Hint of a smile behind a symbol, swaying
Dark dreadlocks tightly bound, bobbing
Eyelids shut while tense spines turned slaves to sound, succumbed
Dreadlocks now loose face down, draping
Mouth cringing in captured moment, motion lacking
Tools not just played, partners
Mutual respect in peers’ eyes, idolized
Hand clenched sends silent shouts, SFJazz.
Okay, so creative writing was never a forte of mine. But what can I say? I had a wonderful time. I think the last jazz performance I saw was in high school. This was truly transcendent and put all previous experiences to shame, twice. The SFJazz Collective, pieced of soloists and composers – all respective leaders — create a new unique album each year. I thank NPR for informing me of their performance at Capitol Theatre, paying tribute to the King of Pop. I had no idea what to expect, but knew I had to take my girlfriend.
Jazz allows the musician’s identity into the forefront more so than something like an orchestra. I admire the clockwork perfection of an orchestra’s systematic bow unity, though I’m haunted by how terrible I was in grade school. And even the glancing thought of their rigid posture makes me feel ashamed for how I’m sitting while I write this. I’m paying to go out and see something unique. Symphony to symphony, you won’t get a visually stimulating experience unless you see something like Video Games Live, where your attention is drawn directly away from the musicians and there inlies the problem.
Obed Calvaire justifies my eyes’ fixation on drummers at shows. The kit is a seamless extension of his body and he controlled the mood with the same ease and control it took to hit the snare, “keeping it all together,” as put in his introduction by another member. He brought his drum set to life and I was equally pensive to his expressions and movements as to which notes he was playing. There came points where his face would freeze and I watched him feel the moment. I love his self-consuming passion for the music. In his Vic Firth interview, he spoke about how everyone in SFJazz is on point and he’s capable of expressing himself without anyone losing beat one. “Rhythmically, it’s cool.”
The two saxophonists, Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone) and David Sánchez (tenor saxophone) seemed like counters to one another. While they both felt the music, (at that level, how couldn’t you?) they gave off opposing auras. Zenón’s sway clashed with Sánchez’s pogo in a way that underlined their binding differences. It’s not the same when a violinist is swaying back and forth; it doesn’t speak to me like these instrumental partnerships do. I’m not saying they aren’t feelings in the music, but the sways are more a function of playing, and not an emotional symptom.
Zenón would close his eyes, as if rejecting his vision to displace himself from the performance so he could live within his instrument. I now know why we so easily associate jazz with soul. Watching Zenón’s “Identities are Changeable,” his comfortable transitions from conductor to soloist were often and impressive. His soft on-stage voice and comportment fooled me; Zenón’s musical personality is anything but.
David Sánchez being an educator in top universities is exactly why seeing this group is more than just watching some jazz performance. I often thought Sánchez was dancing with his instrument, caught in a moment where nothing but the music mattered. Even when he sat to play his hand drums, I found our heads bobs in sync. My experienced was enhanced because they were enjoying the music as much as I was.
My favorite of their iterations of Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller”, was a drum-heavy dubstep influenced composition by Calvaire. Jazz is an inclusive genre and benefits from the incorporation of new sounds. There’s no blaring contrast when you try something new, and that’s why this group has my respect.
I won’t shy away from admitting that this piece and my experience were blatantly colored by where I sat. Sean Jones, Robin Eubanks, Warren Wolfe, Edward Simon and Matt Penman weren’t in my direct line-of-site and I didn’t have the good fortune of being given the gift of their full talent. Obviously, I watched everyone and recognize that their presence onstage is why this collaboration was such a remarkable occasion. From the piano to the bass, everyone had a key role. Prior to seeing them, I couldn’t have told you a single name in jazz. And now, in many ways, seeing so many “greats” together gave me the feeling like I’m a part of this genre’s history (even if I had to learn what greats meant in preparation for this blog). I left with a higher appreciation and an itch to hear more.
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