San Jose Jazz Festival: Sylvia Cuenca
Sylvia Cuenca; photo by Cathy Bauer
Early on in drummer Sylvia Cuenca’s 4:00 set at the Smith Dobson Tribute stage, the San Jose native took a solo that showed her hometown crowd just what she’s made of. Beginning with a tour of her kit — first working the cymbals, then the toms — Cuenca suddenly put it all together in a display that matched the elegant precision of a Swiss watch with the thumping solidity of a New York subway train.
Cuenca is the sort of drummer who can groove hard without drowing out her bandmates; a melodic but never gimmicky player who stays in the pocket, but also fills that pocket up with all manner of bright, sparkling baubles.
It’s a sound that works well with a lyrical pianist like Geoff Keezer. On the Dobson stage, Keezer’s solos radiated from the center of the keyboard to the outer fringes and back, moving in gently undulating arcs somewhat akin to breathing. And at center stage, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet would lay back as if gathering himself, then strike with quick, slashing thrusts or, on slower numbers, fall into curiously formed ruminations, slightly dissonant and questioning.
Together, the trio put together a briskly paced, lively set of straightahead jazz. A nice homecoming indeed.
Filed Under: Concert Reviews
