I've just got back from the -all jazz is modern- concert and am too buzzed to go to sleep. The LCJO was in town for a one night concert. The band got in at 10:30 this morning but they played a fabulously swinging 2-hour set.
They kicked off with "Machito's Mambo Inn" which got everyone bopping along. Then came "Duke's Chinoiserie", Dizzy's "One Bass Hit", Basie's "Softly With Feeling", "Big Jim Blues", "Mahogany Hall Stomp", Monk's "Oska T, Buddy Bolden's "Blues" (which I have to add, Marsalis played for me (Eeek!) because I gave him a copy of "Coming Through Slaughter" backstage before the concert. Ok, end of gloating session) and "New Orleans Suite VI Second Line . Then there was a 15 minute break before they came back to play "Braggin' In Brass"(which showcased the trombone section marvalously), "Blues In Frankie's Flat" and several movements from "Sweet Release", Marsalis' composition for The Alvin Aailey Dance Company.
Marsalis let the LCJO take center stage for most of the evening. He sat with the trumpet section at the back, and Eric Reed and Stefon Harris took turns at conducting. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed. The band's been on the road for a month - they were in Adelaide for the Arts Fest before they came here I think, and they're a pretty tight ensemble. I can't remember the names of everyone but there were a couple of standouts - Wycliffe Gordon did a killer solo with his trombone mute, full of deep growls and cheeky squawks, in "One Bass Hit". The entire sax section was marvellous on "Softly With Feeling", where they played so quietly you could've heard a pin drop.
For once, the venue had proper acoustics - it was a stadium which can seat about 8,000, but the upper galleries were closed, as was one section behind the bandstand. The music sounded like it was coming from the bandstand instead of from the speakers overhead. About 5,200 tickets were sold, so there was a good sized, and very enthusiastic crowd who stomped and yelled until the band came back for an encore.
All in all, a marvellous evening.