Greg Abate; John Lockwood
The 10th Anniversary of Barbara Alex’s monthly Jazz Sessions at Chianti’s Restaurant & Tuscan Lounge in Beverly, Massachusetts was an exceptional show. Coordinator Alex waned to include as many singers and musicians as possible in last Sunday evening’s event. Recreating the flavor and vibe of her first ten years was no mean feat but many in attendance have commented that she accomplished just that. And, with all of the talent present last Sunday evening, it was impossible for her to miss.
Alex began the music singing the standard “Falling In Love,” her voice a sussurrant glide that widened beautifully, elegantly.. Rebecca Cline had sat in on piano for that and made many fine returns to the ivories throughout the event.
Next up was an instrumental trio Man On Land featuring Brian Friedland on keys, Greg Loughman on bass, and Austin McMahon on drums.
A light piano melody sparkled over a punch rhythm section, the contrast making for a fine display of talent on each side. The trio exploited nuances in dynamics, tempos, and changing beat keepers to eventually envelop the audience in their tapestry of sound. The trio’s third composition “Daily Counterfeit” brought out high, bright piano notes at interesting intervals, precise stick work, all adorned by a special low end snap. The trio moved onto “The Stolen Letter” which was so tenderly played one could almost hear a lonesome voice coming from the space between the instruments.
Tom Palance; Andrea Capozzoli
Bringing the event back toward vocal jazz were vocalists Lydia Harrell and Adrian Sicam, the pair delivering a perfect blend on originals and standards. Performing Sicam’s Angel Of Desire,” cooing, scatting, or vocalizing the lyrics, the pair could handle it all with a sweet soulfulness. It didn’t hurt to have Ms. Cline back at the piano to keep a sophisticated elegance between those two vocalist when their sunburst voices broke into the choruses of “Angel Of Desire” and “Lullaby Of Birdland.” The two had fun with a jazz arrangement of Steely Dan’s “Any Major Dude” putting plenty of bounce in the lyrics.
Jennifer Truesdale; Barbara Alex; Laura Brereton, Kelly Riley; Marcia J. Macres
Enter Jennifer Truesdale. Truesdale and her usual guitarist Joe Musella brought colors to everything they played. On her new hit single, “Thinking Of You,” Truesdale utilized her stunning elastic voice to finesses this one as Muscella kept his acoustic guitar notes subtle and supple, full onamic playing within a soft texture. His notes and her voice met on a magic carpet. Truedale slipped into her torchy coos for her piano bar tune “Daydreaming,” and, boy, did she belt out the bluesy number. The pair painted a soothing tone to their rendition of Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain,” Truesdale announcing the lyrics as much as she sang them as she empowered her voice in just the right places. One of the event’s highlights came when Truesdale and her girlfriends sand an a cappella version of her original “We Will Not Be Forgotten.” Kelly Riley, Barbara Alex, Laura Brereton, Marcia J. Macres and Truesdale kept it gospel like, soulful, a triumphant anthem as the audience supported it with hand claps and foot stomping.
Offering heady, jazz for the mind, the John Funkhouser Sextet featured an exciting electric guitar melody from Phil Sargent that was sharp enough to cut diamonds and a two part horn section that made an impression of bright waves. The rhythm section had plenty of swing to maintain muscular authority beneath that high flying, free wheeling melodic thrust. This large combo started out with a tight, thick sound but they eventually evolved it into the multitude of instruments one might find in Gypsy Jazz. Funkhouser’s wind synthesizer played numerous notes that marched across the sonic landscape of the room like an army of players before the horns, once again, ignited the tune with feisty vibrancy.
John Funkhouser Sextet
Just when the line up seem stellar, it got even more eclectic with trumpet player-vocalist Andrea Capozzoli, trumpeter Tom Palance and pianist Adria Smith. Capozzoli teased a dazzling melody out of her trumpet as Smith tapped a frenetic, jaunty melody out of the ivories. Meanwhile, those two trumpeters played a freeform melody that spiraled upwards, soulful, vibrant with the rhythm section packing an appropriate wallop beneath them. Capozoli put down her trumpet to offer a racing lyrical number, “People Will Think We‘re In Love.” That title is from her Lessons album and she phrased and scatted through it like nobody’s business. Short verses erupted out of her diaphragm with perfect timing. One verse would easefully end before another swiftly emerged.
North Shore saxophonist Mike Tucker came up to display a talent best described as limitless. A romantic ballad was mournfully sad, making a listener picture a forlorn man at bar staring into his drink as he contemplates life without his beloved. After setting this mood, pianist Tim Ray supplied a string of heavy piano notes. Ray also handled a bubbly piano melody in a following piece which worked well as the combo made way for drummer Mark Walker to play a hard hitting solo, offering his own intense intricacy. Yet, it was during Tucker’s interpretation of John Coltrane’s “Moments Notice” that let the saxophonist inject numerous notes over a remarkably paced rhythm section. Tucker extended his saxophone melody into a dizzying pace, playing at a furious tempo that made the audience gasp at his talent caliber.
Rebecca Cline supporting many at Jazz Sessions 10th Anniversary
The final artist of the night was Rhode Island’s passionate saxophone and flute player Greg Abate. Abate’s set let him show how his chops which range from playing passages of sublime beauty to more intense, furious phrases that pushed the art form and himself to higher levels. Joining with his own rhythm section, Abate played some titles from his latest CD Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ TheZ. “Gratitude” commenced with Tim Ray playing a lilting piano melody, tinkling bright notes out of his keys. Abate breezed in with an easeful sax melody, a line that felt as light as a butterfly and as mellifluous as a flute. Abate’s ability to mix things up at a mid tempo glide gave him and his band plenty of space to inject all sorts of nice touches, steering his combo well with perfect timing.
Abate’s “Hazy Moon” let him showcase his chops on flute. Abate’s melody here soothed the audience’s collective ear as there was a relaxed vibe in the room with all quite focused on his sound. The final set of the night was marked by an impressive set by Abate and Tucker, joining forces for their performance of intense jazz, furious notes played by each until they joined in unison to create something that cascaded like acid jazz.
Alex and all in attendance were beaming with satisfaction once the event was ended, all knowing that the audience were treated to an evening of exceptionally good music. It was also a fitting tribute to the Jazz Sessions Alex has been bringing to the Beverly venue for the last ten years. Judging by the level of talent and enthusiasm in the room, it would be a safe bet that Alex and Chianti’s will be offering another ten years of good jazz.
