Branford Marsalis & Justin Faulkner - Listen

Branford Marsalis, sax player from the famous New Orleans music family, recently added 18yo drummer Justin Faulkner to his Quartet. Bob Blumenthal's interview with the two on Friday night was one of the most satisfying I've experienced.

Relaxed, as Bob works for Branford's label Marsalis Music, Branford related wisdom of the hard working musician, including: It ain't bragging if you can do it, it's just not as annoying.

And; All great music requires imitation.

He derided musicians who are technically adept but who didn't listen to other players and hence didn't actually make music. Jazz education programs came under particularly harsh scrutiny for not telling their students to listen to the recorded history of jazz. Branford was insistent on players of all levels to listen. Justin was hired to fill the shoes of Jeff "Tain" Watts because he had a left hand, i.e., used it, had something to say with it, because he had the personality to survive & thrive in the tough jazz world and because he had listened to great recorded jazz all his life, all 18 years of it.

Not a new concept, but one rarely practiced these days. It reminds me of George Russell's classic New York, New York session where vocalist Jon Hendrick's introduction includes his one word poem: Listen.

After-hours at Parima

With a self-described sound of "psychotropical jazz", they are Vermont's own Guagua, and they played the late show tonight to a packed house at Parima Thai Restaurant.

I heard Afro-Cuban, I heard Arabic, a great groove, tight instrumentals and nonstop jam.

I'm not sure what psychotropical means.

But if that was it, I like it!

Off the Hook

"I'm 49 and I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be asking my drummer how the prom was: 'Off the hook! It was off the hook!'" Branford Marsalis laughed, imitating the response of his young new drummer, Justin Faulkner. His high regard and affection for Faulkner are obvious in the several exchanges the two had over the course of the show.

<---(Marsalis, photo courtesy of the Discover Jazz Festival)

Justin Faulkner's addition to the quartet marks the first personnel change for the group in a decade, as the 18-year old highschool senior steps in to replace sticks veteran Jeff "Tain" Watts. These aren't even big shoes to fill, this is more on the scale of filling an Olympic-size swimming pool - where to begin? And yet Faulkner more than holds his own with fellow Quartet members Marsalis (saxes), Joey Calderazzo (piano) and Eric Revis (bass). Once in a while it seemed his exuberance came through a bit over-balanced (loud), but I'd have a hard time coming up with any other criticism of this remarkable young player. Even that comment must be taken in consideration of the whole, which was overall a dazzling night of music-making.

It began at 7:30pm with the Vermont All State Jazz Ensemble, and their swinging, bluesy Such Sweet Thunder, a Duke Ellington classic. They got all of that one. Another highlight was their program-closer, the hot Dizzy Gillespie number Birk's Works. When Marsalis took the stage a little later in the evening he remarked on the Jazz Ensemble's sound and said he had interrupted a conversation backstage just to be able to listen more closely. Strong solos, tight ensemble work: nice all the way around.

As for the Quartet, everyone shone. Faulkner chewed through each number with his non-stop nine-armed technique; Calderazzo and Marsalis shared some especially beautiful, heartfelt moments in Calderazzo's multi-textured ballad, The Blossom of Parting (Marsalis employing the sweet high voice of the soprano sax) - but for my ears the coup de grâce was the closer, a simmering, seething original by Jeff "Tain" Watts called Samo.

It began after all of the players except Revis had left the stage, and for the next several minutes he delivered a blistering, thumping, howling solo on the upright bass which included lots of bent notes, rhythmic, athletic slides up and down the strings, and arpeggios plucked BELOW the bridge (yep, waaaaay down there). I've never heard that much sound - volume and quantity - come out of a double bass in a single solo. You can't pull things like that off convincingly without knowing every inch of your instrument's - and your own - abilities. It was electrifying.

At the moment it seemed the instrument might just wilt under the weight of its own output, the other three Quartet members filed on stage, the bass returned to its usual, more contained expressive range, and the rest of the piece unfolded, ponderously and quietly at first, before accelerating and crescendoing into the finale that brought the audience to its feet in ovation. Wow.

For an encore the Quartet offered a good ol' fashioned sassy, laid-back St. Louis Blues. We were due for a little Big Easy after Samo.

Off the hook, that's a fact.

Music Makes it Great, Volunteers Make it Happen

Last Tuesday evening I arrived a little early at the FlynnSpace for Grace Kelly's concert and had a nice conversation with Carol, one of the Flynn's ushers. She's been a volunteer there for over twenty years. Her favorite show so far? She mentioned several, but the recent production of Hello Dolly was right at the top of the list. (For many folks, I'm sure!)

Carol is one of more than 350 people who volunteer at the Flynn for events like the Jazz Festival.

Tonight at the Branford Marsalis concert, I talked with several more volunteers including Jill and Cathy, and the Flynn's Volunteer Manager, Liza. They drive in to Burlington from towns as far away as Brandon, Stowe, and Waterbury Center (!) just to be able to give up an evening and run the concessions stand, take tickets, hand out programs, and see guests safely to and from their seats.

They're a silent but integral element of the Flynn's success, along with sponsors, staff, ticket buyers, and the musicians themselves who make it happen.

Every organization is only as good as its parts. For the Flynn, the Jazz Festival, and VPR too - our volunteers are an invaluable part of what we do, and who we are.

Thank you, volunteers!

(Find out more about volunteering at VPR here)

Seen (Scene) Around Town, pt. 4

Gypsy Swingin'

Dancing along with Will Patton's Ensemble (including daughter Anna, on clarinet) - at Leunig's tonight!

Here, There, and Everywhere

Parking downtown can be a challenge sometimes during Jazz Fest. The reward for parking further out and walking several blocks is getting an earful of all of the music pouring out from the windows, streets, and alleyways along the path.

American Flatbread is one of the many local restaurants hosting special music series during the Festival. Their streetside patio was lit up with late afternoon sunshine and the sounds of Brian McNamara & Soul's calling at dinnertime today.

Rubble rumble at the top of Church Street

The Fountain Stage was the scene as locals the Rubblebucket Orchestra performed their mix of rock, soul, and afrobeats for a large and energetic crowd filling the top of block of Church Street.   Seven Days named Rubblebucket Vermont's best new band of 2008 and, judging from their performance and the reception from the crowd, 2009 is going just as well. The 10-piece band is led by trumpeter Alex Toth.

Meet the Artists: Branford Marsalis and Justin Faulkner

Bob Blumenthal hosted his final Meet the Artist session of the 2009 Discover Jazz Festival with headliner Branford Marsalis and drummer Justin Faulkner. Faulkner is the newest member of the quartet, joining earlier this year - making 2009 both the year he joined the Branford Marsalis Quartet AND the year he graduates from High School.

Late Night with Diabate

Hmm...how to end a great day that began with avant-garde music and interpretive dancing (not by me), and continued for several hours with some hard funk and hard dancing (now, that was by me)?

How about a concert of contemporay music from Mali? And more dancing. But you knew that.

Perfect.

I missed Malian singer Boubacar Diabaté last Saturday when he appeared at the Skinny Pancake. I just couldn't pull myself away from the captivating concert of experimental music at the Firehouse. I regretted having to make the choice, but it's impossible to see everything so I resigned myself to catching Boubacar the next time he came around.

The next time came around last night! A friend e-mailed me in the afternoon to let me know that Boubacar had stayed in town for another show, this time at Nectar's, and this time with a full electric band. It was fantastic. Even if it meant getting home around 2am...it IS only once a year, right?

(Tonight: Branford Marsalis at the Flynn. And maybe some sleep. Nah.)