"...fabulous...swinging...thrilling"

October 15, 2006 performance review by Ronald K. Baker

Festival reviews: Friday:Billy Taylor Trio and The Metta Quintet;
Saturday:T.S. Monk Sextet.

They were in a word fabulous. The 19 piece Army Band Played the National Anthem as the Sunday afternoon crowd stood and sang. Next they came out swinging with an up tempo version of Cherokee. The sound filled the Colonial Theater thrilling an apparent cross section of locals and out-of-towners alike. This final concert in the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival would prove to be the coup de gráce. The amplification was flawless. The rhythm section was right up front well balanced with the brass and woodwinds. Each player had an individual microphone as did each section.

The band's conductor kept a surprisingly low profile only emerging from the wings for special endings and ad lib passages. He introduced the vocalist Sgt. First Class Marvintine Lewis who opened with a Dinah Washington piece from 1960 entitled "This Bitter". It was an especially poignant moment for us Baby Boomers. She followed that with a solid blues groove called "Cool Kind of Papa".

Looking nowhere near 75 years young Phil Woods alto saxophonist took the stage and blazed through a tune he wrote for Charlie Parker "All Bird's Children". The cascading horn lines were intensely powerful. Woods traded eight bar phrases with the trumpeter and with the drummer. The tuned heated up as they moved to trading fours. Woods followed with a ballad he'd arranged called "Goodbye Mr. (Gil) Evans." Again the balance of the rhythm section, piano, bass, and brushes on the drums was perfect.

The crew and its self-effacing director finished up the first set with the jazz standard "Scrapple for the Apple," a Charlie Parker work.

After the break came a tribute to the recently deceased Maynard Ferguson, "On Green Dolphin Street," followed by Benny Carter's "And All That Jazz". Woods was his supremely lyrical and imaginative self throughout recalling for some non-jazz aficionados his groundbreaking solo on "I Love You Just The Way You Are," the Billy Joel composition of the late'70's.

Few were prepared for what was to follow as Phil Woods introduced a special guest. He explained to the audience that she was only fourteen years old. He quipped good-naturedly that he'd like to break her fingers. A young lady of Eurasian descent joined him near the piano. She was an apparition. In traditional Kimono garb and open sandals she wailed unabashedly on alto sax as Woods grooved along in understandable awe. Her first solo drew most of the audience to its feet. The master took off his trademark hat and placed it on her head. After playing awhile longer she tried to return it to him. But he refused it and placed it back on her head. Undeterred she simply cocked it to one side in typical teenage fashion and kept on wailing.

When the pair got into the tune "I'll Remember April", she relaxed even more if you can imagine. She began a little dance with her feet as the two traded phrases back and forth. The sight of this little waif paddling along so easily and unflappably culled up images of a young peasant girl carrying firewood back to her village somewhere during the Vietnam era.

It was a sight and sound so momentous and joyous that those not applauding wildly were busy wiping away tears.

Woods cut her no quarter as the two went on exchanging licks. It was an onstage workshop when they got to one measure each with a pace reminiscent of a Ping-Pong match. They had great fun trading "slap-tongue" pops and quacks. On one phrase Woods waxed Ornet Colemanesque. At this young Grace Kelly raised her eyebrows in surprise but continued with unbelievable aplomb and panache. Anyone who was lucky enough to hear "I'll Remember April" certainly won't forget October 15th.

The Army Band presented some Dixieland classics with a talented septet comprised of Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone, Banjo, Piano and Bass. Steve Leslie, the guitarist, finally got a chance to play. Jeff Gomez and Paul Harrison were outstanding on bass and drums respectively. The Conductor dedicated the final selections to our servicemen and their supporters performing humanitarian missions throughout the world. Gomez strapped on a six string electric bass for vocalist Lewis's rendition of "God Bless the U.S.A." A standing ovation ensued. She followed that up with a rollicking "I Love Being Here With You."

The quality concerts presented at the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival are a sure harbinger of great things to come for the Colonial and for Pittsfield.