Bold Genre-Crossings Continue At Montreal Jazz Fest

By I Jul. 9, 2009

Neither Charlie Haden (right) nor the inclusive Montreal Jazz Festival spared qualms about presenting a traditional country music set at Théâtre Maissonneuve Wednesday night, July 8; after all, Haden’s Ramblin’ Boy CD realized Grammy-winning crossover success. Nevertheless, there were walkouts on the show and a member of the audience shouted, “Crank it up!” during a particularly chaste moment in the music, only to be riposted by a fellow listener who insisted, “This is acoustic music!”

Haden’s bass was the mahogany anchor for a crack bluegrass septet that included some of Nashville’s finest, such as mandolinist Sam Bush and singer/banjoist Dan Kyminsky. But despite, or perhaps because of, their lack of professional slick, Haden seemed most proud when introducing his triplet daughters Rachel, Petra and Tanya, the latter featured on “He’s Gone Away.” Son Josh Haden received a hyped intro to a rendition of his beseeching “Spiritual,” which Haden Sr. reminded us was waxed by Johnny Cash. The bassist also prefaced “Old Joe Clark,” the equivalent of “Cherokee” in country jam sessions, with a reminder that he quoted the tune in his recorded solo on Ornette Coleman’s “Ramblin’” and that this riff was thence purloined by Brit punk eccentric Ian Dury for his hit “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.”

Bill Frisell (top left) augmented his regular trio with bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Rudy Rolston, adding trumpeter Ron Miles for a concert at the packed Théâtre Jean-Duceppe. Miles has worked with the quixotic guitarist before, and his Don Cherry/Lester Bowie moments reminded how likely it is that these two musicians were an influence on Frisell himself. Though the group functioned well as a collective, it was Frisell the storyteller who guided the narrative, seguing from nourish omens to bouncy nursery rhymes, Monk-ish bop to West African kora music. When the vibe threatened to stay too dark, Frisell shed light with “What The World Needs Now” or “It’s Been A Long Time Coming,” ending with some looped distortion to highlight the gentle irony.

The demands for encores from Frisell were surpassed by those for Japanese pianist Hiromi (bottom left), who performed with Sonicboom—featuring guitarist Dave Fiuczynski (middle left), Brit bassist Tony Grey and dynamic Brazilian drummer Mauricio Zottarelli—at the intimate Gèsu. Though some of her fundamental frameworks for expression may have been over-familiar (“Softly As A Morning Sunrise,” “My Favorite Things” and “Caravan”), Hiromi and the band were unbelievably tight, witty and athletic. “I Got Rhythm” made sense as a solo vehicle for the pianist, since her powerful ambidextrous playing is highly percussive, recalling, along with Oscar Peterson, gregarious stylist Bobby Enriquez. Each member of Sonicboom is superbly creative in their own right; Fiuczynski, for example, scratched and tapped his double-neck guitar one minute, massaged it like a sitar the next. Yet it was the pianist’s final solo encore, dedicated with heartfelt gratitude to the rapturous Montreal audience, that had them eating out of the palm of her hand. —Michael Jackson

PHOTOS: MICHAEL JACKSON