John Coltrane
Festival: Jazz at Lincoln Center
The Genius of John
Coltrane
McCoy Tyner: The
Gentle Side of John Coltrane
Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 27, 2012
New York---Narrowly
avoiding the devastation of Hurricane Sandy by just a day, Jazz at Lincoln
Center presented a comprehensive tribute to The Genius of John Coltrane in a
weekend-long festival that featured Coltrane alumnae, protégés and a host of
brilliant young saxophonists inspired by his daring creativity.
The evening began
with an absorbing chamber-jazz concert headed by legendary pianist, McCoy
Tyner, a Coltrane mainstay from the glory days of Tranes stellar quartet,
along with Coltrane protégé Gary Bartz, accompanied by Miles Davis alums Jack
DeJohnette on Drums and Dave Holland on Bass. Held in the intimate Allen Room
of Jazz at Lincoln Center, overlooking the sweeping panorama of Columbus Circle
and Central Park, and entitled The Gentle Side of Coltrane, the quartet
explored the tenor giant’s mastery of the ballad, as exemplified in such
evergreens as “I Want to Talk About You” and the hauntingly reverential “Naima.”
Composed in 1959 in honor of his first wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs, the
composition first appeared on the groundbreaking album “Giant Steps.” Saxophonist Gary Bartz, who revealed at
a festival
Listening party for
his new album “Coltrane Rules,” that he first met Trane at the age of 14 at
his father’s club in his native Baltimore, gave a fittingly energized rendition
of the timeless classic.
Gary Bartz in solo flight (middle photo) and at his John Coltrane Festival Listening party for his new album "Trane Rules"
By contrast, Tenor
Saxophonist Joshua Redman and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, minus
Wynton Marsalis, gave a rollicking, roof-raising tribute to The Genius of
Coltrane in a free-wheeling exploration of all of the original compositions and
interpretations of the music associated with the acknowledged tenor master.
Redman displayed the dazzling ‘chops’ that revealed him to be one the heirs
apparent to the great one. Equally as meteoric were the solo performances of members
from the entire saxophone section, including Victor Goines and Walter Blanding
on Tenor Saxophone, Ted Nash on Alto and a particularly revelatory solo turn by
Joe Temperley on Baritone Saxophone.
Pianist Dan Nimmer
laid down a solid foundation for the fast-paced proceedings and displayed
flashes of brilliance in his solos along with some riveting solos by Bassist
Carlos Henriquez and the explosive drummer Ali Jackson, recalling the
thunderous Elvin Jones of the original Coltrane Quartet.
It was a
soul-stirring performance that gave deserved praise to one of the heroic voices
of modern jazz.
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