Doron Flake Photo
I caught two performances this past week at the International Arts and Ideas Festival, by jazz auteur Christian McBride and his crew Inside Straight, and world mashup party Funkadesi. Though the venues, styles and clientele were wildly different, I was struck by a similar display: the musician’s brain at work.
The human brain has allocated a massive portion of the sensory and motor nerves for the hands. Hearing those hands convert thought to emotional telepathy is cause for us all to be grateful for that designation.
On Thursday night, I caught Inside Straight. With a cool like Avery Brooks, jazz bassist Christian McBride rooted himself in the center of his band. As the piano, sax and vibraphone hovered above the topography, McBride’s upright bass terraformed with the beat.
“When you build a band, you start with the drums,” McBride intoned. “Like making a sandwich, you start with the bread.”
Under Morse Recital Hall’s soft fuschia and blue stage lights and ornate Greek theater carvings, Inside Straight slipped through two hours of covers and originals. In spots, saxophonist Steve Wilson and vibraphonist Warren Wolf would play long passages in unison. The resulting tone had the vintage aura of Mad Men-era cool. Improvisation abounded, evidenced by the players stunned smiles every time they managed to impress even each other. New Haven’s own jazz pianist Christian Sands subbed in on two numbers. He composes and plays piano for Inside Straight.
McBride.
Courtesy Photo
“To me, improvising is reacting to what’s going on around you whether it’s on the bandstand or the audience. In my mind, I try to be open to all if those possible interactions,” he said. “It’s like having a conversation. You have someone or people who have a topic, and the topic is discussed through experience that each individual has had individually.”
The manual dexterity and musical vocabulary on display were incredible. “I don’t think about it,” said Sands. “It’s similar to learning a new language. You learn the basics and then after a while, you know how to manipulate the words to your choosing.”
Like a dervish, the band spun out massively intricate tapestries of sound. Dense polyrhythmic cacophony swelled only to defuse in breaks of painstaking composition on songs like “Dream Train.” Moments of levity from the bandleader between songs kept the mood light despite the rainy piano lines and bass that conjured venetian shadows on a pulp hero’s face. McBride named a song “Rainbow Wheel” after the wait symbol on old Macbooks. He also began the closing track “Stick and Move” with a passage of Bill Conti’s Rocky theme. The barrage of notes zipped by at flight of the bumblebee speeds, while ostensibly floating like proverbial butterflies. Beautiful work all around.
At Sunday night’s more interdisciplinary display of rocking out, Chicago’s reggae/bhangra/bollywood unit Funkadesi invited those gathered on the Green to dance like no one was watching. Thankfully, guest singer/dancer Reena Shah offered an instructional seminar on shaking the sacrum before letting the crowd loose on the Funkadesi tunes. With their new bollywood moves in hand, portions of the audience exhibited spontaneous choreography not seen outside of Annette Funnicello movies.
Funkadesi bassist Rahul Sharma took a seat to lay out a solo. The range of his sonic impressionism incorporated Shankar intervals and delta blues pentatonics. Their drummer Kwame Steve Cobb switched from worldly lines to kick snare hi hat hip hop default settings to accompany Indian singer Pavithra’s change over from punjabi crooning to punjabi rapping. The feat unhinged my jaw. It was like stealing Captain Planet’s iPod.
The overriding affect of the band, the music and the audience was a mellow collective. We were a sea of dolphins and seals disguised as humans on an expanse of grass.
“Enjoy yourself today,” advised lead reggae singer Valroy Dawkins “Tomorrow may not be the same.”
Funkadesi
Courtesy Photo
I caught so much of the A&I festival this year...a REAL TREAT!
Christian McBride was HOT! His band Straight Ahead was HOT! Young Mr. Christian Sands joining in as guest pianist was HOT!
I was worn out! I am bummed I missed Funkadesi, it was on my list but atlas a woman has to just stop and catch her breath!
The festival really ROCKED this year!