Jason Moran, the Artistic Director for Jazz at the Kennedy Center, led an adventuresome trio through 90 minutes of exploratory improvisations. Jazz is the music of freedom, and Moran steered true to purpose. At the center of the trio was a synthesizer virtuoso, going by “Blank For.ms,” who perched above a mess of colorful wires with lots of knobs to turn. To the left, Moran played the grand piano and to the right Marcus Gilmore played drums. They played without a score, creating “open” or “free” jazz that was entirely improvised. ...
An embassy row fills the mansions of 16th Street NW, and today the Spain was open to the public. High-concept design was featured as the main exhibit, but I found myself enjoying the mansion itself more than the exhibit. I spent some time in a central, indoor courtyard with a gurgling fountain. As I relaxed into the space, I found photographic possibilites. Lots of wonderful spanish detail just in this one room in the heart of Washington, DC. ...
At the Bach Dynamite and Dancing Society, founder Pete Douglas is remembered each week by putting his pipes and cap on the windowsill for the duration of the jazz concert. Pete had an intense love for jazz, strong and pure, and I’m sure he’d be pleased that his club keeps on swinging under the leadership of his daughter, Barbara. Micah, Victoria and I came out to hear Isaiah Collier with his trio. Isaiah is a devotee of John Coltrane, and plays his sax ferociously, filling the hall with a relentless intensity. The music was loud, wild, fast, and expressive—exploring all a saxophone can do. He started with some standards including Bye Bye Blackbird and Naima. And then later moved into his originals. I particularly liked a moving piece written in memory of Ahmaud Arbery. ...
On a winter Saturday, I ambled around 14th and U Street, a part of Washington, DC. The U Street area was the birthplace of Duke Ellington and was the heart of a Black culture that blossomed in DC. Then it became run down. Over the past couple of decades, it has rapidly gentrified, and now has designer furniture and clothing stores, trendy restaurants, and nightlife. I particularly like the large mural of the mailman taking a saxophone break. ...
A new year brought a new artist to my awareness, the Israeli-Ethiopian singer Aveva Dese. She played a soulful set at the JCC in Washington DC. With only guitars backing her singing, the set highlighted her powerful voice and strong song writing. In between songs, Aveva told stories of her family’s history as they left Ethiopia for Israal, and her own search for identity. This article shares more of Aveva’s background and I found her website, as well. ...