DARCY JAMES ARGUE'S SECRET SOCIETY @ The Gallery (Friday, Feb 06, 2009)
FEB 6, 2009 -- TRIBECA: It would seem more than slightly incestuous that the first live review for this website is of the premiere launch party for the website. There is a very clear bias. I did book Darcy James Argue and his Secret Society to kick off SearchAndRestore.com's life in style, and that surely presents a serious bias as a reviewer. The true magnificence of the performance however, and a stunning finale, deserves to written about, and this is as good an outlet as any. So if you truly question my judgment due to such a blatant bias, then go see The Secret Society for yourself and make the call.
An element that stands out right off the bat is that the band-leader, Darcy James Argue, is solely the conductor of this 17 piece ensemble. Poised behind his score, Argue artfully conducts the versatile band, armed with three instruments per reed player, through his lengthy pieces. The music is almost entirely composed, with one or two solo sections per piece. Unlike many big bands, The Secret Society moves seamlessly into and out of a soloist's moment, framing it as integral a part to the music as any other section in the composition, which speaks for the thought and expertise that has been put into the music. The transitions are so smooth that even when a soloist absolutely destroys--which often happened and certainly was the case with saxophonist John Ellis and trumpter Ingrid Jensen--the audience didn't even consider a gratuitous applause. Instead, they were swept into the next section, and the pieces were allowed to continue uninterrupted. All of these positive elements added up to many harmonically rich and melodically engaging performances, which kept the audience glued to the stage from the beginning to end, and they were able to hold my attention entirely for two hour long sets.
The final number of the second set came slightly after midnight, and the tune was called "Lizard Brain," which Argue explained was dedicated to the limbic system, and our ambivalent relationship towards it. He presented similarly random but calculated explanations for each of his compositions, so if there's one thing you cannot call Darcy James Argue, it's uninspired. "Lizard Brain" featured the baritone saxophone eruptions of Josh Sinton, and his versatility on the often underappreciated instrument was heard throughout the performance. The performance was building up to a climax that no one truly anticipated, and during his final solo freak-out honks, Sinton used the bell of his horn to knock his music stand over, sending music flying, and ran up and down the aisle of the Jazz Gallery, all while continuing his sonic mayhem. This unexpected development accurately sums up what makes the Secret Society such a special band. They are able to present a full night of jazz while reading meticulously composed music with very little room for improvisation and still completely engage and wow an audience, and are also just as willing to--at only the perfect moment--knock that meticulously composed music into the air and sprint through it to the end of the room and back. Due to a lack of a camera, here is artist's rendering of the final moments. Go see this band.
