Event
Keepers of the Flame with Moran, Frisell, Parlato, Prieto, Apflebaum and more at Rodney Strong
Since pianist Jason Moran emerged in the late '90s in the quartet of altoist and ace talent scout Greg Osby, the Houston native has developed at an exponential rate, recording a series of albums for Blue Note that are as satisfying conceptually as they are sonically, displaying his capacious intelligence, rollicking touch and road-less-traveled sensibility. His primary vehicle for the past decade has been the Bandwagon featuring bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits (son of the late, esteemed Freddie Waits).
One of the last protegs of Jaki Byard, a startlingly original pianist, composer, saxophonist and educator who had the entire jazz tradition at his fingertips, Moran has cultivated a passionately encompassing musical approach. His lyrical side is often heard to advantage in tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd's New Quartet. Moran joins forces with another master from an earlier generation on Sunday when Bill Frisell, a remarkably resourceful improviser whose expansive sound references everything from country blues and bluegrass to West African griots and old-time Appalachian songs, hitches his guitar to the trio. From hip hop and blues to Brahms and Schumann, just about every sound is welcome on the Bandwagon.
The title of Gretchen Parlato's 2009 Obliqsound album, "In a Dream," aptly captures the sustained mood of ethereal introspection that she evokes from the first track to the last. Possessing an enticingly crystalline voice and a ravishing concept deeply informed by samba ballads and bossa nova, Parlato is among the very best of a rising generation of jazz singers, an artist who has taken her own sweet time forging a highly personal sound unlike any of her peers. Her repertoire is full of unexpected gems, from translucent arrangements of Stevie Wonder's "I Can't Help It" and Bjork's "Come To Me" to expertly crafted interpretations of the Wayne Shorter compositions "Juju" and "Footprints" featuring her original lyrics. Shorter was on the panel with Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard when she won a 2001 audition to become the first vocalist admitted to the Thelonious Monk Institute's prestigious two-year Master's program. In 2004 the Los Angeles-raised singer won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition and used the $20,000 award to record her first album, an impressive self-named session featuring Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke (a close collaborator since their days at the Monk Institute). Rather than rushing to capitalize on her growing reputation, Parlato has taken her time, evolving into an astonishing vocalist whose deceptively cool sound is belied by her ebulliently playful sensibility. Parlato will be joined onstage by Taylor Eigsti on piano, Alan Hampton on bass and drummer Kendrick Scott.
Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto's 1999 arrival sent shock waves through the New York jazz scene. In a city overflowing with prodigious young drummers, Prieto was a sensation. Innovative bandleaders jostled to recruit him for their projects, and he became an essential part of ensembles led by visionaries such as Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Don Byron and Peter Apfelbaum. Now he's an exceptional bandleader in his own right, with a formidable body of compositions that erase old boundaries between Latin and straight-ahead jazz. While steeped in Cuban rhythmic traditions, Prieto is at the forefront a new generation of Latin America jazz musicians eager to explore advanced jazz concepts, while developing their own compositional voices.
The band is loaded with exceptional musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum, who put the Berkeley High jazz program on the map back in the late 1970s with his polymorphously creative Hieroglyphics Ensemble, a band so impressive that trumpet legend Don Cherry adopted it during his stint in the Bay Area. Whether playing tenor sax, percussion or keyboards, Apfelbaum infuses everything with his singular vision, which encompasses West Africa and the Caribbean as well as East Bay funk. Prieto features Apfelbaum on his recent Si o Si Quartet album "Live at the Jazz Standard," a sensational session that includes Cuban pianist Manuel Valera, who's also on hand for this performance. Joining the ranks of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Omar Sosa and Chuchito Valds, Valera is the latest Cuban keyboard monster to shake up the American jazz scene, Valera is also an esteemed bandleader whose albums showcase the cream of the New York scene.
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LocationRodney Strong Vineyards
11455 Old Redwood Highway
Healdsburg, CA 95448
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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