Gretchen Parlato at 55 bar in New York City
by jazzcat on Feb.26, 2006, under News
The village is one cool epicenter of arts, music and
creativity. While hanging out off the
beat and path at the International Association of Jazz Educators convention, I
had an opportunity to go see Gretchen Parlato at the 55 bar. This is a tiny bar located right in Greenwich Village and where all kinds of great musicians hang
and display their wares. Gretchen is the
2004 winner of the Thelonious Monk competition.
The weather was treacherous, but Gretchen was someone that I had been
waiting to see perform. She is not only one of the sweetest and most
down-to-earth people you would ever want to meet, but her voice purifies the
air and pours into your soul like liquid love.
The Gretchen has had the opportunity to work with people
like Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard and many others. You can
tell how their music has influenced her approach to the art and enhanced her
already warm, subtle, breathy and silently powerful style. Shirley Horn was the
queen of silent power and Gretchen has it too. She can blow the house down with
soft breezes, calming melodies and cool rhythms.
Click on picture to go to Gretchen's Site
Her voice is soft, pure and precious. Quietly you hear the lull of her Brazilian
rhythms and captivating tone of clarity.
Her soft beautiful bossa slowly mixes through the room like the swirling
dark chocolate waters of insatiable sweetness. Lionel Loueke is another student
of the Monk Institute. He is from Benin
and the sound of his guitar mixed with his West African vernacular makes the
sounds of Brazil
copulate with language, love and music. Gretchen tells the story of lovers and
calls the next piece. The tune is “Doda Lese” translation, “It would be lovely
to be with you tonight, but I would rather just be here alone with my guitar”. I
guess every musician has two lovers.
She wrote the lyrics and performed a beautiful version of
Wayne Shorter’s, “Juju”. While hanging
out with a Wayne,
she said she learned many things. “There was just as much wisdom in his words
as in silence”. Wayne Shorter is a
unique individual, a genius and his presence is music. His words are the notes,
his smile is the melody, his walk is the metronome, his eyes are the direction
and his silence is the provocation of thought, sparking the creative genius in
all of us.
Listen, concentrate and hear her waves of warmth convexly
and concavely caressed your body with intricate Portuguese poetry. From Bjork
to Hoagy Carmichael to Wayne, the soothing vocal journey silenced and protected
us from the harsh wind and pounding rain that lurked right on the other side of
the door. When you have an opportunity, do yourself a favor and go see this
wonderful performer. Gretchen is a natural legal dose of tranquility, an
altering substance of the very best kind!
LeRoy Downs
