AprilCadence2013

Short Takes USA: Philadelphia
North Carolina that day had been tough. “I kind of wish this had happened
10 years ago (the heart attack),” he said, “Because I think my playing is better.”
His trio was very connected and Nilssen-Love, who is everywhere these
days, and Rune Strom are just a special force together. Gjerstad's clarinet work
was intriguing, adding color without overtaking the stage…Guitarist
Monnette Sudler's 4th Annual Philly Guitar Summit at Montgomery Country
Community College on 12/15 was a curious presentation of scattered genres
with intent to inspect the blues. Sudler opened the evening as a soloist and
then revealed that bluesman Georgie Bonds was hospitalized that morning so
in his place was blues singer Frank Bey. “For soundcheck,” Sudler said, “We
sat in the car and I said these are the songs.” The two were dispatched after a
couple well-done tunes and Senegalese folklorist Kala Jojo and his trio (his
son and a cousin) played three tunes featuring the leader on kora and ngoni.
Next up was famed fusion pioneer guitarist Larry Coryell who impressed on
a couple solo tunes and then looked around wondering where his guitar assistant
and bandmembers were; not knowing it was time for intermission. His
trio with electric bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Kenwood Dennard elevated
the music to great highs when they did take the stage. Coryell thrilled
his loyal legions with some fusionist songs but also played in an entirely modern
approach on other pieces such as “Footprints,” which opened sedately
and then climaxed. A beautiful take of “Black Orpheus” followed Bailey soloing
on a tune by Joe Zawinul, his former boss. Bailey's fingerpicking technique
was devastating. Dennard took full advantage of his two solo moments
and could have pleased a stadium sized audience with his rock solid effort.
Post set, a listener thanked Bailey, who said, “Thanks man, I'm just trying to
come out here with this instrument and play. The hip-hoppers have taken all
our money!”…Bowerbird's John Cage celebration - Cage: Beyond Silence -
continued with his student, pianist Margaret Leng Tan, back at the Phila.
Museum of Art on 12/16 to perform Cage's Sonatas & Interludes - 16 sonatas
and 4 interludes written between 1946 and 1948. It required a prepared piano
- Cage's invention - and a map and ruler to set it up, a feat that takes over 3
hours each time to place the bolts, screws, washers, nuts, plastic, rubber and
putty. To prepare for the event, Tan set up a piano at the New York City
Steinway store (she's a Steinway artist so it's free) and practiced three nights
in a row. The 70 minute performance offered sounds akin to church bells,
Asian musical overtones, harpsichord and pipe organ. Mid-performance, a
child's tearful cry from outside the auditorium added a grounding presence to
the surreal segment. There was an impressionistic feel to the work, at times
the shimmering vibration of the washes and bolts and sustain acted to accompany
Tan's playing. Much of the music was soft and unevenly spaced but it all
successfully encouraged the listener to think of “music” in a different light…
Leave it to drummer Matt Wilson to mischievously get into the holiday spirit.
He's been ending the past couple years with the Christmas Tree-O band with
47 | CadenCe Magazine | april May June 2013