New York Diary: Day 2
I hadn’t expected to catch any live music tonight, but I was able to slip back to Smalls for a couple of late sets by two artists who have been on my radar for a while. I reviewed Owen Howard’s Time Cycles CD for JazzTimes in 2008, and the Nick Hempton Band’s self-titled disc has been sitting on my review shortlist for longer than I care to mention…
10:30 PM – Owen Howard’s Drum Lore @ Smalls
Owen Howard; photo by Fernando Azevedo
Drummer Owen Howard’s second set at Smalls was darkly impressionistic, with a plush, velvety depth and a rhythmic complexity that kept the music slightly off-balance. Howard’s drums were very much a part of the texture and pith of the music. In the intriguing original tune “Haiku” (which, incidentally, really is a haiku, a three-bar composition with a 5/7/5 structure), a nearly unbroken cymbal shimmer lay draped over elusive, shifting constellations of snare and bass drum. But even on relatively straightforward grooves, Howard loaded the rhythms with surprising metric alterations, stretching or shortening beats at will and daring the listener to keep up.
Adam Kolker pulled triple duty — on tenor and soprano saxes plus bass clarinet — turning out angular, emotionally eloquent solos on all three horns, occasionally burrowing under the skin with jittery energy. On alto sax, John O’Gallagher was analytical and curious, holding each idea up to the light for close examination as his solos picked up speed and vigor, building to sharp cries.
Frank Carlberg alternated tight spirals with soft rivulets of notes that called to mind raindrops on windowsills, quietly describing crooked, unpredictable lines. And while he wasn’t always easy to hear, bassist Johannes Weidenmuller gave the music a resonant center with his calm pulse and conversational backing lines.
12:30 AM – Nick Hempton Quartet @ Smalls
Tall and lean, dressed in a black suit and black shirt, alto saxophonist Nick Hempton cut a classic figure as he led his group through a straight-up, bopping set. His band had a refreshing frankness, free from ambiguity or doubts and getting straight to the point on each tune.
Hempton’s huge, robust tone led the way, his sturdy, economical lines gleaming and cutting like tempered steel. Switching to tenor sax for “Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You,” he produced a deep soulful juke-joint moan that seemed to well up from somewhere around his shoes. Bassist Marco Panascia made a fine match for Hempton, with direct, lyrical solos that held firm against the leader’s hard blowing. Art Hirahara rounded off the sound with a smart, sophisticated bounce on piano, while drummer Dan Aran kept things moving cleanly with his skidding drumbeat.
At the tail end of the set, the stakes were raised when trumpet star Roy Hargrove came running up to the bandstand. Sitting in for “Minority,” Hargrove proved the axiom that great players lift those around them, sparking a new level of fire in Hempton and Hirahara’s solos. As Hempton wrapped it up, Hargrove smiled and said simply, “that’s a great sound.”
Filed Under: Concert Reviews
Great stuff! Both sound like good shows, but I would have especially enjoyed the Hempton Quartet. Man, you are doing the town! Now get some sleep man, we expect more in the next few days.