Three Great Summer Concerts in Baltimore
Andrea Brachfeld at An die Musik
[Photo by Michael Friedman] Flute maestra Andrea Brachfeld gave a stellar concert at An die Musik on Thursday, August 1. Her quartet included the versatile Alan Blackman on piano, the masterly Obasi Akoto on bass, and the ball of fire Todd Harrison on drums. Brachfeld played one tune on pan pipes and another on wooden flute, and the standard C flute on all others, and always with great brio and conviction. Most of the program featured tunes with a Latin feel –all spirited and distinctive, with melodies that did not follow traditional harmonic patterns but still sounded like tunes you’d want to sing in the car or the shower.
The concert was evidence of Brachfeld’s long immersion in Brazilian genres. And it was also evidence of her love of telling stories. I’ll mention two of them. Once at a performance, she called out the name of a Brazilian tune, “Voces da Rua,” fearing that she had mispronounced it, but quelling her fear with the thought that no one in the audience would know the difference. Wrong. A woman there raised her hand, said she was Brazilian and gave the correct pronunciation. Another story was an encounter with the eminent jazz pianist Billy Taylor when she was a teenager studying at the Jazzmobile school in New York City. Billy Taylor conducted one of the year-end concerts and heard her play. Two years later, Taylor came into Sam Goody’s where Brachfeld was working as a cashier. He saw her and asked what she was doing there. “I’m doing my job,” she replied. No, no, he answered – she should be playing music. He gave her the number of the Afro Latin Ensemble; she called, auditioned, and got the gig. And ever since then, Brachfeld’s music has delighted audiences near and far.
Clarence Ward III at The Hemingway Room
[Photo by John Wardell] Saturday July 27, I heard trumpeter and saxophonist Clarence Ward III’s quartet play in The Hemingway Room at Little Havana, on Key Highway, the second of his two nights performing there. With him was Devron “Ace” Dennis on drums, Will Hazelhurst on bass, and a young guy on Hammond B3 who was new to me – Aleko Lionikis from Chicago. As might be expected given this line-up, it was quite a high-energy show, leaning mostly into a funk groove. Most notably, they played “All the Things You Are” in that style – with liberal riffs throughout the form on that well-known Db7#9/C7#9 intro. Throughout most of the program, I was struck by how Dennis aggressively played the clap cymbals on two and four, undergirding the funky feel of the tunes. The second tune was a slow blues, with a hot and sultry solo on the Hammond B3. Another notable piece was a dizzying rendition of the theme from “The Flintstones,” with a supercharged scat solo by Ward, moving his mouth faster than the eye or ear could follow. I had to leave after the first set; however, during the break, as I was leaving, I noticed some musicians in the audience who appeared to be ready to sit in with the band for what I’m sure was a killin’ second set.
The Hemingway Room is at the rear of Little Havana restaurant and shares its menu. Adjacent to the performance space is an outdoor dining area where the music can be heard (although not seen). Sonic Lifeline produces the jazz shows at The Hemingway Room, so be sure to go to their website and get on their mailing list for their upcoming jazz events.
Claudio Silva at Keystone Korner
On June 19th, at Keystone Korner, drummer Claudio Silva (a Peabody student, featured in an artist profile in this issue) gave his premier concert as leader, performing with saxophonist Tedd Baker and bassist Kris Funn (and with Will Hazelhurst sitting in on some tunes). With the fervor of youth, Silva kept the momentum and excitement going through every tune, pairing rim hits with high-register toms and snare and a throbbing beat on the bass drums—and minimal use of cymbals. Perhaps the most arresting tune was Silva’s original, “Trust.” It opened with a sinuous bass intro; then Baker came in with a beguiling melody on soprano sax, while Silva added his sharp rim hits and conjured a spell with a strong, hypnotic pulse on the bass drum. Funn, curled around his bass like a lover and emitting little cries of ecstasy, evoked mystery and passion. Other tunes included Charlie Parker’s “Perhaps,” (given a very bouncy and exuberant rendition), Charles Mingus’s “Reincarnation of a Lovebird,” and “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” Several of Baltimore’s jazz heavyweights, including Warren Wolf, Sean Jones, and Blake Meister, were seated at the bar, and after Claudio introduced himself and the band, they gave a boisterous round of boos—all in good fun. They and everyone else in the room were quite impressed and delighted with the entire performance. It ended with a blazing rendition of “Caravan,” with Hazelhurst on the bass.
–By Liz Fixsen
Liz Fixsen is a long-time jazz aficionada, frequently seen at Baltimore’s jazz haunts, She is also a sem-professional jazz vocalist and pianist, performing at Syriana Cafe, The Little Market Cafe, and The Periodic Table in Columbia, MD. She serves on the board of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance and edits and writes for the newsletter.