Nothing like the rapport between an artist and audience. Here are two examples of musical personal encounters.
Pianist Michel Camilo delivers a rich and passionate solo performance at this concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London back in June, 2015. He covers a wide palate of moods, but all the while his romantic Latin passion shines through. He is delicate, romantic and sensuous on pieces like “From Within” and “A Place In Time” while suave and dramatic on “Sandra’s Serenade.” His sense of swing from the left hand is infectious, playful on “The Frim Fram Sauce” and bopping with delight during Dizzy Gillespie’s “Manteca.” His medley of “I Got Rhythm/Caravan/Sing Sing Sing” is a ten fingered tour-de-force, with the ivories bouncing off the walls with delight. The hand had to be faster than the eye on this night in London!
Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis travels to Kalamazoo, MI for a fun and cozy performance for and with school kids that turns into a musical classroom. Along with Ellis Marsalis/p, Reginald Veal/b and Ralph Peterson/dr, Delfeayo mixes stories, messages and Southern charm as he even blueses up the “Sesame Street Theme” while swinging through “It Don’t Mean A Thing.” Marsalis then literally brings the audience on stage as a pair of students join in the festivities. Christian O’Neill Diaz supplies some hip scat vocals and Madison George sits in on the drums on a relaxed and after hours jam on “Blue Kalamazoo,” creating an audience of life-time jazz fans. Isn’t that what musicians are supposed to do?