Monty Alexander

www.montyalexander.com

MIM:  in a career spanning four decades, jazz pianist Monty Alexander has spent a lifetime exploring sounds that graft the traditions of American jazz to his authentic Jamaican roots.

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander took his first piano lessons at age six.  As a youngster, he was often invited to sit in with the bands of prominent musicians working in Jamaican nightclubs and hotels.  Alexander came to the United States at the end of 1961, and less than two years later he had landed a gig with Art Mooney’s orchestra in Las Vegas, where he caught the eye of New York City club owner Jilly Rizzo and his friend Frank Sinatra.  Rizzo hired the young pianist to work in his club, where he accompanied many well-known performers such as Sinatra. 

Yes, Monty Alexander is a legend – that much is true.  With the two other members of his trio, he played a wide range of jazz piano pieces, classic melodies, and gentle melodies.  The entire performance was beautiful, if not entirely memorable.  A nice night of music.

Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre: “Copata Upo! Come to the Center”

MIM:  An unforgettable event featuring some of the most highly acclaimed performer of the Sioux Nation.

Playing for Change

www.playingforchange.com

This was a different experience for me:  ushering at the sound check prior to the Playing for Change concert (happening later in the evening).  The sound check was open to school children and their parents and was considered an open practice.

Our ushering responsibilities were slim-to-none.  We had to hold the kids in the lobby an annoying amount of time before the performers would let us in.  There were no tickets, open seating, and about 40 people total.  The children (mostly middle-schoolers) were well behaved – or maybe any disruptions were masked by the loud music.  After an hour, we shooed them out and locked the doors.

Playing for Change is a mostly reggae group singing of peace and love and togetherness.  Their message and music was familiar, although they did do a surprisingly good rendition of the Beattle’s “Revolution”.  The vocals were great and I loved Grandpa Elliot, their older bass vocalist and harmonica player.

Viewing the practice gave us new insight into the artists.  They did not interact with the kids (too bad) but they did some adaptations of songs on the spot, practiced different parts, tuned the instruments, set-up the stage, and in general WORKED.  I think it was great for the kids to see that being a performer is not all about signing autographs.

I’m not sold on these matinee shows and I probably won’t do a lot of them.  It was exhausting and we spent a lot of time waiting.  But I did get to give a quote to the volunteer intern that may be used in their brochure – how fun!!

The Rose Ensemble

www.roseensemble.org

MIM:  Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and founded in 1996 by artistic director Jordan Sramek, The Rose Ensemble creates imaginative performances of vocal and instrumental music, connecting each individual to past worlds with stories of spirituality and humanity.  The group has thrilled audiences with repertoire spanning one thousand years and over twenty-five languages, including new research in Hawaiian, Swedish, Mexican, and American vocal traditions. 

For its performance at MIM Music Theater, the Rose Ensemble will be performing “Il Poverello – Exploring the Life and Deeds of Saint Francis of Assisi.”  This joyful program features centuries of hymns, dances, and motets in honor of the “hippie saint,” as well as early Italian spiritual songs and lighthearted readings by and about Francis himself.  Audiences can look forward to full force of twelve voices, plus harp, riqq, dumbek, hurdy-gurdy, psaltery, and recorder, as well as featured guest artist Isacco Colombo.   

We were warned ahead of time that we’ll either love or hate this performance.  While I did not love it, I was intrigued by the musicality and beauty of the music.  Everything – from instruments to musical selection to the readings inbetween pieces was unique.

The music was almost fully acapela by different performers.  The harmonies were incredible and the melodies were complex and delicate.  Aaron would have loved this performance and I may still buy him a CD for the collection.

I’m very appreciative and thankful I saw this performance.  I doubt I would see it again however – maybe once in a lifetime is enough.

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

www.alaisdairfraser.com  or  www.nataliehaas.com

MIM:  The musical partnership between Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as Scotland’s premier fiddle ambassador and the sizzlingly talented, young Californian cellist Natalie Haas may not seem an obvious one.  Natalie Haas, a graduate of Juilliard School of Music, was not even born when Fraser was winning national fiddle competitions on the other side of the Atlantic.  But this seemingly unlikely pairing is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser, whose cutting-edge musical explorations took him full circle to find a cellist who could help him return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music.  Haas was just eleven when she first attended Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School in California, where she responded to Fraser’s challenge to find and release the cello’s rhythmic soul.

Four years later, when Haas was fifteen, they played their first gig together.  Fraser and Haas’s debut album, Fire and Grace, displays dazzling teamwork; driving, dancing rhythms,; and the duo’s shared passion for improvising on the melody and the groove of Scottish tunes.  The record won not only critical acclaim but also the coveted Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy.

Perhaps I’m purposely selecting Scottish / Irish fiddle music.  Perhaps it appeals to me.  Perhaps this gives me something to discuss with Nathan.  In any case, fiddle is amazingly entertaining and this duo put on a great show!

I had never heard of Alasdair Fraser before but apparently he’s well known.  My brother Nathan, the fiddler, even knew his tour schedule was taking him through Montana.  And he was amazing – his love for Scottish music was infectious, his technique was graceful and effortless.  However, I spent most of my time watching Natalie Haas.  I was really naive to the levels and sounds achievable on the cello.  She played harmonies, melodies, base rhythms.  She mimicked the fiddle, the drum, the bass guitar.  It was beautiful.

They did play a lot of Scottish dance-hall music and Alasdair did a great job explaining the regions and time periods of origin.  They even did a baroque period piece.  However, they also wound their tour through Spain, Canada, Ireland, and Scandinavia.   He even tried to teach our poor American crowd to dance in their last number!

So yes, I do see a lot of Scottish / Irish shows.  And as long as I continue to enjoy them, I’ll continue to sign up for them.

Spirit of Nature

MIM:  “Mistress of the pipa” Goa Hong and acclaimed Chinese flutist Chen Tao come together for an unforgettable performance.

I suppose the sounds and harmonies of traditional Silk and Bamboo Chinese music are familiar.  Even Elayna would recognize the instrumental melodies from “Kung Fu Panda”.  Nevertheless, I’ve never heard the instruments performed before and was looking forward to this show.

The performers had a pre-arranged set list and gave detailed introductions to their instruments and songs.  They took us on a journey around China and played several solo and duet songs.  The entire show was delicate, relaxed, soothing, and beautiful. 

A highlight for me was Chen Tao’s demonstration of the Xun, one of China’s oldest instruments that dates back to the Stone Age.  This was a small clay pot, blown across, with anywhere from 1 to 5 holes.

Gao Hong also described the pipa in detail – a Chinese lute.  This instrument was designed to mimic sounds:  drums, gongs, laughing, water, fireworks.  It was extraordinary the types of noises she could create with one instrument.

There was one downside:  the instruments were so soft and the mood so somber that guests were hyper-sensitive to disruptions.  One of our frequent guests was asked to leave because his oxygen tank was disturbing others.  I don’t like the idea that someone can’t enjoy the show, but I also was very annoyed that guests would complain about something like oxygen.  This job is always a learning experience in human behavior!

Son de Madera

MIM:  Son de Madera specializes in son jarocho, the vibrant improvisational music of Veracruz, Mexico, that features jarana and requinto “guitars”, call-and-response singing, and the rhythmic zapateado percussive dance style.  For 20-years, Son de Madera has preserved the traditions of son jarocho music while keeping it contemporary and relevant hundreds of years from its inception.

Son jarocho’s beginnings can be traced to the time of Spanish colonization.  Veracruz communities absorbed the hints of Arabic culture found in the conquistadors’ songs and dances, as well as musical influences from Africans enslaved in the coastal state during the 16th and 17th centuries.  Near the end of the 1800s, jarocho music was formally recognized as a defining part of Mexico’s cultural identity.

I especially enjoy shows that pair cultural aspects along with the music.  I definitely felt this evenings show delivered on both.  First the musical style was exactly as I expected – light and fun, heavily rhythmic and engrossing.  I was not surprised when the band played ‘La Bamba’ prior to the intermission.  This is Mexican music.

But where Son de Madera excelled over a restaurant mariachi band was in their performance.  The guitarists were exceptional and would accompany the instruments with boisterous voices and stomping feet.  The bass was completely new – a box that the musician ‘plucked’ while sitting on it.  I spent most of the evening watching the female dancer.  She stood on a wooden platform box and her dancing was an instrument in and of itself.  With her flowing skirts and beautiful scarves, she was an artist that transported us to a Mexican festival, full of colors and rhythm.

The audience was also fun.  Many were Mexican and appreciated that the band only spoke Spanish.  They clapped and yelled and brought the whole family, but there was surprisingly no dancing.

All-in-all, an enjoyable concert and something I’d enjoy seeing again.