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By Tom Ineck
The Monty Alexander
Trio proved itself a multicolored musical chameleon
on March 9 at the Royal Grove in Lincoln, where
the traditional mainstream jazz unit gradually
metamorphosed into a beat-heavy reggae band that
directly tapped into the leader's Jamaican roots.
For the special Berman
Music Foundation event, the legendary
venue, too, underwent a notable
transformation; from a rock dance hall
that also traffics in topless entertainment to
a first-rate jazz nightclub with superb sound and
lighting. Only the bartenders seemed to struggle
with the sudden switch from
Budweiser-guzzling rockers to the more
subtle tastes of the jazz and reggae clientele.
When the performance
was delayed for more than an hour
while drummer Troy Davis awaited a connecting flight
to Omaha, Alexander exhibited his
consummate professionalism by launching
into a piano-bass duo set with bassist Ira
Coleman. Even without Davis' overt time-keeping
role, the two created ample rhythmic drive on
Juan Tizol's "Caravan" from the Ellington songbook.
From Alexander's solo piano introduction,
listeners knew they were in for a
treat.
Alexander's own
gospel-influenced composition "Renewal"
began almost solemnly, with Coleman droning
a passage on bowed bass. Suddenly it turned funky,
with an implied reggae beat percolating underneath.
The optimistic tone continued with "Look Up,"
a breezy, uplifting original by Alexander.
In the music's contrasting emotions of
sadness and joy, it is evident that the
pianist knew both good times and hard
times while growing up in Kingston, Jamaica,
in the late 1940s and 1950s. To this day, he profoundly
conveys those emotions in his playing.
Joy seems always
triumphant. Even on the classic ballad
"Body and Soul," the duo exuded good humor.
Alexander wove filigreed piano passages at a slow
tempo, but they were full of funky, bluesy
interpolations.
Alexander has another
reason to be happy. His lovely wife,
Caterina Zapponi, is a wonderful singer in
the heartfelt cabaret style, and she often
travels with him, performing briefly with his
expert and sensitive piano accompaniment. For her
Lincoln appearance, she chose the beautiful Brazilian
ballad "Estate," the standard "Too Marvelous for
Words" (her husband joining her in a
charming vocal dialogue), and a French
love song perfectly chosen for her role as
show-stopping chanteuse.
But it was the final
set, with drummer Davis joining
Alexander and Coleman, that really defined the
evening. The reggae rhythms emerged full-blown,
one tune flowing into the next with irresistible
momentum.
There was a beautifully
reharmonized version of Bob Marley's "No
Woman, No Cry" and a stunning rendition of
the gospel-tinged Alexander original "The
River." From Alexander's latest Telarc
release, the live recording "Goin' Yard," came
the deeply rhythmic Augustus Pablo tune "King Tubby
Meets the Rockers Uptown."
Though the beat was
always prominent, the emphasis was on
melody and musicality, best exemplified by
Alexander's virtuosic keyboard technique and
winning rapport with the audience. Coleman and
Davis, too, were equal to the task, driving the
beat and contributing astounding solo statements.
Davis was especially adept at crossing over from
a relaxed jazz time signature to a jagged,
leaping reggae beat.
As the extended set
grew in intensity, Alexander and company
also began to have some fun. The pianist
took up the melodica (a hand-held wind instrument
with a piano keyboard) for a spell, putting a whole
new spin on the music.
In the grand finale, a
sort of farewell medley to the Plains of
Nebraska, they quoted from "Happy Trails,"
"Tumblin' Tumbleweeds," "Ghost Riders in
the Sky," "Jammin'," and "Eleanor Rigby."
The traditional Jamaican market song "What a Saturday
Night" was followed by an encore featuring a devastating
version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic,"
with more gospel references from
Alexander.
As Alexander says in
explaining his crossover appeal, it's not
unusual for a true music fan to own
records by Bob Marley AND John Coltrane. In his
appearance at Lincoln's Royal Grove, the Jamaican
jazz pianist again proved that the two styles are
perfectly compatible.
A few disgruntled
ticket holders had left earlier because of
the concert delay, but it was their loss.
Butch Berman's 53rd birthday present to
local jazz and reggae fans was well worth the wait.
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