A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing, interviewing
and promoting David Rubel and his debut jazz album “Into the Dark”. Since that time, he has garnered rave
reviews, radio airplay and a busy schedule through his teaching and performing
of jazz music.
On three nights at the Jazz Bistro from March 5-7, David Rubel and
his stellar quartet came together again to perform their stellar brand of jazz
music. But this time around, there have
been a few changes. First, the
repertoire consists of tried, tested, and truly swinging standards ranging from
Tin Pan Alley, bebop, hard-bop and post-bop eras. Second, the performance is being recorded
live for a future CD. Last, and not
least, the quartet has been augmented by a stellar vibraphone player from
London, England by the name of Nat Steele to bring an extra complimentary voice
to the David Rubel sound.
Nat Steele is a vibist who is one of the rising stars of his
instrument in London He is clearly
influenced by the modern vibraphone sounds by the likes of Milt Jackson and
Bobby Hutcherson, and can be heard performing a lot in the London Jazz Scene in
places such as the legendary Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. He was discovered by David Rubel through a
YouTube video, and through developing a mutual friendship that crosses
international and musical divides they were brought together to record a live
album that celebrates this cultural exchange.
From the beginning, the quintet gets into a swinging groove as
evidenced in their treatment of Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way”. From the start, David’s saxophone tone is
warm and relaxed, inviting the listeners to the charming beauty of the
piece. Nat follows the inviting
atmosphere of the piece by providing a cool Milt Jackson influenced solo that
is laid back, swings easy, and leaves the audience wanting more. The rhythm section throughout is superb,
with effective accompaniment by pianist Winston Matsushita, bassist Malcolm
Connor, and drummer Robin Claxton.
On the next piece of the set, “Alone Together”, the swing factor becomes
more pronounced and intense as the members of the quintet turn it up a
notch. David turns it up through
providing some intensity into his swing and digging into the song structure and
melody. Winston’s piano solo adds
touches of funk and groove into the piece, until the band comes together and
closes off the piece on a highly swinging note.
A real highlight in the set that I attended was the quintet’s take
on Hank Mobley’s “Dig Dis”. In this
performance they really got into the core of funky hard bop blues through its
delivery of the melody and the hard swinging stop and go solos by David, Nat,
and Winston, who played an extended solo passage that brought a gospel tinge to
the piece, and even echoing the hard-bop grooves of pianists such as Wynton
Kelly and Red Garland for good measure.
A word about the bassist and drummer. Bassist Malcolm Connor provided a steady
groove and sturdy timekeeping throughout the affair, keeping the arrangements
and the feel of the performances as relaxed, simple, and swinging as
possible. He even takes a great walking
bass solo on the complex George Shearing tune “Conception” and effectively
plays the complex melody in unison with David and Nat. Drummer Robin Claxton brings an excitement
and a “snap” to the ensemble by playing with degrees of intensity and at times
restraint, showing that he is very adaptable in various musical situations and
is very musical in his approach to the drums.
He takes a very strong coda for “What Is This Thing Called Love” before
the piece comes to a close.
From what I witnessed on that Friday night, the quintet produced
music that really pays homage and brings the audience back to the good old days
of a mutually swinging jam session.
Through selecting repertoire that stands the test of time and bringing
their own unique voice to the classics, it is a breath of fresh air to hear
(and record) jazz music that goes back to the basics of groove, swing, and
rhythm. Through this live outing, not
only I got a chance to hear a great complimentary talent from another country
share the stage with like-minded Canadians, but I can’t wait for the world to
hear what has transpired through the three days of music that was recorded at
the Jazz Bistro.
OFFICIAL DAVID RUBEL WEB SITE:
(From Left: Winston Matsushita, Malcom Connor, David Rubel and Nat Steele. Robin Claxton is not pictured)
No comments:
Post a Comment