When I heard that pianist Jason Moran would be making his first-ever Boulder appearance tonight, I dug out his solo piano extravaganza, “Modernistic,” a CD that sat atop my top 10 list in 2002.
It sounded the way it did when I first listened: one foot planted in the past (covers of James P. Johnson and “Body and Soul”) augmented by originals that confidently melded the history of jazz piano with Moran’s own personality. In the wake of “Ken Burns’ Jazz,” it indicated there were still creative mountains to scale in the music, and it was often a stomping good time too.
There has been fine music from Moran since then, as well, like his enthusiastic approach to the Great American Songbook on clarinetist Don Byron’s “Ivey-Divey” (which made it to No. 1 on my top 10 of 2004 – do you sense a pattern here?). With his working group, a pair of compelling discs, most recently “Same Mother” from 2005, offer a multifaceted exploration of the blues piano tradition.
What stands out about Moran’s approach to the keyboard is his respect for the creative spirits that came before. He honors the mastery of Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill and McCoy Tyner by tapping into their inventiveness instead of imitating them.
And by applying his own technique, which encompasses the styles of the masters while applying his own virtuosity, he stands as one of a handful of young jazz artists who are creating music that matters.
Oh, it’s a free show too. Perhaps it’s even worth missing “The Sopranos” season premiere for. They’ll show that again a million times anyway. But a concert like this doesn’t happen often enough.
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon and Thavius Beck, 7 tonight at the Old Main Chapel, University of Colorado at Boulder. Admission is free. Call 303-735-3163.
An improv comet returns
Odyssey the Band, as it’s now billed, is a trio of intense jazz-rock-blues-drenched improvisers, who apparently record only once a decade. Their 1983 debut, released under the name of guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer, “Odyssey,” stands as a high-water mark in ’80s exploration. It took the group 15 years to release a follow-up, and now there’s a third release, “Back in Time” (Pi Recordings). It’s a return that’s worth the wait.
Ulmer always has been a powerhouse guitarist, mashing together electric Delta blues with harmonically sophisticated Ornette Coleman-influenced solos that wildly splinter off into unexpected places. But he rarely finds himself in the company of like-minded musicians who can not only keep up with him but complement (and improve upon) his unique vision.
Even though they convene infrequently, violinist Charles Burnham and drummer Warren Benbow are Ulmer’s best collaborators (save Coleman himself). They’re a loud, spacey group, kicking out psychedelic violin rave-ups and slightly off-kilter guitar runs propelled by Benbow’s driving percussion. They’re capable of milder expressions, as well, but this music is at its best when there’s a sense of abandonment.
At the rate Odyssey the Band releases CDs, it may be 2014 before it makes any new music available again. I’ll be waiting to hear another installment of joyfully jarring improv-rock.
Set list
Trumpeter Hugh Ragin and The Mandala Duo co-headline at Dazzle tonight. … Local heroes Dotsero hold court at their own Jazz@Jack‘s on Friday. … Saxophonist Douglas Ewart appears at the Mandala Community Center on March 25. … The next round of Swinging Jazz Concerts includes Anat Cohen, Jon-Erik Kelso and Johnny Varro March 31 and April 1 at the Seawell Ballroom of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Get information from summitjazz.org. … New York legend John Zorn joins Fred Frith and Mike Patton at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom on April 7. … Singer Andy Bey makes a rare local appearance at the Mount Vernon Country Club on April 12.
Bret Saunders’ column on jazz appears every other Sunday in A&E. Saunders is host of the “KBCO Morning Show,” 5:30-10 a.m. weekdays at 97.3-FM. His e-mail address is bret_saunders@hotmail.com.
