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Virtuoso pianist Joshua White continued on his inexorable ascension into the improvising elite last night with a concert celebrating his 27th birthday at 98 Bottles. This time it was with the Joshua White/ Jeff Denson Project featuring the Bay Area bassist, along with LA drum maestro Dan Schnelle and special guest, tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III.
White's trademarked hyperactive key splaying began Ornette Coleman's "The Blessing," alone, and when the band joined in--it was off to the races. Smith carved up the contours of the tune with a relaxed élan --gradually building in intensity towards cracks in the upper register. White alternated between manic swing and knotty discord and Schnelle took one of the most beautiful, architectural drum solos I've ever heard.
Denson's original, "Autumn Song," opened with a gorgeous, lugubriously paced bass soliloquy-- he seems to be coming from the school of the great bassist Charlie Haden with his emphasis on clarity and tone--rather than empty flashes of alacrity. His accompaniment lit the path for the others, a path that White began with profound lyricism and peppered with crashing dissonances. Schnelle's accents come at you like Muhammad Ali jabs--changing the way you move your head.
The one-note, splintered fragment of "Thelonious," came close to exploding before the entire band would light on the unison motif. White dipped into a drunken barrelhouse aesthetic that reminded me of Bud Powell meeting Misha Mengelberg.
There were distinctly ECM-ish moments, such as Denson's "Like Water," which featured his huge, full-toned arco, and an amazing mallet solo by Schnelle--and White's "Illustrator," a lithe, Latin groove that found the pianist layering waves of melody over the insistent knocking of the drummer's rim-shots.
Over the last year or so, Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," has become White's solo piano calling card--and last night was no exception. As many times as I have heard this piece--I'm always amazed by the wildly violent free-form intro--which sounded like a player piano on steroids tumbling down a long staircase. Eventually, the trademark harmonies emerge, followed by an almost reverent recapitulation of the melody.
I have seen White perform more than a dozen times in the last year--probably closer to twice that amount, and I still discover something new to admire each time. Anyone who loves music should check this young man out while we still can.
Photo by Michael Klayman
Virtuoso pianist Joshua White continued on his inexorable ascension into the improvising elite last night with a concert celebrating his 27th birthday at 98 Bottles. This time it was with the Joshua White/ Jeff Denson Project featuring the Bay Area bassist, along with LA drum maestro Dan Schnelle and special guest, tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III.
White's trademarked hyperactive key splaying began Ornette Coleman's "The Blessing," alone, and when the band joined in--it was off to the races. Smith carved up the contours of the tune with a relaxed élan --gradually building in intensity towards cracks in the upper register. White alternated between manic swing and knotty discord and Schnelle took one of the most beautiful, architectural drum solos I've ever heard.
Denson's original, "Autumn Song," opened with a gorgeous, lugubriously paced bass soliloquy-- he seems to be coming from the school of the great bassist Charlie Haden with his emphasis on clarity and tone--rather than empty flashes of alacrity. His accompaniment lit the path for the others, a path that White began with profound lyricism and peppered with crashing dissonances. Schnelle's accents come at you like Muhammad Ali jabs--changing the way you move your head.
The one-note, splintered fragment of "Thelonious," came close to exploding before the entire band would light on the unison motif. White dipped into a drunken barrelhouse aesthetic that reminded me of Bud Powell meeting Misha Mengelberg.
There were distinctly ECM-ish moments, such as Denson's "Like Water," which featured his huge, full-toned arco, and an amazing mallet solo by Schnelle--and White's "Illustrator," a lithe, Latin groove that found the pianist layering waves of melody over the insistent knocking of the drummer's rim-shots.
Over the last year or so, Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," has become White's solo piano calling card--and last night was no exception. As many times as I have heard this piece--I'm always amazed by the wildly violent free-form intro--which sounded like a player piano on steroids tumbling down a long staircase. Eventually, the trademark harmonies emerge, followed by an almost reverent recapitulation of the melody.
I have seen White perform more than a dozen times in the last year--probably closer to twice that amount, and I still discover something new to admire each time. Anyone who loves music should check this young man out while we still can.
Photo by Michael Klayman