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Caught
Jazz at the Limits: Avant
Artists Convene at Edgefest
THE 20TH EDITION OF EDGEFEST IN ANN
Arbor, Michigan, took place Oct. 26–29 and
fulfilled all its promises. It showcased some of
the most forward-looking artists in jazz and
improvised music, and the constant stream
of stellar performances kept the audience
engaged and enthralled throughout the fourday
festival.
The second day started in a bittersweet
fashion with a remembrance of the late pianist
Connie Crothers, who passed away Aug.
13. The organizers had originally booked
TranceFormation, a trio featuring the pianist
with vocalist Andrea Wolper and bass player
Ken Filiano.
For this tribute, Wolper and Filiano invited
multi-reed player Vinny Golia and drummer
Michael T.A. Thompson to join them. Before
the set actually started, Wolper made a poignant
statement—overcome with emotions
at one point—about her beloved cohort and
friend.
The first minutes of their fully improvised
act showed that their celebration of Crothers’
life would not be mournful. The musicians
threw themselves into a maelstrom of notes,
best illustrated by Golia’s flurries on the
sopranino. The lead voice alternated between
members, and the state of flux gave the music
new direction; the group also broke down in
duos or trios as they saw fit.
Wolper alternated between wordless vocals
and lyrics delivered in psalm-like fashion, occasionally
ending her phrases with a sigh. Golia,
an equal opportunity woodwind player, kept
switching between flute, baritone saxophone,
bass clarinet and clarinet to match the constantly
evolving tone of the musical environment.
Filiano’s nimble bass work featured effects
and bowing techniques that, at times, lent his
playing a vocal quality. In that regard, he was a
perfect foil for Wolper. Thompson also provided
valuable support; he often acted more like an
auxiliary percussionist than a drummer, privileging
colors and accents over rhythms.
Together, the four musicians came to a
poetic and ethereal conclusion, a most proper
ending to a heartfelt performance. As an ultimate
homage to their departed peer, they shouted,
“Thank you, Connie!” over the applause.
The piano trio is a quintessential jazz format
and pianists such as Satoko Fujii, Myra
Melford and Vijay Iyer have written music for
this configuration with the goal of expand-
ABBY DOTZ
John Hébert performs at Edgefest
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Oct. 28.
ing its possibilities. Among those also pushing
boundaries is pianist Kris Davis, who presented
her daring trio comprising bassist John
Hébert and drummer Tom Rainey on the third
evening.
This adventurous trio quickly set the mood
with “Twice Escaped,” an older piece that the
pianist has been keen to revisit with her various
projects. She provided violent thrusts and staggering
blows through repeated attacks. In such
an environment, it would have been easy for
Rainey to get carried away. Instead, he showed
the necessary restraint and hovered above the
drum kit with agile movements.
Whether plucking or bowing, Hébert could
add some tension or be as blunt and hard as the
leader. They followed with “Active Membranes,”
which opened with a thunderous and threatening
movement before Hébert gave the music a
minimalist orientation and Davis probed her
lines as if in a trance.
In recent times, Davis has been infatuated
with John Zorn’s Bagatelles. That night, the
trio tackled “Bagatelle No. 59,” a fast-paced and
intricate composition that also included flashes
of the jazz tradition.
They concluded with “Fragment,” another
multifaceted Davis original that drew to a sudden
and unexpected close. The trio performed
each composition as an eventful journey,
starting at one point and ending at another.
The fact that Hébert’s and Rainey’s eyes seldom
strayed from the charts laid in front of
them illustrated the demands of Davis’ music
and arrangements.
—Alain Drouot
18 DOWNBEAT FEBRUARY 2017