For most of her career, Jane Bunnett has used her soprano sax and flute as a means of importing the sounds and energies of Cuban music. Since her first incarnation The Spirits of Havana, Bunnett has for the past 7 years created a team of XX chromosome musicians, titled Maqueque, which suitably translates into “energetic and fiery girls”. The 90 minute set, featuring music from previous and an upcoming album, was a perfect blend of exotic pulses, vocal sensuality and creative soloing.
The team of Mary Paz/cong, Yissy Garcia/dr, Danae Olano/p and Tailin Marrero/eb supplied percolating pulses for Bunnett’s searing soprano, which blended perfectly with Joanna Tendai Majoko’s luscious voice on pieces like “Little Feet”, with the leader going into Coltrane territory as she seared over the cruising groove of Marrero’s loping bass line of of “Dream” as Majoko evoked vocal sensuality. The harmonies of the ladies were ethereal around Bunnett’s feathery flute over the percussive avalanche of “Maqueque”, while voice and sax ricochet’d back and forth on the bouncy and upbeat “Monkey See, Monkey Do” with a relentless rivulet stirred up by a three percussion front.
While delivering rich and creative solos as on the dreamy “The Occurence” , pianist Olano got her spotlight during a rippling intro to an impressionistic read of “Ain’t No Sunshine”, with Bunnett slowly wafting in before Majoko hauntingly delivered the lyrics in aria form before the rest of the team added vocal textures to create a rich puree of human emotion.
Marrero got a chance to display her wears on a simmering solo around the unison chants of “Re En Cuento” and a bel canto “Havana De Noche” that had the rhythm section simmer like a smouldering Cohiba, surrounding Majoko’s wordless vocals like musical smoke rings. Cruising like a 1957 V8 Chevy with fins, the band closed out with an upbeat “On Firm Ground” as the ladies mixed gospel and R&B grooves to their empassioned chant, creating an avalanche of festivities.
Even the laid back Angelenos couldn’t sit still for this one, getting up and sharing in the festivities. Isn’t that one of the reasons God created music? As Emcee LeRoy Downs stated before the show “There’s more to life than staying at home and watching TV, like experiencing this thing called jazz”. This evening was an invitation to turn off the set and turn on the lights.
Upcoming shows sponsored by www.justjazz.tv include Logan Richardson’s Blues People 05/23, Jamael Dean 05/26, Danny Janklow 06/01 and Sara Gazarek 06/08