Friday night I was blown away by the amazing sounds of Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove. I was fortunate enough to catch them live at the Warner Theater. Talk about an education for the ears! These cats are on a completely different world musically. They listened, they responded, they communicated – without words. All music. Tunes included standards (Michael Brecker described their rendition of Dolphin Dance as a “deconstructed” version) as well as some original tunes by Roy. They closed with “Chameleon” which brought the house down.
Michael Brecker never ceases to amaze me. The energy, the ideas, the life in his tone is beyond words. His technique was baffling. Besides tenor, he played an electronic wind instrument in an amazing solo display where he basically was a one-man band. Very, very entertaining and you could tell he was having a ball doing it. I asked him about it after the show and he stated that it wasn’t behaving correctly and did a few things he didn’t expect. I guess it is always improvisation no matter what the medium!
Herbie Hancock. I mean – what can you say about him? The man is a living legend of jazz but he is also not content to sit on the accomplishments of the past. To me he is a musician forging ahead and looking forward (much like Miles Davis). His playing was full of adventure and electricity. Doubling on piano and synthesizer, he also had a computer next to him that he accessed regularly for changing sounds and effects. There were moments where he stopped playing, listened and laughed. You could tell that he loves music and performing. Go to my new Photos section to view a picture of me meeting him.
Terri Lyne Carrington was on drums and her participation in the music was priceless. She almost seemed to be in a trance while she played and the energy produced was incredible. One of the tunes that they performed was Pinocchio (made famous by Miles Davis). During this song she shifted time, sped up, slowed down, played it funky, and played it straight… it was amazing. She really listened to the soloists and responded accordingly. I really enjoyed her playing.
Roy Hargrove was on his game as usual but without the locks! I have seen him perform several times in the area and every time he blows me away. His tone is to die for. It can dark and silky one minute – bright and searing the next. It was just scary to listen to and very, very inspiring. After the show I was fortunate enough to go back stage and meet him. He was very kind and very patient answering my questions about jazz and trumpet. He mentioned some things I have heard before but also gave me some valuable tidbits that made me think. The man plays concerts all the time and I’m sure he is asked the same questions by fans and aspiring musicians. Regardless of that, I got a vibe from him that he wanted to share what he knew. I found him to be a cool, nice and fun loving cat. Count me as a fan forever.
The beginning of this week found me deep in the middle of a bad stomach virus. I spent 3.5 days in bed – no practicing. I can honestly say that I never even THOUGHT about playing while I sick. That is how bad it was! I relaxed when I remembered that the horn wasn’t going anywhere and I’ve dealt with longer layoffs with good results. After seeing the concert, I am anxious to get back in the saddle as soon as possible.