REMEMBERING - New Jersey Jazz Society

JerseyReviewsJazze have three stages now, and I“W wish we could have more to give allthese young musicians a chance to be heard,”Newport jazz festival founder (and savior for2009) George Wein told thousands oflisteners at the August 7–9 re-dubbed GeorgeWein’s CareFusion Jazz Fest 55.And indeed there was plenty of youthfultalent at this most venerable of jazz fests,including luminaries like EsperanzaSpalding, Jane Monheit, rapper Mos Def,Hiromi, Miguel Zenon, Brian Blade, JoshuaRedman, Claudia Acuna and James Carter.All are 40 or under, which qualifies them asmere kids to this 70-year-old reviewer.But when it came to booking talent forprime time on the big stage that Sunday, thenod went to a trio of octogenarians: RoyHaynes, 83, Dave Brubeck, 88 and TonyBennett, 83, and their small groups.Neither Brubeck nor Bennett played or sanganything new, but who really cared? Audienceroared at “Take Five” and “I Left My Heart”and dozens of other well-done chestnuts.Brubeck was in particularly fine form. Heopened with an Ellington medley, full of histrademark stutter-step chords and betweenthe-beataccents, building the tension so integralto all good jazz. He teased the crowdplaying “Stormy Weather” as clouds threatenedto burst over historic Fort Adams StatePark and the yacht-filled Narragansett Bay.The rain never came, and the pianist took astroll on the “Sunny Side of the Street.”Alto player Bobby Militello switched to fluteon Brubeck’s ethereal “Elegy,” and injectedsome “Blue Rondo a la Turk” into “TakeFive,” a double rhythmic adventure.Rock-steady backing from Michael Mooreon bass and drummer Randy Jones allowedBrubeck to meander at will on keys withoutever losing his way.Festival closer Bennett brought Brubeckback to sit in on piano as they revisited“That Old Black Magic,” a duet they lastOld Old Favorites Star at NewportBy Sandy Ingham | Photos by Richard SkellyNeither Brubeck nor Bennett played or sang anything new,but who really cared?played together at JFK’s White House in1962.Bennett clearly relishes his continued reignas king of the Great American Songbook,raising his arms like a prizefighter afterconquering a high-note climax, grinning earto ear, sometimes doing a Gene Kelly impersonationas his rather sedate quartet takes aturn in the spotlight. His voice remains awonder of the world.I missed most of the Roy Haynes Fountainof Youth set as I checked out SteveBernstein’s Millennium Territorial Orchestraon a side stage and was captivated. The ninepieceband employs a violinist and guitaristboth equipped with wah-wah pedals, andthe leader plays a slide trumpet at times.The repertoire ranges from 1920s jazz topop to Sun Ra-like chaos to country(guitarist Matt Munisteri sings in a laid-backway that echoes Willie Nelson). All of this isrearranged for maximum novelty, and joy.Case in point: One number begins with afree jazz free-for-all, then morphs into“Le Marseilleise,” then into a super-swingingBeatles hit, “All You Need Is Love.”Bernstein conducts with show-biz flair,summoning imaginative, often zany, solosfrom all hands, and coaching the crowd,shushing us when a tune seems to be endingonly to be calming down for a violin solo.The MTO is based in New York. Alas, noupcoming dates are listed on Bernstein’sWeb site. Many of us would love to hear thisband again.Earlier Sunday, alto saxist RudreshMahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalitioncreated jazz out of Indian-based melodies,including a hypnotic Ravi Shankar ballad.Dan Weiss’s hammering and tapping onfinely tuned and retuned tablas was musicto both ear and eye.I caught the end of Joe Lovano’s UsFive set,with the robust saxophonist wailing theWBGO's JoshJackson preparesfor live broadcastfrom Newport.Sandy Ingham isJersey Jazz’sroving reporter.48_________________________________ October 2009Lew TabackinEsperanza SpaldingDave Brubeck