Oct 16

Oct 16 Joel Ross

Chicago, Jazz, Musicians, Things to Do in Chicago

“I’m pickin’ up good vibrations
[H]e’s giving me the excitations (oom bop bop)
I’m pickin’ up good vibrations (good vibrations, oom bop bop)
[H]Je’s giving me the excitations (excitations, oom bop bop)”

— Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys (1966)

Jazz vibist and Blue Note recording star Joel Ross opened the UChicago Presents Jazz Series tonight, bringing with him harpist Brandee Younger and four other extremely talented musicians—Jeremy Corren (piano), Jeremy Dutton (drums), and Kanoa Mendenhall (bass), and Sergio Tabanico (saxophone). I’ve seen Ross more than a few times over the years, but tonight he took his efforts to a new level, making sure no talent was wasted.

Unfortunately, he announced no song titles during a set that ran for well-over 90 minutes. Coming out of the box, Ross went for a sound that brought to my mind the modality that I love so much from Coltrane’s Live at the Village Vanguard. I don’t think he was playing anything from that album, but the sound emanating from the stage certainly had that feel.

After the concert, several people were convinced they heard bits of Philip Glass and Thelonious Monk in the air. I didn’t disagree. I also heard rhythms/chords that I normally would associate with one of Keith Jarrett’s solo piano performances. Midway through the concert, Ross performed a duet with Brandee Younger. It sounded exactly what one might expect from such a duet, which isn’t a criticism. Ravel and Debussy momentarily flashed through my mind.

One thing is absolutely clear: Ross is a very generous leader. Had the concert not been billed, “Joel Ross,” I would never have known who was leading the effort. For long stretches, he slouched on the wood stool in front of his vibraphone without touching the instrument. Everyone had an opportunity to solo, but what sticks in my mind is the overall ensemble effort.

BTW, the assignment in my Thursday morning photography workshop this week was to use camera and lens movements to create motion, which explains the cover image and one of the images below.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It]