Only good things to report about trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and his quintet at the Jazz Standard on Wednesday night, with Walter Smith III on tenor, Fabian Almazan on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums. Mostly one long, continuous set with unaccompanied trumpet segues. The harmonic model and band interaction recalled the second Miles quintet, but the rhythmic syntax was jittery and new. Every soloist had tons to say, and every quintet member listened acutely while it was said.
Following that, what else but a bone-crushing electronica set from Meat Beat Manifesto at Bowery Ballroom. Some of the hugest beats ever. My friend Tad Hendrickson visited the restroom downstairs and said the pipes and mirrors were shaking. I was able to verify this a little while later. The video element was key: One creepy backdrop had a close-up of Marshall Applewhite, leader of the Heaven’s Gate suicide cult, repeating the word “vibration” in perfect musical sync. Another had Barack Obama’s head superimposed on the body of a drummer, hammering out the beat of the song and telling the crowd, “Thank you! Thank you!”
Last night’s Ravi Coltrane set at the Vanguard was also tremendous, beginning with a fast and loose “‘Round Midnight” and ending with an even faster “Giant Steps.” Pianist Luis Perdomo hit several solos out of the park. Bassist Drew Gress and drummer E. J. Strickland couldn’t have been more solid.
Don Byron’s 50th birthday set last Saturday at the Standard had its pleasures, although I was more taken with the playing of Edward Simon, who is without question one of the most underrated jazz pianists in the world.
The Knitting Factory on Leonard Street will shut down (and head to Brooklyn) soon, so I look forward to the last two installments of the Search & Restore series, on November 25 and December 2. Featuring bands led by Nasheet Waits, Drew Gress, Dan Weiss, Steven Bernstein, Todd Sickafoose, more.
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