Michael Weiss review from NYT by Nate Chinen

[Lazaro Vega]

October 26, 2006

Music Review | 'Michael Weiss'

A Veteran Sideman Shows That He Knows How to Lead

By NATE CHINEN

The pianist Michael Weiss knows a lot about making

other people sound better. He has worked extensively

as a sideman over the last 25 years, supporting elders

like the tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin and the

trumpeter Art Farmer. On most Monday nights he can be

heard at the Village Vanguard, playing with the

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; his last weeklong stint at

the club was just a few months ago, as the de facto

musical director for a quartet led by the trumpeter

Joe Wilder.

This week Mr. Weiss is making his first headlining

appearance at the Vanguard, with a five-piece band and

a book of his own music. It’s a big step forward, but,

judging by Mr. Weiss’s first set on Tuesday night, he

is more than ready. Focusing mainly on material from

his last album, “Soul Journey” (Sintra, 2003), he

demonstrated a strong sense of both leadership and

organization.

It manifested itself most clearly in the compositions.

“Orient Express,” for instance, started in a fusion

vein, with some darkly modern harmonies; then it

switched over to a sleek and swinging hard-bop mode.

Mr. Weiss’s brisk solo was punctuated intermittently

by a syncopated ensemble figure. And when it was time

for a solo turn by Steve Wilson on soprano saxophone,

the gears shifted again, into a two-chord funk vamp.

The intricacy of the arrangement recalled the

small-group writing of Horace Silver, while the song’s

tonal palette suggested the influence of Wayne

Shorter.

“The Prophecy” was a much simpler tune, though it

still had a noteworthy structural quirk: alternating

four-bar stretches of 4/4 swing and 12/8 Afro-Cuban

rhythm. That conceit, which extended through the

song’s improvisational sections, nudged Mr. Wilson

toward an excellent alto solo, both probing and

playful in tone. At one point he quoted a phrase from

“Fascinating Rhythm” and then conjugated it through

several different keys, in the manner of John

Coltrane’s “Acknowledgement,” from “A Love Supreme.”

Mr. Weiss, though a confident and sometimes sparkling

presence on piano, rarely sought the spotlight. He

kept his statements concise and his volume in check;

he could have played louder and longer, but seemed

intent on keeping the focus on the band. So attention

often fell on his expert rhythm section, with Ugonna

Okegwo on bass, Daniel Sadownick on percussion and

George Fludas on drums. Each player had a moment to

shine; Mr. Sadownick made the most of his, starting a

conga solo with quietly fluttering fingers and

gradually building up to a two-handed roar.

Near the end of the set’s closer, a ruminative

original called “Atlantis” (not to be mistaken for the

Wayne Shorter tune), Mr. Weiss fashioned an

unaccompanied coda, focusing on some delicate and just

slightly dissonant chords. There was no abandon in his

playing, but there was sensitivity and logic, along

with crisp control.

The Michael Weiss Quintet continues through Sunday at

the Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at

11th Street, West Village, (212) 255-4037,

villagevanguard.com.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/arts/mus....html?ref=music