Another great night of Jazz and people on the street. We walked out of our apartment headed for Kilbourn to get in line for the 6 PM show of Vijay Iyer Trio, he is from Rochester (Fairport actually) and is a talented and successful pianist. We noted a couple walking ahead of us who were clearly headed to the Festival. We had seen them the night before walking back. They were remarkable because of her turquoise toenail polish, among other things. We overtook them and started a conversation which lasted us through the walk and the two hour wait on line. Such is the nature of Jazz Festival. Oh yes they are both librarians from Elmira NY in town for the Jazz Festival.
So we started with Vijay Iyer in Kilbourn Hall and he was worth the wait. The music was complex and required close attention which was rewarded with outstanding intricacies and great performance. They stretched the first piece into three pieces for the first half of the show without a break. We stayed until the last note and then did not wait for the applause to subside, we were on a mission. Catherine Russell was starting in 15 minutes at Harro East and we really wanted to hear her again, as I noted in yesterday’s post she is a regular and worth hearing any time she performs. We made it and even got seats at a table so I could have a sandwich with my beer.
I know its a lousy picture, but what do you want with a phone camera from the back of the room at least the bass is not growing out of her head. We were enchanted with her singing and her choice of material from the middle of the 1900’s. It was impossible to sit still and the hour seemed to take only 15 minutes. Too soon we were out the door headed across the street to Abilene, yet again too late to get in even for one number and besides we met Marla and Frank on the street and had to stop for a chat and to make plans for after Jazz Festival.
We headed back toward Jazz Street unable to decide where to go next. We had agreed that we wanted to hear Kari Ikonen Trio in Lutheran and Matt Andersen in the Big Tent but there were other choices as well. By default we wandered into the Unity Health Big Tent to see how a solo performer could possibly fill the tent which is usually dominated by big, loud groups. To our surprise as we entered it seemed there was a big, loud group performing to a packed house. We rounded entry screen there was indeed a big, loud soloist captivating the hall. Matt is large in body and even larger in voice and his guitar seems to barely survive his assault. Actually he has two guitars and we watched him break strings twice before the night was out. We dragged ourselves away as his show as only half over to cross the street to Lutheran Church knowing that after the performance there we could get in another half hour of Matt.
Lutheran church was almost empty when we arrived as the performance was about to begin and it got worse as time passed. This seemed terribly unfair as Kari Ikonen Trio were really marvelous. Of course this music is more demanding of the audience and requires a taste for experimental sound as does so much of the Nordic Festival music. We stayed for the entire set enjoying the sound Ikonen extracted from the piano by playing with the strings and also by his untrammeled playing of the piano. His bassist and drummer were equal partners in the performance and writing of the pieces and we would go hear them again. As the last few of us cheered and applauded, Carol and I headed for the door and back to Matt Andersen.
Cannot get enough of him! His piece “C for Cookie Monster” sung in Cookie Monster’s voice was hysterical and sad as it was a blues piece! He seemed able to fill the tent with one note and his high speed strumming on the guitar turned his hand into a blur and seemed like a chorus of guitars. Some of his work seems like derivative from mandolin performance. So far this is the best guitar performance I have seen this year. Note the contingent statement, there are 5 nights to go and one never knows.
John, Bring him back!!
Tonight, Jazz Tuesday, it is a rainy day which may keep the crowds down so line waiting may be shorter. We want to hear Tessa Souter, who is a repeat performer, play at Montage then Sophie Bancroft and Tom Lyne at Christ Church the on to Jacob Young at Lutheran Church. After a break for dinner we will head over to Xerox for Laila Biali Jazz Pianist after which we will try to hear some of the shows in Kilbourn, Louis Hayes, and in Max, Etienne Charles. That would be six performances in one night. We have done it in past years but not yet this year.
Last night we got to four shows unless you count two different appearances in the Big Tent which would make it five. Call it 18 shows through night 4.
