It’s the 30th annual Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. MAGNET’s Mitch Myers translates the action.
Once again, I’m moved to give credit to the folks behind the Montreal Jazz Festival, as it takes more than music to keep such an extensive celebration running for three decades. The synergy between private funding, municipal assistance, corporate underwriting, old-fashioned capitalism, academia, mass and multi-media, endowments, art, commerce, show-biz, technology and the earnest commitment of countless individuals can really add up to something special if you know what you are doing.
That said, the jazz fest is starting to heat up, and the musicians are all taking their best shots as the artistic camaraderie (and competition) runs high in Montreal. Tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman (pictured) arrived to play the festival’s vaunted Invitation Series, where a single artist plays a number of gigs with different players of his choosing each night. Redman, who first performed in Montreal with his father Dewey Redman back in 1991, brought his young quartet to the Gesù Theater for an early-evening performance. Redman, who is 40, looked sharp, said little, played tenor and soprano, and led his band with authority. Drummer Eric Harland provided a rock-solid sound and pianist Aaron Parks was really something special, playing gorgeous melodies and supportive counterpoint to Redman’s brawny saxophone sound: a very impressive first gig of a three-night stand. Next, he’ll be with a different rhythm section and special-guest sax-buddy Joe Lovano.
The amazing performance of Miles From India was unique and exciting and really had to be seen to be appreciated. What evolved from a studio project with musicians contributing their parts electronically from different points of the planet is now an immense, flesh-and-blood reality fusing Indian music and jazz, specifically the sounds of Miles Davis. Davis used tablas and sitars on some of his ’70s fusion experiments, and the Miles From India band includes his old tabla player Badal Roy and several other Davis band alumni. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton and saxophonists Rurdresh Mahanthappa and Bill Evans were literally surrounded by two keyboardists, three all-star drummers, badass Daryl Jones on electric bass, an electric-sitar player, an Indian mandolinist and four Indian percussionists. Whoa! This was a big, crazy, bruising fusion band playing a wide range of tunes from the Davis songbook.
Of course, I left before the end of the Miles From India show because I was once again running back to the Gesù for another late-night gig, this time featuring drummer Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band. Yes, when Blade isn’t playing all over the world with Wayne Shorter or any of his other side gigs, he leads his own band of young hotshots. Blade is an explosive, exuberant drummer who’s a joy to watch, and his band was tight, tight, tight. Having made six CDs under the Fellowship moniker, Blade has plenty of material to draw from, and the sterling support of pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Chris Thomas and saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler would make any bandleader jealous. Blade actually got his own start with Redman many years ago and has grown into one of top drummers on the scene. Watch him go!
