Posted by June 21st, 2007 was the opening night of a jazz festival that I attended only a smidgen of, for reasons I can neither recall nor fathom. I’m guessing this was back in my score-what-free-passes-I-can days at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, when my occasional ducks into Lori’s office for a quick “hello” between students would sometimes be rewarded with a smile and a festival day-pass or two. But still, you’d think I would shell out for the rest of the days but alas, I didn’t.
Still, the few shows I saw this season were rather high in stature. Take for example the start of today’s word-transaction, Branford Marsalis. Now, is there a bigger name in jazz than “Marsalis”? I don’t think so. They don’t call the Marsalis’ the First Family of Jazz for nothin’. Patriarch Ellis got the ball rolling and his sons Wynton and Branford have spent their lives solidifying their place in music history and forever entwining their surname with the music they love.
Now, I gotta say none of the Marsalis clan make it on to my turntable with any regularity at all, but that doesn’t stop me from acknowledging and respecting their greatness, even if I find the familial timbre a little bland for my musical taste buds. Inside as his playing is, Branford’s breadth of knowledge and serious mastery of both the alto and tenor saxophone is an inspiration to watch, soaring over and through his uber-professional quartet and dishing ninety minutes of pure, no-BS jazz music to a lackadaisical, relaxed crowd.
I stood under the great soundboard tree with all my jazzy friends and gaped at the stage with half-bored reverence and a plastic cup full of lager, smiling as Branford’s meticulously-rehearsed modes bounced off the neighbouring office buildings. High-quality jazz is always a treat, whether I like it or not. I know that sounds a bit weird, but I’m a bit weird too.
Weird enough to only go to half the freakin’ jazz fest, for example. Sheesh.
After the concert Branford and his band showed up at the free nightly jam session hosted by Ottawa doublebass mainstay John Geggie at the bar in the Holiday Inn. Unfortunately I didn’t. To think, I missed a whole extra set of mildly interesting super-great live jazz.
Todd Man Out 