John Rangel is an outstanding pianist and a long time great friend of mine. I have never personally witnessed him perform in a venue of this capacity but Royce Hall at UCLA is about to experience the beauty of his genius. He was the first to come onstage and his respectful approach to the piano set the scene for an evening of peace, love and extraordinary music. Just as in the manner at the beginning of anything that is going to nourish our bodies, silent prayer and thanks were given to the creator.
A voice is heard as a figure of the man emerges from the darkness. Dwight Trible’s poems of love set to music. Royce Hall is a perfect place to capture his sound. Dwight has blown out every room that I have ever seen him perform in and tonight his voice ascends to the rafters. It has always been and will continue to be about peace and love. Tonight, the audience will truly be blessed with both.
J O H N C O L T R A N
E
The spirit transcends. He is called upon and his presence is surely felt.
You should see the smiles of the cats on stage. The music, the love, the subject and the spirit of an amazing conduit is celebrated with joy. Dwight invited everyone to sing the phrase J O H N C O L T R A N E along with him, but the souls at Royce were shy and too mesmerized by the power and meaning of the content. Dwight Trible’s music evokes a plethora of emphatic emotions and you feel the cool rhythms, the thunderous octave power and sweet soothing ballads that are warm enough to melt mountains of ice. I am used to feeling drenched with these vibrations all through my body. All of the elements were there except the volume of the sound was controlled by the venue. We still heard the music, but I think that everyone would have had a different experience without the compression.
If you have not had the experience of listening to Dwight’s album “The Living Water”, then you may not know that the selection, stylistic approach and creative integrity are uncompromisingly quite exquisite. “Wild as the Wind”, inspired by Nina Simone was enchanting. After the piece, Dwight approached the microphone and was quite pleased with its sweetness himself.
He gives blessings to two of jazz’s fallen angels. David Abell, president of the Los Angeles Jazz Society, supporter of UCLA jazz studies programs, fund raiser for Washington prep school jazz department, piano store owner and just about “the best friend that jazz ever had” has passed on. The other angel is less known and lived on the other side of support. At every concert, always in the front row, with her red dreads and deeply lost in the cognitive core of the music, a greatly appreciated and dedicated fan of jazz music in this town, Paulette Jones. Instead of a moment of silence, Dwight suggests respects be paid by cheer.
Dwight has never been afraid to strip down to the raw nakedness of vocal beauty. A place where not too many can exist. The perfect spiritual aphrodisiac for a night of love, peace and musical blessings!
“Dear Lord” oh “Wise One”, the “Mothership” approaches and our “Footprints” lead us through the “Celestial Blues” of life that is “Wild as the Wind” in search of “Little Sunflowers”, “Peace” the sprit of “Africa” and “John Coltrane”. Be there brotha. Be there sista. BE THERE!
