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Alon Yavnia Sextet
www.alonyavnai.com
(See Alon Yavnai CD Review)
Alon Yavnai on Piano
Massimo Biolcati on Acoustic Bass
Take Toriyama on Drums
Greg Tardy on Tenor and Soprano Saxophones
Dana Leong on Trombone
John Bailey on Trumpet
At
Fat Cat Jazz Club
75 Christopher Street (at Seventh Avenue South)
New York, NY
212.675.6056
www.fatcatjazz.com
Rodney A. Suarez
September 9, 2005
Deep in the heart of Greenwich Village, Fat Cat is not your typical jazz club. Walking down a flight of stairs, one steps into a pool hall that has a bar, internet stations, Scrabble tables, and ping pong tables. Not the place you would expect to see live quality jazz. The bar stocks only wine, beer, water and soft drinks. It looks like a place to hang out in the Village. Off to the right of the bar is the actual doorway leading to the music lounge. When entering the lounge, you step into an eclectic, bohemian-type living room of sorts. Dark, with some fluorescent and “black” light bulbs scattered here and there, the room is full of chairs of every sort, ranging from lounge chairs and sofas to office and waiting room chairs. If you can accept a change of scenery from some of the mainstream jazz clubs, then you will be alright here.
Meeting Alon Yavnai, one is greeting an old friend. Personable and warm, Mr. Yavnai is a font of enthusiasm. He explains that the band is still setting up and would not start at the stated time, but to choose a seat and relax. On top of the piano, Mr. Yavnai has setup his synthesizer (an electric piano that incorporates the synthesized sounds of virtually any instrument). I wondered what type of sounds he would be utilizing with the instrument.
Born in Israel and having resided in Latin America, as well as other countries, Mr. Yavnai has fused the musical genres of the Middle East, South America and Jazz into a unique sound that is very exciting, exotic and refreshing. Groundbreaking Jazz styles have not been as prevalent as they were in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. But today we are seeing groups incorporate the multi-cultural influences in Jazz that, while it is not commonplace, it seems like a burgeoning style ready to explode. Pianist Joe Zawinul did it with his groups Weather Report and the Zawinul Syndicate. More groups should be taking from the same page.
The core trio of Massimo Biolcati on bass, Take Toriyama on drums, and Mr. Yavnai on the piano have released two recordings, D.S. al Coda and Picture This. . .. While Mr. Yavnai has worked with a brass section before, he has just recently brought together this grouping of Greg Tardy on tenor and soprano saxophones, Dana Leong on trombone and John Bailey on trumpet. Adding depth to the rhythm section, Dana Leong connected his trombone to his laptop computer, where he was able to add synthesized sounds to his playing. This made for a larger band sound. Jokingly, Mr. Bailey indicated that he wanted to perform his solos before Mr. Leong’s solos.
The first tune introduced was Long Time Ago Moses from Mr. Yavnai’s latest CD Picture This. . .. It is actually the last song on the CD. Mr. Yavnai began the song toying with some classical melody runs. He stood over the strings of the piano to manipulate them in such a way as to give an exotic and percussive feel to his playing. The drummer, Take Toriyama, started his part with an instrument called a doumbek, a percussion instrument prevalent in Middle Eastern music. The time he kept was not a typical 1-2-3-4 meter, but an irregular beat that lent a Middle Eastern flavor to the song. The bass player, Massimo Biolcati, pounded in with a clear and powerful bass line that was prevalent throughout the entire song. As the song began to build in power, Mr. Yavnai introduced a Hammond B-3 organ sound with his synthesizer that drove the song to greater heights. After the piano and brass section brought in the tune’s “melody,” the first solo was taken by the trombone player, Dana Leong. The passion with which he played was exciting. Mr. Leong played with such clarity and speed that seems pretty difficult to achieve with a trombone. The bass solo was awe-inspiring in that the size of the acoustic bass limits how dexterous a player can perform. Nothing was slowing Mr. Biolcati down. His fingers flew up and down the fret board, with each note ringing in loud and clear. The song overall had a beautiful melding of Middle Eastern and Latin flavorings. Excellent beginning!
Introductions of the band members preceded the next tune, which had a Hebrew name that translated to Love Song. The song started with ballad style of piano playing with a hint of a samba style. The tune turned into a bright ballad with the melody played by Greg Tardy on the tenor saxophone. Mr. Tardy’s soloing was fluid and fiery. He reminded me of a blend of John Coltrane and Michael Brecker.
The next tune was a bit of an experimental piece from his latest recording called Fugue no. 7 in E-Flat Major From 2nd Book, written by classical composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, and arranged by Mr. Yavnai. The tune was played by the core trio of bass, drums and piano. At times the song moved into different styles ranging from a ballad feel to a waltz to straight ahead jazz. The solos by the piano and bass were thought-provoking, energetic and moving. The drumming by Take Toriyama was typical of the entire evening. He played with his heart and soul, treating every song as a drum solo, but without it being overbearing at any time. Drum playing like that is reminiscent of a style pioneered by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, where Blakey’s drumming was brought to the forefront, but was not meant to overpower the other instrumentalists.
Mr. Yavnai drew from the core trio’s first CD, D.S. al Coda, with a tune called One Step at a Time. He announced that the trumpet player, John Bailey, would be featured in this tune. Massimo Biolcati set down a bass line that had a bluesy feel. Mr. Bailey introduced the melody line with a lush feel. The song settled into a very hip and swinging piece. The trumpet solo was so driving and powerful. Dizzy Gillespie would have been proud – seemed like his spirit was drawn upon. The piano solo was masterful. Mr. Yavnai is clearly an innovator at the keyboard. The sax solo was an emphatic one, showcasing the amazing range held by Mr. Tardy.
The next tune, also from D.S. al Coda, was called Late Afternoon. The tune featured the core trio of bass, drums and piano, with the saxophone as the highlighted instrument. It began as a waltz-like ballad that moved into a cool jazz mood. The sax solo was reminiscent of Coltrane, giving a hard bob flavor to the tune. The piano solo was lyrical and inventive.
The final tune, from his latest CD, Picture This. . ., was called FunkTango. Wow! What a way to end the evening. Just like its name, the song is a blend of funky jazz and tango. Mr. Tardy used the soprano saxophone for this piece (the studio version had Paquito D’Rivera playing the clarinet). The brass section and piano bring in a funky melody that sets the mood for the entire tune. After a short but exquisite bass solo, Mr. Yavnai barrels in with a Hammond B-3 organ solo. He then switches to the piano with rapid fire lines that have a Latin flare. He combines solos from both the piano and the organ. The passion just exudes throughout the room. This is followed by a killer trumpet solo. If it is true that a jazz solo is the expression of one’s soul, then John Bailey could not contain himself. Bravo!
Overall, the night, as eclectic as the setting was, had an inspiring and thoughtful feel to it. A true testament to what Jazz is all about. It is about taking all that you have heard and learned to play and trying to bring out your own interpretation of those sounds. The sextet did that and more. Alon Yavnai’s background serves as a springboard for this type of expressiveness.
Pool hall of Fat Cat
Photo courtesy of Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
The music lounge
Photo courtesy of Rodney A. Suarez
The band in full swing
Photo courtesy of Rodney A. Suarez
Dana Leong on the trombone
Photo courtesy of Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
John Bailey on the trumpet
Photo courtesy of Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
Band shot after the show
Photo courtesy of Rodney A. Suarez
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