So, as a Sunday School teacher for the 5th and 6th grade class at my church, and having raised two daughters that took in so many hours of piano lessons that I would calculate their recitals at about 50 cents per note, I’m taking in this hour long set of inspiringly creative music that is not only being PLAYED by an 11 year old girl, but also COMPOSED by this phenom! You can’t help but wonder if you did something wrong as an underachieving parent or a teacher when you come across such a disarmingly talented creature of heaven. “How do you think I feel?” her mom asked me after the show, “she passed me YEARS ago!!”
Sponsored, produced and promoted by Quincy Jones, who knows a thing or two about thrillers, Miss Bear (you CAN’T call her “Ms,” can you?!?) daintily strolled up to the piano, and with Peter Slavov/b and Kevin Kanner/dr filling out the trio, performed lyrically bopping gems and gracefully flowing pieces like “Northern Lights” and “Hot Peppers” that bristled with joy and fervor. Latin sizzlers like “Salsa Americana” had a celebratory buoyant bounce while “Diversity,” with it’s mix of Schubertian romanticism and modern harmonic textures mixed 52nd Street with Old World charm. Adding to the mood Zuill Bailey who’s caressing cello added European delicacy on “Italia” and “Tutto Cuore.” Memorable pieces like “Alika” and “Peralada” (“which I wrote when I was seven,” she revealed) had Bear’s tiny hands dance over the keys like they were a toy to play after finishing her homework. Even if you closed your eyes and took out of your mind that you were being entertained by a girl who was up WAY past her bedtime, you would still have left the club with an evening’s worth of lovely music dancing in your head. No small achievement from someone who still thinks boys have kooties!
Next show sponsored by the Bakery is the highly promising Anthony Wilson Seasons Guitar Quartet on May 25.