Stanford University Live presents Danilo Pérez' Jazz 100: The Music of Dizzy, Ella, Mongo, & Monk featuring Avishai Cohen, Adam Cruz, Wycliffe Gordon, Chris Potter, Ben Street and Lizz Wright
2016-10-06
Bing Concert Hall
Stanford University, 327 Lasuen St, Stanford, CA 94305-5005 USA
7:30 PM, Thursday, October 6, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[7:32 PM; lights down, announcements, Dizzy Gillespie speech excerpt]

1. [7:34 PM] (unidentified tune #1)
2. [7:40 PM] (RD chant) » Cubana Be, Cubana Bop $ » (RD chant)
3. [7:47 PM] (unidentified tune #2) $
4. [7:49 PM] Ow! (WG)
5. [7:59 PM; +LW] How High the Moon (LW) £
6. [8:03 PM] Shiny Stockings (LW)
7. [8:06 PM; -LW] (unidentified tune #3: solo piano)
8. [8:10 PM] Off Minor
   [8:20 PM; MLK speech excerpt: We Shall Overcome…]
9. [8:20 PM; +LW] (unidentified tune #4, piano + LW: “He Had a Dream”)
10. [8:26 PM] Afro Blue $
11. [8:37 PM; -LW] Manteca £
    [8:53 PM; bows, applause, then encore break]
     
    Encore
12. [8:55 PM] Monk mashup: Rhythm-a-ning/?Bright Mississippi?/?Brilliant Corners?
    [9:05 PM; show ends; all off after waving goodbye]

• Avishai Cohen: trumpet;
• Adam Cruz: drums;
• Román Díaz: percussion, vox (t02, t11);
• Wycliffe Gordon: trombone, vox (t04);
• Danilo Pérez: piano, music director;
• Chris Potter: tenor saxophone, $ soprano saxophone, £ flute;
• Ben Street: contrabass;
• Lizz Wright: vox (t05-06, t09-10).

Tonight was the first time I can recall sitting back in section 3 at Bing. And even though we were in the front row, row M, I felt like it was just too far up and too far away. The ambient reverberation of the band onstage seemed to compete with the direct sound, muddying things up in a disagreeable fashion. Note to self: either suck it up and pay more to sit closer, or settle for seats in the side terrace instead.

And the show itself? Despite the amazing list of players, I felt as if it was a bit disjointed. Under-rehearsed? No, not necessarily. Perhaps over-thought-out is a better criticism. The arrangements generally reminded me of what I dislike about many of the SFJAZZ Collective performances: they take a perfectly great classic tune, slice it to shreds, blenderize the pieces, and come up with something new that is only barely recognizable as the original, and generally swings a whole lot less. I suppose that finding something new to say with a classic tune can be a neat intellectual exercise for the arranger, and a challenge to the performers, but I'm inclined to think that some self-censorship is necessary. You gotta be ready to admit that sometimes what you've come up with doesn't work as well as the original, and if it drags, what's the point? As a case in point, Danilo invited the crowd to get up and dance – now's your chance! he announced, as Adam and Román led the charge into Dizzy Gillespie's classic, Manteca at the end of the show, but the new riff was all jagged edges and angular and stop-and-go. Not something one can easily dance to!

Am I glad I attended? Well, I suppose. It was a joy to hear Lizz Wright, and an interesting challenge to try and pick out the covers as they were played. “Selections will be announced from the stage” read the printed program, but to my recollection, the only tune that was identified was Danilo Pérez' back announce of Off Minor, and good thing he did on that one, I'd written “descending line Monk riff – ?Epistrophy?” in my notes. Bzzzzz! Totally wrong! Probably would have caught it on re-listening, since it obviously doesn't follow a descending line, but heck if I would have known what to guess next!

Similarly, I was particularly vexed by the encore, which sounded to me as if it were a mashup of two or three different Monk tunes. I'm pretty darn sure that I heard a bit of Rhythm-a-ning; far less certain about the other elements. And given that Danilo didn't tell us anything, I guess I'll remain confused awhile longer. So uh, I guess I'll just go back outside and stand in the yard, shouting at clouds for awhile, hoping it will inspire them to rain.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!