Yusef Lateef Tribute
The interaction of Bennie Maupin's live wind instruments with Adam Rudolph's 40-minute pre-recorded "symphonic tone poem" falls right in line with the unfettered practice of their centennial tributee, the late Dr. Yusef Lateef. All three have Detroit/Midwestern roots and a long history of collaboration.
The performance feels like a combination of a prayer and a séance. Rudolph's backing track encompasses everything from cooking African hand drums to gongs, space echoes, sleigh bells and electro grooves. Maupin goes with the flow by switching frequently among several saxes, bass clarinet, flutes and pennywhistle, always concentrated and spontaneous. The listener identifies with Maupin's strange isolation -- he often moans brief melodies like a troubled hermit, and never looks at the camera. The eerie nature of the music makes us feel that these two artists are really communing, in an original way, with what Rudolph has called Lateef's "creative spirit and attitude."
Light a candle.
Adam Rudolph invites all to share his memories of Dr. Lateef here and five 10-minute musical tributes from those who knew him here.
Jesse Sharps & the Gathering
A.C. Fest continued its international slant with an unusual octet melding Jesse Sharps' L.A. Afro-jazz team with four members of Nyofu Tyson's group, which concentrates on the Turkish music that Sharps grew to love during his long European post-military sojourn.
The Gathering welcomed the world through irresistible melody, and quickly normalized a parade of meters (3, 5, 6, 7, 9) with the opener, a Middle Easternized version of Dave Brubeck's cinco-beat classic "Take Five." Nyofu Tyson and Mark Tyson stroked sensual strings on saz and electric guitar; young tenor man Randal Fisher demonstrated his rhythmic facility and clean tone. Peter Jacobson ripped a vigorous cello solo; Sharps cycled through a forest of wind instruments and gripped us with the light yet earthy glide of his closer, "Dance of Greeting."
Most any music fan will connect with this one -- make it a family priority.
At the end, jot down the special temporary web address for Tom Paige's documentary "The Gathering: Roots and Branches of Los Angeles Jazz," which features considerable performance footage plus commentary from just about every L.A. influencer.
Areni Agbabian
Areni Agbabian is a young songwriter and singer with sad eyes and a pure, effortless soprano. You might have heard her locally with Alex Cline, Tigran Hamasyan or others. But this quiet quartet is her own thing.
Reminding us of Ovid's "Metamorphoses," Agbabian sat at a grand piano and sang with poetic calm about women forced to escape importunate love by becoming a fish or a tree. "Now I stand cleansed," she sang of tears' effect, making us wonder if that's a good thing.
Agbabian claimed territory somewhere between Carole King and Bill Evans. Her uncomplicated but proficient piano playing, which drew from Armenian folk music, reinforced the mesmeric quality of her melodies, and drummer Arman Jalalyan supported her with subtle rhythms and an occasional shake of sleigh bells. When she required male energy, she turned to Eric Sittner for a somber bowed bass solo, and to Gagik Khodavirdi for for an extended rock-star Strat workout, complete with a single squeal effect.
What was it? Fine music.
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Deal of the decade: You can watch all 12 of this year's Angel City presentations for $20 by ordering here.