The Jazzcat

 Slide Show

It all started with an e-mail from GP.  She said that she was in town and going to be

performing at the Vic with another band. 

I remember seeing her there the last time she was in town and I decided

to go to her website

 to check the schedule. One thing that I have noticed is every time I visit her

site I instantly get frozen and intoxicated by her beautiful sound, style and

phrasing.  The music is a sample medley

of wonderful tunes that are set in a continuous loop and when you come to after

a few hours you realize that you have been under its trance.

 

The mood of the evening is bitter sweet as Gretchen

describes because even though we are experiencing beautiful music, the quaint,

homey living room style venue will be closing its doors to jazz at the end of

the month.  As Ray Slater, the proprietor

of the Vic says, “We have had a good run”. 

The Vic has been dedicated to providing fine jazz entertainment for a

number of years and it saddens us all to have another great jazz venue

disappear from the face of the planet here in Los Angeles, and for that manner anywhere on

the globe.

 

Tonight the band, which is lead by bass player Morrie

Louden, who has shared with us some of his beautiful compositions, plays a few

peaceful pieces before inviting Gretchen to the stage.  Gretchen is the most precious individual and

she possesses the power of quiet as her peaceful presence commands

attention.  The sounds of Brazil floats

along the rhythm as we just take five, just take five.

 

Dueting with Morrie breathes in the space and the clarity of

the rhythm is played and implied. 

Morrie’s latest record is “Time Piece” which features Gretchen on three

tunes.  When you experience a Gretchen

Parlato performance, you not only hear sweet timbers dance on air but you feel

your diaphragm slowly inhale and exhale as you breathe in the essence of the

music.  For the most part, the music

tonight has aired on the side of lovely but these cats can turn up the heat and

take you to the corner of burning and beautiful boulevard in no time flat.

 

I think that the Vic may have a few more jazz performances

left before the doors actually shut on jazz. If you have an opportunity, do

your best to show you love and respect before the Vic becomes a passing phrase

of yesterday.

 
LeRoy Downs