Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
The International Festival de Jazz de Montreal is a grand smorgasbord, and just as the dishes in the buffet vary in temperature, so do the temperaments of the performing artists. There are few divas as calculatingly cool as pianist/singer Patricia Barber. On Friday night, July 10, after the customary removal of socks and shoes (Barber usually performs barefoot) but otherwise looking sharp in a black suit, Barber took a sip of cognac then commenced at Théâtre Maisonneuve with a lengthy instrumental over a blues entitled “Bumper To Bumper.” Barber worked the keys like a lapidary before enjoining her longterm band of Chicagoans (guitarist Neil Alger, bassist Michael Arnopol and drummer Eric Montzka) to stretch and shape the music with her. This aspect of Barber’s concept, where each musician is allowed their “private” moment to develop thoughts, carefully balanced on a noirish knife-edge, gives the strong impression of onstage experimentalism. Emphasising pianism first and the individual strengths of her sidemen, it wasn’t until “Triste” that Barber began singing, in convincing Portuguese. Seldom has Jobim’s ballad been treated to such gossamer scrutiny, with Barber’s willowy fingers tapping out gentle rhythms beyond the keyboard.
An elliptical “Get Out Of Town” was the first of the Cole Porter songs representative of Barber’s latest Blue Note album. Her own intimate indulgence “Snow” contrasted with a delightful treatment of Lennie Tristano’s “Lennie’s Pennies,” on which Alger displayed pithy wit. The guitarist’s somewhat Bill Frisell-like, reverb-laden sound and musical (non grandstanding) approach are an important part of Barber’s open-pored ethos, although he and Montka were allowed rock-out time in an abrupt and ironic transition after Barber’s proclamation, “I can’t shine without you.”
Few transitions could be as abrupt, however, as stepping into Salle Wilfred-Pelletier in the midst of Brian Setzer’s orchestra in full blaze after basking in the realm of the mellifluous Barber. Setzer used to perform marathon shows in the tight rockabilly trio of the Stray Cats, and the second half of the show flipped from full-on orchestra to that nostalgic context when a theatrical set curtain dropped rudely in front of the orchestra and skiffle kit and stand-up bass joined Setzer’s guitar flash front of stage. With John Hatton thwacking, thumping and spinning his hot-rod customized bass fiddle, dragging it like a dog around the stage, deploying it as some kind of boat—even a climbing frame—amidst a jive song about fishnet stockings or being sexy and 17, there were few pretentions to jazzy decorum here. But the virtuosic boogie of western swing maestros Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West is present in Setzer’s irrepressible guitar antics and not a little Count Basie in the call-and-response elements of the big band. Truth be told, much of the time the horn sections were preoccupied with synchronising Mexican waves instead of blowing behind Setzker’s non-stop riffing. But a neat segue occurred during Setzer’s obligatory “Stray Cat Strut” trio segment with Hatton and drummer Tony Pia when booting tenor saxist Tim Messina emerged from the curtain honking out the theme to The Pink Panther. Such cheese might be anathema to the jazz police, but Setzer’s unstoppable dirty boogie had jivers in the aisles and brought the house down at his first gig at the festival since 1985.
With another idiomatic about turn, things could not have been more staid and a propos than the duo of tenorist Houston Person and pianist Bill Charlap at Gèsu. Nevertheless, it was a delight. Charlap is justly acclaimed as a master melodist, and the poised architecture he built around Person’s straightforward bluesy proclamations helped create an urbanely perfect pairing. Charlap suggested such antecedents as Errol Garner, Ray Bryant and Hank Jones during a solo spotlight after which Person pronounced coyly, “And for my recital, I’d like to play ‘Please Send Me Someone To Love.’” Every selection was chosen for its instant recognizability, and Person in particular faithfully hewed to the original melodies. During “Sweet Lorraine” their simpatico was especially witty, with Person mimicking a brisk run of notes from Charlap at the end. During “My Funny Valentine” Person’s old-school tone and depth of feeling cut through as the lights dimmed, but his obvious respect for Charlap inspired him to sit out the theme on the outro. The audience swooned at the choice of the died-in-wool “Body And Soul” for an encore, and all seemed nourished by the blatant absence of postmodernism and irony of any sort. Capping the evening was a midnight show at Metropolis that had been moved from Club Soda due to overwhelming demand. The festival return of Bonobo (a.k.a. Brit DJ/bassist Simon Green) proved another smash hit plying downtempo beat mixes augmented by a live band boasting soulful singer Andreya Triana and Fela-like tenor saxist Ben Cooke. —Michael Jackson
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
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