MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA @ Jazz Standard, Wed Nov 25th, 2009, 9:30 PM
NOV 25, 2009 --GRAMERCY: Maria Schneider may have done more for the big band idiom than any other composer in the last 20 years. She completely re-imagined what a big band can do, using the large instrumentation as an orchestral palate that hardly resembles anything like Ellington or Basie most of the time. South American and Flamenco rhythms have been a huge influence on her composing, as was apparent in this set with the book ends of "Concert in the Garden" and "Chora Dancado," both from the Concert in the Garden album. Both songs contain beautiful interweaving lines that give the feeling of movement and dancing. Schneider herself helps to evoke this feeling. As she conducts the band she moves with the music, partly due to studying dance in her youth.
The second tune was one that dates back to Schneider's second album Coming About (1996), a tune called "Waxwing" featuring Greg Gisbert on flugelhorn. The tune is constantly developing thematically to a dark and complex climactic end. Schneider announced it was the first time performing the tune in about ten years, for reasons she couldn't explain.
There were at least two pieces that saw their premiers during the week at the Jazz Standard, one being a commission and the other a currently untitled piece (working title "Spring Piece"). The latter was performed at the Wednesday night second set. The tune most notably served as an extended feature for lead alto player Steve Wilson. The melody and form of the tune were not as memorable as his solo, which was epically long and extremely well developed. Wilson managed to play incredibly melodically and never seemed to play the same thing twice in a solo that exceeded ten minutes in length. The majority of the development of the piece took place beneath the soloist, with the interplay of the sections playing backgrounds that occasionally rose to the forefront. The solo climaxed above some pure, mind-boggling lines.
Next up was the ballad "Sea of Tranquility," a Scott Robinson bari sax feature. Robinson reportedly hadn't played a bari gig in some time, making many club appearances on tenor with Frank Wess in recent months. This however was of no consequence, except that it might have given his solo even greater impact. He seemed playful with the horn, almost a let's-see-what-this-thing-can-really-do kind of attitude. He's amazing expressive, with each carefully executed nuance repeatedly making my jaw drop.
When all was said and done it was a great night of music, but the band was not as tight as it could have been. Usually the thing I admire most about this band is the feeling that any one of them would take a bullet for their leader, and that feeling just wasn't there on this particular night. It was nothing tangible (except maybe for the fact that they didn't do an encore solely because Gisbert had to leave immediately for another gig) but the level of focus and passion I've grown to be spoiled by just didn't seem to be present. That being said, if you haven't experienced this band live, don't miss your next chance.
