It’s quite intriguing how the music scene goes in cycles. As the Bible says, “He brings down one, and he brings up another.” Earlier this week LA hosted Wynton Marsalis, who 30+ years ago was the new kid on the block, and the great trumpet hope of a jazz scene that seemed to have lost its direction. He’s now the ambassador of the music establishment, and all seems well, except that with all kingdoms, a new prince eventually starts rising up, and it wasn’t lost on many Angelenos that Ambrose Akinmusire, who’s taken up residency in town and set up three gigs at the Blue Whale, may showing the Angelenos that a new era in jazz has begun.
Leading a young and forward looking quintet that, as the leader said, “has a one foot in the tradition, and another in the future,” Akinmusire delivered a 75 minutes set of originals that mixed energy, enthusiasm and technical prowess. The team of Jonathon Pinson/dr, Dave Robaire/b, Jeff Parker/g and Joshua White/p went through luminous melodies on the assertive “Curiosly Landing” and “Aroca” that allowed the songs to stretch and pull like Salt Water Taffy, but always keeping the proper flavor. Akinmuisire’s tone and attitude has a kinship to Freddie Hubbard; stunning control of dynamics and notes with an swaggering attitude that there ain’t no mountain high enough. Meanwhile, while Pinson and Robaire supplied steady yet driving support, Parker and White let the notes from their fingers take on seemingly spontaneous directions that eventually got you back on the right path from the rabbit trail.
During the elegiac “As I Am” Akinmusire had his fragile horn agonize like a Greek tragedy over Porter’s pilaf of piano musings and Robaire’s ruminatingly blue bass lines. Contrarily, you could feel the heat emanating from his horn while White supplied some double fisted chords on an angular and bluesy ”F.O.C.” Closing the evening with a rapid fire reading of “The Walls of Lechuguilla,” Akinmuisire made a point of introducing the band members with his highest praise, calling each man “humble.” Maybe it’s a sign that , like in the Bible, the meek may inherit the earth, particularly on the jazz scene this Lenten season.
Don’t forget that the Blue Whale is also having Rex Abasi, Vardan Ovsepian and Gary Smulyan later on this month. Try not to miss these gigs as well.
www.bluewhalemusic.com