Monterey 2009: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Photograph by Clay McBride.
It is traditional to end a big event with a fireworks display, and there were plenty of pyrotechnics on hand as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra closed out the Saturday Arena show at the 52nd annual Monterey Jazz Festival.
For their first visit to Monterey since 2001, the JLCO mined the Blue Note record catalog, presenting classic hard-bop compositions in ballsy, brassy new arrangements that gave nearly all of the 15 musicians a turn in the solo spotlight. The Kenny Dorham tune “Stage West” came out swinging with a rabbit-punch attack that showcased Vincent Gardner’s athletic trombone before handing off to Marsalis. Remaining seated and leaning to his right, Marsalis buzzed in a solo marked by great upward sweeps and rapid-fire, morse code-like lines.
Sherman Irby had the set’s most memorable performance, dwarfing his alto sax and blowing a sweet tale of woe in his arrangement of Lou Donaldson’s “Blues Walk,” a slow mosey that drew a fervent response from the Arena crowd at each turn. Trombonist Chris Crenshaw also stood out here, with a muted trombone solo that told it like it is, falling into an insistent, testifying growl. The Wayne Shorter piece “Free for All” came off tough as nails, muscling in with thudding drums and dense, blazing solos from saxophonist Walter Blanding, Jr. and trombonist Elliot Mason. Trumpeter Marcus Printup eased the pressure but kept the fire burning, his wide open break seeming to rain down from the ionosphere. The well-known Lee Morgan tune “Ceora” gave the band a light, breezy breather, but soon it was back to blasting with a rhythmically tricked-out take on Joe Henderson’s “Shade of Jade,” a veritable playground for drummer Ali Jackson.
The set flew by, running a little past midnight and bringing the festival’s first full day to a most satisfactory conclusion. There’s more where that came from: Marsalis sits in with the students of MJF’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on Sunday afternoon, and the JLCO returns tomorrow night for what’s sure to be a hot gig on the “Dizzy’s Den” stage.
Filed Under: MJF/52 - 2009 • Monterey Jazz Festival
Talk about going out on a high note. Sounds like a fabulous end to the first day. Looking forward to today’s dispatches from the front lines.