A slightly edited version of this review was published in
the NYC Jazz Record NY@Night column, November 2018
JOHN
ZORN’S ANGELS QUARTET
Oct 7, 2017, Village Vanguard, New York NY
Performance
review by John Pietaro
Village Vanguard steps (courtesy, NPR)
The Sunday
afternoon sky burned bright over the West Village, but an informed portion of
those on 7th Avenue South crowded readily into a certain darkened
basement of note (10/7). The draw was the Angels Quartet and its masterful
expansion of Zorn’s 2004 Masada Project, that already expansive fusion of
Jewish musical traditions, free funk and new jazz. Throughout its compelling
set, the Quartet’s interplay was marked with a celebratory, perhaps holiday,
collegiality and laughter that belied the Vanguard’s noir-like décor. The downtown
sound was alive, well and wielding klezmer-fueled collective improv, meter
shifts, melodic minors, bouncing repetitions, hora accents and a bit of
klangfarbenmelodie. Zorn’s artfully distressed alto wailed over the exquisite
leads of guitarist Julian Lage who proved again why he’s first-call for so many
of these gigs. Lage’s utter command of his ax and ability to tear into complex
melodies as easily as reckless abandon is all the more admirable by his spy and
surf guitar mastery. The rhythm section of fluid bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer
Kenny Wolleson was on fire throughout. Wolleson can do anything behind a kit
and here rolled out the hippest bossa novas (with samba bottoms) and coolest
free jazz. Like butter.
For all the warmth onstage, Zorn’s circumspect approach
was on high guard afterward when we hoped for a brief interview, rejected soundly
and none too kindly. But the sun continued shining in spite of this and, climbing
up the Vanguard’s historic steps, we still grooved on the leftover good vibes.
Oct, not Nov. (header)
ReplyDeleteThe show was in October, but the piece was published in the November issue of the paper
ReplyDelete