Concert Review

Healdsburg Fest loosely thematic and diverse

By Tom Ineck 

HEALDSBURG, Calif.—In the tradition of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, the second week of the 13^th annual edition ended with a well-conceived series of concerts at the Raven Theater. Loosely thematic and wonderfully diverse, each evening’s performance seemed to give audiences a different perspective on jazz, from its more conventional hard-bop approach to the infusion of world sounds, Eastern rhythms, the avant-garde and even its roots in American folk music.

Motema Records hosted a Thursday evening showcase of its artists, beginning with a solo performance by pianist Geri Allen, continuing with young pianist Marc Cary and his trio and concluding with a tribute to the late singer Leon Thomas, who recorded in the late 1960s and early ’70s with saxophonist Pharoah Sanders.   

A record label devoted to mainstream and cutting-edge jazz is a rare thing in 2011, but in recent years Motema has become a standard-bearer in that regard, signing and recording original and uncompromising artists who might otherwise be unable to find a creative home. Motema’s roster also includes pianists Monty Alexander, Randy Weston, Jean-Michel Pilc, Lynne Arriale and Ryan Cohan, guitarists Gene Bertoncini and Roni Ben-Hur and bassists Rufus Reid and Nilson Matta.

Allen’s piano style draws equally from Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor, a heady mix that is evident on her 2010 Motema solo release “Flying Toward the Sound.” Her performance at the Raven was similarly eclectic and advanced. Perhaps the most melodic and accessible in her long set was a version of Charles Lloyd’s “Sweet Georgia Bright.” Allen’s original “LWB’s House” was playfully dissonant, keeping listeners guessing where she might go next.

A variation on his Focus Trio, the threesome that Cary fronted at the Raven also featured bassist David Ewell—co-founder of the Focus Trio—and veteran drummer extraordinaire Victor Lewis. The core group was augmented by percussionist Daniel Moreno and trumpeter David Weiss. They challenged the post-bop status quo with tunes like “My Love Is You,” by his former employer Abbey Lincoln. The song is featured on his 2010 Motema release, “Focus Trio Live 2009.”

Drummer and Motema recording artist Babatunde Lea was moved to honor former employer Leon Thomas after hearing singer Dwight Trible perform with Pharoah Sanders. For the Raven appearance, Lea recruited Trible and assembled a group that also consisted of keyboard wizard Patrice Rushen and bassist Gary Brown. Trible’s quirky phrasing and deep baritone make him an excellent interpreter of such Thomas classics as John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” Coltrane’s “Cousin Mary,” “Let the Rain Fall on Me,” and “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” Craig Handy made a guest appearance on flute for a beautiful rendition of “Prince of Peace.” All of the tunes appear on Motema’s 2009 release, “Umbo Weti: A Tribute to Leon Thomas,” with Ernie Watts featured on saxophone.

Several years ago, saxophonist and spiritual seeker Charles Lloyd founded the group Sangam as a memorial to late drummer and soul mate Billy Higgins. The trio has since become an eclectic vehicle for meditative and emotionally moving interplay, regardless of stylistic label. Without introduction or commentary, the set of tunes seemed to evolve holistically and naturally, with Lloyd and his colleagues even exchanging instruments. Lloyd moved from tenor saxophone to piano to drums as drummer Eric Harland moved to piano and tabla master Zakir Hussain vocalized. Harland and Hussain joined forces on a witty percussion excursion that had Hussain using the talking drums in true call-and-response fashion as Lloyd accompanied on the taragato. Lloyd encored with a long and entrancing spoken-word piece. The effect was gentle, playful and transcendent.

Saturday night’s triple bill was a marathon affair, an all-star evening in which some of the legendary players of the late 20^th century proved they still have something important to say in the 21^st century.

A practicing Bay Area psychiatrist, Denny Zeitlin performed some pianistic psychotherapy on a rapt audience during a solo piano set that included his inimitable explorations of such classics as “You and the Night and the Music,” “Last Night When We Were Young,” and “Just One of Those Things.” He also performed the title track of his latest CD, “Labyrinth,” and introduced two new originals, “Tributary” and “Wading the Deschutes,” inspired by a recent fly-fishing expedition for steelhead salmon in Oregon. Nearly 50 years after his recording debut, Zeitlin’s brilliant playing never ceases to amaze.

A contemporary of Zeitlin’s, bassist John Heard has an equally impressive resume, especially as a sideman with artists as diverse as singer Al Jarreau, guitarist Wes Montgomery, saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Booker Ervin, pianists Ahmad Jamal, Randy Weston and many others. Heard’s Healdsburg appearance was a rare opportunity to see him fronting a trio with pianist Andy Langham and drummer Lorca Hart. The veteran Heard swung with mighty authority while allowing the younger players to freely express themselves. Among the straight-ahead offerings were Joe Henderson’s tricky “Inner Urge,” Billy Strayhorn’s haunting “Isfahan,” and Charlie Parker’s frenetic “Anthropology.” Heard dedicated the gorgeous “Here’s to Life” to festival founder Jessica Felix, and even covered the unlikely soul classic “Tell Me Something Good,” by Rufus.

Expectations were high for the climactic all-star ensemble fronted by pianist George Cables, and most of those expectations were met. How could you go wrong with a lineup that also included vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, saxophonists Bobby Watson and Craig Handy, trumpeter David Weiss, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis? Lewis’ composition “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talkin’ To” got things off to a swinging start, with the drummer showing why he still is among the world’s leading rhythm masters. The group also delivered fine interpretations of “Star Eyes,” “Jitterbug Waltz,” and “My Foolish Heart,” with Handy impressing on both tenor sax and flute, Watson soaring on the alto sax, and Weiss bearing down on the trumpet. Under Cables’ leadership, the rhythm section developed an uncanny sense of interplay.

The only disappointment was a nearly incapacitated Bobby Hutcherson, who seemed alternately bewildered and bemused by the chord changes, as the others attempted to lead him through each tune. At 70, he seemed frail beyond his years, sitting motionless on a stool for much of the set. I can only speculate that he is suffering from some debilitative ailment that has sapped his energy and diminished his once-unequalled improvisatory technique. It was sad.

The set was dedicated to Helen Wray, Cables’ life partner and soul mate for 27 years, who died of pancreatic cancer in November. That, of course, gave the performances a poignant overtone, especially on “Helen’s Song,” a beautiful melody that has been a staple in the pianist’s repertoire for many years.

Everyone from that eight-piece ensemble—except Hutcherson—returned the next morning for a performance of jazz spirituals, a Sunday tradition at many festivals. In a remarkable program of songs expressing the praise, the hope and the pain of the African-American experience, the band accompanied soulful singer Ruth Naomi Floyd under the leadership of James Newton, with the addition of multi-reed master Benny Maupin. In a thematically related interlude, Bobby Watson and his wife, Pamela, also showcased her gospel compositions and singing. It proved an inspired—and inspiring—way to start the day.

The day ended back at the Raven Theater for the closing program entirely devoted to one of the festival’s favorite sons, bassist Charlie Haden. It began with a rare screening of “Rambling Boy,” a Swiss documentary film that follows Haden’s life from his boyhood as part of a family country music band in Missouri through a long jazz career that began in Los Angeles with the Ornette Coleman Quartet. The fascinating film leaves no stone unturned, following Haden’s political activism, the emergence of his long-standing group Quartet West, his work with Pat Metheny and Keith Jarrett and his eventual return to the roots of Americana. Quartet West pianist Alan Broadbent then joined Haden for an informal conversation with the audience and a brief duo performance, bringing the festival to a very satisfying close.

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Jazz in June survives its 20th year in style

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