Royce Hall is packed tonight and available tickets were in a very short supply for this group of extraordinary young players. This is the first time that I have seen the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra perform and I am quite interested to get a taste of the buzz. Leading the band from the rear, in the trumpet section of course, was none other than the world famous, youthful, iconoclastic figure for jazz, education and the torch bearer for tradition, Mr. Wynton Marsalis. This is an orchestra with youth on its side. They are a number of young technicians that clearly are immersed in the sound, style and classical tradition of big band music.
Benny Carter, an adored composer of Wynton’s and someone who has conducted the band himself on a few occasions, is remembered with a couple of his compositions performed by the orchestra. Mary Lou Williams is another one of those composers not to be forgotten. She wrote many compositions for Duke Ellington and many others, sometimes even composing music on a paper napkin. The LCJO performs Mary’s, “Big Jim’s Blues” which was written for Harry “Big Jim” Lawson, a trumpet player in the big bands back in the 30’s and 40’s.
This was one of Mary’s soulful blues tunes indeed. Wynton showcases his attachment to the soul and roots of the blues as he squeals hollers and slings the sound of his horn like a brotha coming out of a bar after his woman done left him fo anotha man. Now dats da blues! He captured all of the sensibilities and emotion that I am sure that Mary expressed in her original composition.
Ron Westray’s trombone sang in the
Holding true to the tradition of the suit and tie, the LCJO looks good as Wynton expounds upon the history of each composer with grace and humor. Usually, young players come into a band to establish a name for themselves and then breakout on their own. However, many of these players already have a number of albums to their name so being a member of the LCJO is strictly for the love of the music.
Another Mary Lou Williams composition, “The Foggy Bottom” swung with Aaron Gold berg on piano, Carlos Enriquez on bass and Victor Goines on Tenor each telling stories and having conversations on their instruments. Intelligent humor, good form and classic jazz music performed to perfection is how the LCJO does their thing. Herlin Riley sings the blues while maintaining a rhythmic beat on drums as the LCJO repeats his phrases in unison. The idea is to put you in touch and make you once again appreciate the fine quality of classic traditional nostalgia and it works!
The LCJO was formed by the remaining members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra along with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. The old school coming together and passing on the art to the new school to preserve the tradition of the art of the classic jazz orchestra. In honor of the great Duke, the LCJO performed, “Black, Brown and Beige” in a three part suite.
Most of the members of the orchestra were raised in musical families. Alto player Ted Nash brought his father Dick Nash on stage to do an alto and trombone arrangement of “All the Things You Are” with the orchestra.
The evening concluded with John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” with all for movements; Acknowledgement, Resolution, Pursuance and Psalm. This was the definite highlight of the evening. The piece was dedicated to Elvin Jones who had an opportunity to witness the LCJO perform the classic composition. Those four notes on the bass always elate the most dynamic emotion for what is to come. The suite was arranged so that everyone in the band played those famous four notes in succession. Carlos Henriquez got a chance to creatively express himself with harmonics during the transition from Acknowledgement to Resolution. Wes “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Aaron Goldberg, Wynton Marsalis and Herlin Riley really added that virtuosic ingenuity to Trane’s masterpiece! Victor Goines was a master technician on soprano. I love provocative self expression and any music by John Coltrane calls for that. “A Love Supreme” once again makes my evening a complete success!
LeRoy Downs
