The sensitive souls of pianist Kenny Werner and harmonica player Gregoire Maret gave a 110 minute tribute to the legendary Toots Thielemans Friday night that mixed rich sounds, playful improvisations and an irresistible lyricism.
Werner joked that Maret was Thielemans’ favorite harmonica player “because he was the only one who didn’t try to sound like him.” Maret’s personal tone and approach was in full view, with a sweet and cheerful delivery that gracefully sighed over Werner’s rich strides on “Days of Wine and Roses” and floated above the pianist’s fingers bluesy touch for “The Dolphin.”
A harmonically adventurous “All Blues” featured Werner mixing flowing notes with deft droplets as Maret’s vibrato faded to a closing mist. The pair sighed with longing to “Wave,” slowly building up to musical whitecaps as Werner’s full fisted feeds to Maret were returned with ecstatic cries bouncing back and forth before an elegiac finale. Werner brought forth Debussy on steroids with a rich impressionistic yet free “I Remember April” with Maret supplying the spring breeze before the two lilted to a bluesy “3 Views of a Secret” before the two teamed up for a gorgeously resigned and regretful “Autumn Leaves” that oozed with reflective sorrow.
For a finale, the two reworked Thielemans’ most famous piece, a dreamy “Bluesette” and returned to encore with a hopeful and optimistic “What A Wonderful World.” Intuitive and spontaneous interplay performed this melodiously and heartfelt can only be delivered by artists with both technical acuity and empathetic sonorities. The rare attraction to both the mind and heart is one for the books. Any albums coming out?
Upcoming shows at The Moss sponsored by The Jazz Bakery include Alicia Olatuja 03/22, Omar Sosa 03/23, Phil Norman Tentet 03/24, Mary Stallings 03/29, Abdullah Ibrahim 03/30-31