Megabytes

Tonight, Wynton Marsalis and his pals from Lincoln Center played Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Two sets and one encore.
Appointment in Ghana by Jackie McLean: solos on trumpet, piano, and tenor sax.
Movement #11: in 3. sounds of Spain. Melody passed from baritone to alto to soprano in the sax section. a beautiful piece.
Down By The Riverside, Oliver Nelson arrangement: The rhythm section shines and keeps time going in this piece with its funked-up melody. The first of many solos that can only be described as way out - Elliot Mason on trombone, followed by Ryan Kisor and Marcus Printup trading phrases on trumpet.
House of Jade by Wayne Shorter: beautiful melody, quite peaceful after the Nelson arrangement.
Portraits in Seven Shades, Dali by Ted Nash: written for a combined event with J@LC and MOMA. Marsalis explained that this piece “is in 13/8 or something like that… it’s impossible to count; you just have to feel it.” Anita declared, “It feels like a birth!” Came time for the drum solo, all the horn players clapped hands and stomped their feet in a complex rhythmic pattern, enabling Ali Jackson, drummer, to stretch and shrink the time.

~ intermission ~
The Holy Ghost from a Mass written for Abyssinian Church’s 250th celebration: Ted Nash on alto and Marcus Printup on trumpet shared an improvised solo where one was mimicking the other. It was done so successfully, I couldn’t really tell who was leading!
Continuous by Wynton Marsalis: “The melody doesn’t really end… why it’s called Continuous…” A bossa nova 5 minutes and 37 seconds in length. Marsalis dryly reports that it is best use a prime number like 37 when, for example, saying how late you will be. Not 20 minutes, but 17. He continued in this vein for a bit, prompting a few of the band members to say that his speaking was continuous. Moments like this, you can see how much affection members have for one another and how much fun they are having.
Braggin’ in Brass by Duke Ellington: recorded in 1939 by Ellington’s band and never played again. Never can tell when Marsalis is joshing you. Nonetheless, all this to say the trombone part is quite difficult. A repetitive sixteenth note melodic line that is passed between the three trombonists, each having about 2 sixteenths at a time. They executed it flawlessly! very impressive. iTunes Music Store has this song and I just bought my copy!Hymn of the Orient: 32-bar song form? not sure. the solos all started slowly, peaceful, building gradually into a frenzy. Solos by Victor Goines, tenor, and Sean Jones, trumpet.
Single Petal of the Rose by Duke Ellington: bass clarinet and piano duet. Bass clarinetist, Joe Temperley, is a former member of the Ellington band and most senior member of the J@LC Orchestra. A gentleman hired these two players to come and play this one song at his wedding in Paris. Lovely, warm clarinet tone with a healthy vibrato. Anita described it as “hopeful, tender, and realistic. perfect for a wedding.”
C Jam Blues with guest musicians: three locals, two trumpetists and one trombonist. Carlos Henriquez on bass had a swinging solo.
Encore: Cape Verdean Blues by Horace Silver: with a light drum intro, this latin blues piece began. The 2 alto players picked up piccolos for this song and began trading 4s and then 2s in a multi-chorused solo. Also solos from Vincent Gardner on trombone, one of the turmpetists, and Dan Nimmer on piano. Dan’s fingers were moving so fast, they were blurry from my 10th-row seat.

Wow! I am inspired by the virtuoso musicianship, the tight sections, the sexy drive of the solos, the choice of material, the depth of talent in the orchestra. Thanks, Wynton and friends, for a memorable evening.