John Beasley is keeping mainstream jazz alive almost singlehandedly. Or doublehandedly.
The Louisiana-born pianist has gained favor with the Grammy fokes, who have lavished him with numerous past nominations, and this year handed him a win for his arrangement of Charlie Parker/Miles Davis' "Donna Lee." Beasley has grown deep roots in L.A., especially in the soil of Leimert Park's World Stage, a location he made a point of calling "home." A quartet performance at that home during a pandemic and so soon after the award made this a special occasion.
Beasley prominently displayed his most significant talent -- communication. Unconcerned with improvisatory endurance, he bit off phrases in celerylike chunks with a crisp but gently rounded attack, reminding us of Monkish intelligence more than Thelonian challenge. Dissonances arrived rarely and sans fanfare. Swing he did, but Beasley also made room for ethereal balladry during his solo introduction to "Song for Doug" (about his soldier uncle), and ushered forth quietly thrilling harmonic overlaps via his arrangement of Wayne Shorter's haunting "Sanctuary."
Bassist Ben Williams comped and soloed with tight articulation and perfect rhythm. Romping and grooving on his tiny kick drum, Louisiana drummer John Davis painted the shade of transparent buoyancy that every bandleader dreams about. On tenor sax, Chris Lewis embodied the stone bebopper, especially when negotiating the horn's difficult lowest register on Beasley's "If So Then," when trading riffs with the pianist on Thad Jones' "Three in One" and when ripping the inevitable accelerando on a jagged new Beasley tune inspired by Ornette Coleman.
With references to musical progenitors such as Thad, Wayne, Miles and Ornette, as well as to his uncle and daughter, Beasley made this an event about family. Which is what you find in a home.
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This performance is still watchable here. Donate to the World Stage here.