2 out of 3 ain't bad

August 30, 2003 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

The Saturday afternoon "live-taping" of "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz," the wonderful public radio show that began 24 years ago with Mary Lou Williams as McPartland's guest, drew an Ozawa Hall-record crowd of 5,000, but left us wondering if today's guest, the incredibly popular and multi-prize-winning Norah Jones, was having an off-day.

Miss McPartland is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and at 84 still plays beautifully; today improvising a lovely portrait of her 24 year old guest, which was the highlight, for us, of the otherwise awkward pair of 45 minutes "takes."

Three hours later, with celestial visitor Mars the brightest spot in the sky on a crispy clear Berkshire night, Kenny Barron and Cassandra Wilson each delivered terrific sets from distant segments of the wide jazz galaxy.

sounds of brazil linger

Baron's "Canta Brasil," with Trio Da Paz (Romero Lubambo on guitar, Nilson Matta on bass, Duduka Da Fonseca on drums) plus flutist Anne Drummond, played a shimmering, lyrical quartet of compostitons, including Baron's "Clouds" and Matta's "Copacabana," which we first heard August 5 next door in the Shed, when Matta appeared with "Yo Yo Ma's Brazil: An Evening of Latin American Music."

Baron, a native of Philadelphia, displayed his virtuosity on the piano, as well as his taste and generosity in working ample solos by his band into his fifty-five minute set.

Showing the fluidity of the jazz galaxy, Cassandra Wilson's set - partly sexy, partly playful, and wholly entertaining - included not only songs by Bob Dylan, "Lay, Lady, Lay" and the Monkees, "Last Train to Clarksville," but also two compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim, including Waters of March, which got a roar from the August 5 Shed audience when it was re-named Waters of August that very rainy night.

Ms. Wilson, who blew the roof off the joint with a five-piece blues band during the 1998 Tanglewood Jazz Weekend, again thrilled the audience with her superb singing, fascinating variety of songs, and just plain personality that made you happy to be in the room with her.