s first album
as a leader, Future Day. Two of his band
mates from that disc, vibraphonist Joe Locke
and saxophonist Bob Sheppard were on
hand at The Jazz Standard on March 31
when Finck’s Soundbrush Records album
was officially released. Trumpeter Greg
Gisbert, pianist Bill O’Connell and drummer
Lewis Nash added their talents for an
evening that engaged the audience from first
notes to last.
The opening four numbers were played by
the quartet of Finck, Locke, O’Connell and
Nash. They kicked things off with a romping
take on Cedar Walton’s “Firm Roots,”
with Lock’s vibes almost taking off in flight
around the room. They followed with
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