Angelica Sanchez Quintet @ Jazz Gallery

[Steve Reynolds]

Sanchez on piano

Tony Malaby - tenor and soprano saxophones

Marc Ducret - guitar

Drew Gress - bass

Tom Rainey - drums

apparently all of the leader's tunes - a few ended up being somewhat memorable but this listener went in cold not knowing a thing about her. She was fine but understated throughout as was Gress.

Quite a bit of space was given to unaccompanied piano, sax and guitar - maybe up to 15 to 17 minutes of the 70 minute set.

Ducet blew out the two rows behind me about half way through and then he took off from there - intensity and even subtle all at once - and the sections of the trio of Rainey-Gress with either Ducret or Malaby on tenor were close to stunning, stunning with parts of the passages beyond all of anything I expected.

As great as Rainey always is and was tonight and as wonderful a guitarist as Ducret is, the man of the night was who I now confirm as the *great* Tony Malaby. The arms were goin' and the man was roaring, squeaking and bringing every ounce of energy and tension that the tenor saxophone was capable of.

Then he played the solo piece or section - and it was like Mats and Evan with a post bop sensibility - but I thought I was one of the few in the crowd that really really loved it - maybe I am mistaken - but not as much feedback energy wise from the crowd as I would expect.

and THEN - the guitarist and saxophonist opened the last tune with a duet section that was beyond my capability to describe (as is most of this stuff) with Rainey eventually joining with his right hand in place of a drum stick and the left with a drum stick - developed what could be patented Rainey groove (but of course unlike the others he played earlier - slower less than mid tempo - almost a dirge but not quite - loping somewhat like a power balld as the whole band extended the tune another 7 or 8 minutes to a fine close.

had to go - wife was tired - I yearned for the second set but it was not to be.

not sure the band is great - maybe it could be - but the featured guys are that - great great jazz musicians who make a mockery of the idea that this music is out of ideas and energy.

I guess I gotta see the trio of Malaby-Helias-Rainey as everytime I see Malaby he seems to be a better player or maybe it is me. This night he was on fire - all I needed was another hour, I guess I gotta let that go.

peace and blessings as always

[alankin]

They'll be in Philadelphia on Friday at the Art Alliance.