October 4, 2007 performance reviewed by Ronald K. Baker.
There were no pedestrians crossing South Street in Pittsfield at 7:45 PM. There was a parking spot open in front of the Masonic Temple. This did not portend well for the kick-off of the 3rd annual Pittsfield City Jazz Festival concert series.
Ed Bride, chairman and moderator, thanked local sponsors and lamented that tonight’s event would be a money losing proposition. Concert goers seemed undaunted by their meager numbers. Audience enthusiasm was matched in kind by the opening presentation of Professor Andy Jaffe directing the Williams College Jazz Orchestra.
“In a cavern, in a canyon …” begins the familiar folk tune “Clementine.” That’s not what they played. But that’s what came to mind as the sounds of the big band blasted forth from the stage in the basement of the hall. The volume was nearly overwhelming. In a space that seemed to have all the acoustic fineries of a racquet ball court, the sound was too crisp and sharp.
There were mikes placed here and there among the orchestra members, but Jaffe could be seen from time to time gesturing frantically to the sound engineer to coordinate the amplification of the various soloists. Now and then there was feedback through the PA system. The conductor would snap his head around and glare in the direction of the sound board.
There apparently wasn’t much that could be done to ameliorate the harsh sound of the room. Doubtless the orchestra members themselves were having the worst time trying to hear each other though the monitors were carefully placed around the stage. To their credit they played cohesively in spite of the acoustics.
Oddly, the bassist and pianist were positioned on the opposite side of the stage from the drummer. Traditionally, the rhythm section is set up as a unit. But talent, training and skill were the order of the day. The young drummer hung tough in spite of the huge shadow being cast by the upcoming feature performer. The orchestra and its many soloists, notably the female vocalist, the horns and the pianist all turned in excellent performances causing Jaffe to beam with understandable pride.
As an added bonus, headliner Winnard Harper joined the aggregation for two numbers. In the second piece the Williams College bass player strapped on a fretless Fender electric bass for a simmering dual with the percussionist during a rendition of a Jaco Pastorious piece entitled “The Chicken.” The audience rose to their feet in appreciation.
After the stage was reset, the Winnard Harper group took over. They began with piano, bass and drums. The small spinet piano seemed over-miked on some passages but excellence abounded. The bass had been moved closer to the drum set. The trio was seamless and elegant.
Harper has surrounded himself with a crew of young lions most in their early twenties and several working on their Master’s degrees. The group has a decidedly African penchant pronounced by the use of obstinate and intricate rhythmic figures and augmented by the use of authentic native instruments such as gourds, hand drums and a variety of rattles.
The way Winnard Harper lights up a performance is something to behold. His seemingly unflappable personality comes through his instrument in ways it’s hard to describe. He directs his sidemen with an array of facial gestures that are positively endearing. As the other members of the sextet responded, it was clear a wild romp was in the offing.
The leader commands and holds the attention of the audience as well with a new set of gesticulations for each succeeding and developing sections of the music. The momentum gathers. Something new is layered in at every possible juncture. Within 16 measures of music Harper’s approach moves through an entire range of emotions: now stubborn, now cute, then funky or gritty, then again impish and playful. He devotes his whole body to the music. He becomes a whirling dervish of limbs and extremities. His power and energy overwhelm.
The high point of the performance was a piece entitled “Dat Dere.” It has been sung by such notables as Oscar Brown Jr. and Jon Hendricks. It took on added connotation, although there were no lyrics, as it’s a song by a child to his father. Harper, it turns out, has 10 children, many of whom still live at home. The song, set at a circus or amusement park, asks in the child’s voice, “What’s ‘dat over ‘dere? And what’s ‘dat over here? And Daddy can I have the big elephant over ‘dere?” Harper’s joy was infectious as was his warmth, humor and compassion. Watching him one could easily conclude that he’s probably as good a parent as he is a percussionist and band leader.
As he led the band through their closing numbers, they landed on a rollicking version of “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.” The audience was standing, swinging, clapping, tapping - they was grooving.
It’s sad Pittsfield didn’t give a better account of itself. Oh Pittsfield! Oh Egypt! Whose idea is it to have many of the jazz musicians in town working at other local venues simultaneously while a concert of this quality is being held? Let’s hope that the resounding applause of the faithful and some CD sales at the door will be sufficient to convince Winnard Harper to come to town again and give us a chance to absolve ourselves.
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The artists and audience are sure to both appreciate and agree with the comments about this performance. It was terrific. However, rather than lamenting that this concert would be a losing proposition, my comment was part of the overall statement of appreciation of sponsor support. In realitey, every cultural event –at least those featuring live performances– is designed to be a losing proposition. That is, ticket prices can be set low because of the generous support of local and national companies. Even Tanglewood is a losing proposition without underwriting support (ticket revenues cover only about two-thirds of their operating expenses).
The Pittsfield CityJazz Festival has done much to encourage the spread of Jazz throughout the city. Two years ago, you could go a month without finding live music downtown. Now, even during the heart of winter, you’re likely to find at least three Jazzperformances every week in clubs, pubs, and restaurants.
“Dat Dere” is not a song about a father and son, but rather the great Soul Jazz pianist Bobby Timmons’ follow-up to his earlier hit “This Here.” Timmons recorded it three times between January and March 1960 — with his own trio, with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, and most memorably with Art Blakey’ and the Jazz Messengers, and it became his signature theme. The title “Dat Dere” (rather than “That There”) was meant to emphasize the earthiness of the piece as compared to the sophisticated waltz form of “This Here.” The lyrics were added later by Oscar Brown Jr. and have no relevance to the composition itself.
Having heard “Dat Dere” performed in the early 1960’s by both the Cannonball Adderley Quintet and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, I can attest that the Winard Harper Sextet stacked up pretty well next to two of the greatest groups in the history of Jazz.
Winard Harper is one of the best drummers in Jazz today, a fitting heir to the mantle of Art Blakey, and all of the members of his sextet were excellent, but those who were at the concert should remember the name of the 21-year-old pianist Jon Notar, a student at the New School in New York City. He clearly has a bright future.
As I have noted elsewhere, unexpected family matters in Maine kept me from any part of the festival, and to date I haven’t chatted with anyone who attended it. The review and the comments make me regret missing the music all the more, but they make me happy that Ed Bride has succeeded so well in giving Pittsfield a show to be proud of. And we must commend him for making it possible to forget the box office receipts because his leg work must have been provided the sponsorships! Do it again, Ed!
My lasy sentence should read “must have induced the sponsorships.”
My typing is betraying me — “My LAST sentence” is what I meant, not “my lasy sentence.” Sorry!