Once again, back at Catalina Bar and Grill for another round of star-studded music this time with the outstanding compositions of John Beasley. Beasley is one incredible pianist that has been on the scene for a long time playing with the likes of Miles, Freddy and Chick to the Hargroves, McBrides and Tains of our time! Tonight he is celebrating the release of his second album on the Resonance Jazz Label call “Positootly”! The album features Bennie Maupin, Bryan Lynch, Munyungo Jackson, James Genus and the Tainish one himself, Jeff “Tain” Watts. On stage this evening is another host of star power featuring trumpeter Nicolas Payton, bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. One secret that is really no secret at all is if you want the best out of the music, you have to play with the best. This is only one element to the formula for extraordinary music; the other is peace, love, compassion and synchronicity amongst the peeps. The intangible element makes life, creativity and the music an effortless encounter.
Photographed by Juan E. Morse
Click picture of John above for video interview with Beasley and LeRoy Downs
I got a chance to take a quick dip backstage before the
performance to find the band in comfortable chill mode. Beasley, relaxed as
ever chillin’ with a big warm smile, is assuming a body position which
exemplifies the underlying self assured confidence that the box is about to be
knocked out and although the audience expects the same, they don’t know what's coming.
Photographed by Juan E. Morse
The cats make their way to the stage in front of a healthy audience of anticipating adventure seekers. This is the last night so the music has already been worked out in every direction and all that is left to do is to press the button and may the force be with you!
Click Positootly for FREE MP3 of "So Tired" and click "Letter to Herbie" for FREE MP3 of "Here and Now"
Prior to “Positootly!”, John released another beautiful album on Resonance Records called “Letter to Herbie” where he mashes and smashes with homage and respect, the compositions of the legendary Herbie Hancock. Set one starts out with a few tunes from this recording and as John drops blocks of melodic structure phrasing the sound with intensions and dimensions, he take the music to the outside of in. Terri Lyne rolls out with thunder under Victor’s electricity and the pristine fragrance of Nicolas’s trumpet has us all caught up in “ The Eye of the Hurricane!”
Victor’s bass adds a touch of underlying funk to the runs and Beas hints at the familiar melody. With comfort and ease the continuous driving tempo and power of TLC’s drums keeps the force fierce! John is dropping some serious love in the form of delightful sprinkles and tasty notes that tingle and twist in the spin.
Break it down, with warm rolling romance that searches and finds lovers dancing in a bed of flowers is the visual I get when engulfed by the intro to another Herbie Hancock classic, “Maiden Voyage!”. Each member of the band offers lovely support as the creative heavens open and the beautiful brilliance of interconnectivity shine in a prism of color. When you look at the players on stage, each one seems to be intrinsically locked in their own space but the collective dynamic facilitates the unit with seamless cognitive synchronicity leaving us on a Herbie high with “Bedtime Voyage!”
The music has a new groove, not in the sense of simple rhythmic content, but beautiful structural complexities that are riche with warmth and balance. They do have fun on a few of the tunes from “Positootly!” which offer some swing on the blues side of the street. Nick has so much happiness in the character and color of his sound and Victor's playing speaks volumes in a language that holds the weight of rhythm, funk and bottom.
“Black Thunder” was a composition written for the great Elvin Jones. A deep dark melodic mantra which Terri Lyne raises her high hat Elvin. The tune takes flight and Nicholas gets it up to cruising altitude. John switches to a brand new Rhodes for some harmonic in the pocket electricity, Zing! This engine runs like a Cadillac, silky and cruising flawlessly at high speeds with hardly any pressure on the pedal. Subtle hints of Celeste are precious additions to the pallete.
Photographed by Juan E. Morse
The journey continues with a trip to Buenos Aires where influences of the Tango a-la Astor Piazzolla bonds with the elements and minerals of jazz letting the two flavors dance in “Tanguedia III”. The piece has dramatic pauses of silence where the mood and tempo switch up to new directions of loveliness!
John Beasley has been burning the midnight oils and working in the lab developing his concepts in music so ring the bell and be greeted by plethora of kaleidoscopic, deconstruction and resurrection of melodic “Resonance”. I abosotively, “Positootly", guarantee a pleasing musical experience!
LeRoy Downs
