Joe Lovano: Live Birth of Cool Concert

[HWright]

Great news! Joe Lovano will be playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on May 21. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, April 14.

Even more interesting, the KC newsletter reports that Lovano will have a nonet with him that will play a new version of Miles' "Birth of the Cool" material. Here's a quote from their website:

"Grammy®-winning saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano “fully justifies the growing view of him as an important, world-class jazz talent” (The Los Angeles Times). Growing up with a saxophone in his hands and a saxophonist for a father, Lovano was schooled not only in the basics, but also in dynamics and interpretation, and was regularly exposed to jazz artists. Influenced by Miles Davis, Lovano brings his nonet for a special concert featuring a re-invention of Miles Davis’s legendary nonet recording Birth of the Cool, with orchestration by Gunther Schuller. "

http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/ind...ent&event=MEJBD

[jack]

I am seeing the Joe Lovano Nonet later this month in California. I wonder who is in the nonet? This should be a great show.

[HWright]

Just to hazard a guess, it seems to me highly likely that the nonette will include many of the same players on his live album "On This Day."

[Pete C]

What does re-invention mean? Same tunes, new arrangements? Same tunes with new arrangements based on the old ones?

These recreations of historical artifacts are usually pretty boring. Mulligan's "Rebirth of the Cool" certainly was.

I've seen Sketches of Spain played live twice (Maria Schneider with Ingrid Jensen & Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Orbert Davis), and both times I felt that the smart thing to do would have been to forget about trying to "do Miles" and instead use a different solo instrument. The jazz repertory concept is always too damn literal and reverential.

[Guest ariceffron]

DID HE HAVE KONITZ THERE

[HWright]

Well, this concert was on Friday and I attended the first set. Joe and his Nonette played:

At the Vanguard

Focus

Birth of the Cool Suite: Moondreams/Move/Boplicity

After the Rain

Deal

Most of this material was featured on the Nonette live album "On This Day," although it sounded much better live (recall the commentaries on the board about the poor sound of the CD). Joe mentioned Elvin Jones' passing and dedicated "After the Rain" in tribute to him. Joe also revealed that the Birth of the Cool suite was arranged for a jazz festival in California (I forget which one), although it wasn't clear how recently that event took place and Joe didn't say anything about recording it for Blue Note either. I know some were skeptical of the interest of such a piece, but personally I found it very enjoyable and perfectly suited to the group and it fit in perfectly with its Dameron and original material.

The drummer, Billy Drummond, played on Andrew Hill's "Dusk," as well as on releases by Javon Jackson and Archie Shepp.

Anyone else attend the first set or the second one? What was the set list for the second set?

Edited May 24, 2004 by HWright

[HWright]

Washington Post review from today's paper:

Joe Lovano at the Terrace Theater

Saxophonist Joe Lovano dedicated his nonet's performance Friday night at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater to drummer Elvin Jones, who died last week. His passing led to a significant change in the program: the inclusion of "After the Rain," in which drummer Billy Drummond evoked Jones's turbulent force and his pivotal association with John Coltrane's quartet. Nothing heard during the concert proved more dramatic, stirring or heartfelt.

The concert's principal focus, however, wasn't altered. The band paid homage to Miles Davis's landmark "Birth of the Cool" recording via three recently penned orchestrations by Gunther Schuller, who played on the original 1949 sessions. The tunes drawn from the recording -- "Moon Dreams," "Move" and "Boplicity" -- formed a short, multifaceted suite, variously marked by unfettered swing, robust bop-inspired horn alignments, sublime reed voicings and well-wrought solos.

Lovano may have set the tone for the concert with his imposing sound and harmonic assurance -- he explored the full range of his tenor with great force and finesse. But he was surrounded by top-tier jazz musicians who left distinctive impressions, including fellow reedmen Steve Slagle (on alto), Ralph Lalama (tenor) and Gary Smulyan (baritone). Indeed, the reeds and brass -- trumpeter Barry Ries and trombonist Larry Farrell -- were colorfully deployed throughout the concert, in aggregate and in solo settings.

Besides Drummond, the rhythm section boasted pianist James Weidman and bassist Dennis Irwin, who neatly underpinned the sophisticated horn charts. Not all the tunes were vintage, but each performance contributed to the extended standing ovation that came at evening's end.

-- Mike Joyce