IMN has invited the Artistic Director of the Flynn Theater and the Discover Jazz Festival, Arnie Malina, to guest-blog for us on the action happening in Montreal this week. We’ve always admired his insights and hope you will as well.
I forgot to mention that after The Bad Plus at L’Astral (out at about 1a.m.)…I walked to where I was staying East of Place des Arts, about two miles away. Most of the Stevie Wonder crowd had dissipated an hour ago, and now it was time for the clean-up. At 1a.m. hundreds of city employees were sweeping up the garbage (plastic, paper, beer, etc) which had accumulated in the last few hours, cleaning it all up in preparation for the next day’s activities. Seeing these worker bees was impressive, a surreal site, watching them sweep as fast as the fastest musician. Staging such a huge event as the Stevie Wonder concert must cost a small fortune. I hear that Stevie himself cost $500,000. Add to that the huge amount of sound, video equipment for who knows how many stations up and down the “canyon,” and the festive way that Montreal decorates its buildings, it’s quite impressive. A documentary is warranted on how such a huge undertaking comes off almost effortlessly. Many police and security everywhere, but seemingly not much trouble from the public. How to manage a crowd of 500,000…
Last night’s musicgoing started at 7p.m. at Club Soda to hear vocalist Luciana Souza in duet with guitarist Romero Lubambo, in a program called Brazilian Duos It was another home run. This intimate club on St Laurent often features singers. Over the years I’ve seen people like Nora Jones (before she became famous) and Roberta Gamberini here….Last year I remember being surprised and delighted to hear veteran singer/pianist Freddy Cole for the first time. What a masterful entertainer he is. Luciana and Romero are incredible artists who bounce off each other exquisitely. Each has a commanding virtuosity, able to do anything with voice, with guitar. Together, they are even better. I was thinking hearing Luciana scat in Poruguese in the bossa nova numbers how this kind of scat seems even more natural than American jazz scat singing, that it somehow works even better, with the language, the rhythms, the conversational attitude that much bossa nova embraces. She did a Hermeto Pascoal number that blew through the roof, it was so astonishing. But at the same time, her artistry is effortless and she’s always in control. One song after another gave countless pleasures…..
Last night, I saw The Monterey Quartet at Theatre Maisonneuve led by veteran bassist, composer, legendary jazz figure Dave Holland featuring three of the top younger musicians performing today, Gonzalo Rubalcaba (piano), Chris Potter (sax) and Eric Harland, (drums). I was only going to stay for the first hour (this is classic festival going), because I also had a ticket for a 10:30pm show at another theatre a few blocks away at Gesu……..but the music made by these four guys got better and better as the evening progressed and it was impossible to leave. Each of the players composed a few numbers on the program, as is Dave Holland’s practice in leading his various ensembles.
The last number by Chris Potter was the most volatile of the set. At a certain point in the number, Gonzalo’s piano was comping astringently to Harland’s drumming, which became more and more propulsive in response to Gonzalo, who was alternately leading, following, creating a rhythm and succumbing to Harland’s increasing ferocity. And then as if that wasn’t enough, Chris Potter starts a double-timing saxophone solo that drives the crowd crazy. The concert ends in triumph. But then, the encore, a composition by Holland, Veil of Tears, has the band meshing in a quieter, and impressive fashion, talking to each other with subtle sensitivity, creating beautiful textures that hadn’t been heard the rest of the concert.
So I finally get to Gesu, another distinctive and favorite venue at the Festival, one where lesser known and often adventurous work gets to unfold. It seats only about 300 and it’s a jewelbox of an intimate theatre. Anything goes here. So I got to the last twenty minutes of a set by pianist/composer Baptiste Trotignon with Mark Turner on sax, Jeremy Pelt, Greg Hutchinson and Matt Penman in support. I’m toward the end of an extended suite, very composerly and easy-going with some flashes of beauty. Friends who were there from the beginning liked it more than I was able to bring to it in this late entry. So, life is short and art is long and let’s hope I’ll have more time to do this music more justice on another occasion.
Well, getting ready to meet friends at a restaurant in Montreal’s Chinatown…..so have to run. Today, a bunch of us biked some of Montreal’s canal routes…..it’s a great way to get exercise when you’re attending a jazz festival. This 12 mile route on Lachine canal ended at an arboretum and sculpture garden…Montreal has an extensive system of bike paths that bring you to many beautiful parks, islands, waterfalls, etc.
Will let you know what I get to see tonight and tomorrow…
