Anat Fort at Birdland

[jazzmedia1]

Re: Anat Fort at Birdland

For the past year my friend, clarinetist Perry Robinson - who is a seven time Downbeat Poll Winner - has been raving to me about pianist Anat Fort. So a couple of nights ago at I went over to Birdland to hear Anat and her band. On her just released ECM debut she has Paul Motian on drums along with Perry Robinson and Ed Schuller on double-bass. Motian couldn’t make this gig so she had a longtime collaborator, drummer Roland Schneider who knew her songs inside out.

I was really impressed with Anat, her compositions, and the bands cohesiveness. They just got back from a European tour. Anat sounded fantastic. She's a gifted pianist and composer with a beautiful sound as well. At one point in the concert it dawned on me that a lot of musicians would enjoy her tunes and that some of the compositions could become standards. They are that good.

In one set she played about 8 songs and there was a satisfying contrast of tempos and time signatures. Some of the tunes incorporated harmonic colors of Gershwin and Irving Berlin but were twisted into 2007. She demonstrated a relaxed phrasing like Paul Bley and then sometimes really quick movements similar to Bud Powell. “Something `Bout Camels” is a modal piece with a middle-eastern casbah quality.

I don’t write in about too many concerts I go to but this one was pretty special.

Peace and respect,

BB