Stunning Originals by Russ Kirk at An die Musik
Sunday afternoon September 22nd, 2024, alto saxophonist Russell Kirk led a stellar band at An die Musik, playing a mix of standards and originals. A native of Baltimore, and a graduate of Peabody Institute and New York University (master’s degree), Kirk has performed across several continents with the USO, and in both New York and Baltimore with some of the most widely admired jazz musicians anywhere. His 2012 album, To Journal Square, with his band The Path, was featured in a Baker Artist Profile.
This afternoon he played with trumpeter Alex Norris, a native Marylander now based in New York City; Baltimore bassist Jeff Reed; and New York drummer E.J. Strickland, all with similarly extensive and impressive resumés; and two Peabody students, guitarist Ethan Bailey Gould, a senior, and pianist Aleko Lionikis, coming to Baltimore from Chicago — both on a likely path to reach the same levels of accomplishments as their more established bandmates.
Some of the standards they played were “Sandu” and “Con Alma.” On “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” Kirk, Lionikis, and Reed played as a trio. Kirk brought a dusky sweetness to the tune, like dark chocolate, and then, with a driving flurry of notes and some high-pitched pops, he exploded into the tragic heart of the tune.
Kirk and Norris played an intriguing take on “Alone Together.” They began with a moody and contemplative duet, melody and echo, and continued this approach as the recognizable melody finally emerged. The two instruments played almost like a round, two lines of melody weaving in and around each other, finally coming together with melody and harmony.
The originals were particularly memorable. Kirk’s “Fall Weather is Here” (a world premiere, as he announced) evoked leaves gently swinging down on a warm, sunny day of early fall. Kirk’s alto was expressive and sweet but also smart and hip. And Bailey-Gould comped with richly colored chords.
Kirk’s original “Pitter Patter” was a brisk, quirky, and light-hearted piece inspired by the patter of little feet one afternoon when Kirk was taking a nap at Reed’s house and the children of both were running around playing. (The feet are no longer so little – both Kirk’s and Reed’s kids play in a band.)
Norris’s original “Where Angels Fear” featured an intense and piercing melody that stabbed on the offbeats, undergirded by a nervous energy on the drums, while the guitar explored the outer edges of the tune. A firehose spray of notes from the trumpet drove the fiery energy of the piece.
Reed’s “Conversion” was a roller coaster ride of tempos. The intro was low-pitched, with a fast but irregular tempo merging into a high-energy 6/8 tempo. After Gould’s solo, Kirk slowed the tune down almost to a halt – and then, with the drums flailing, brought it back up again, now in 4/4 time, to “Cherokee”-like speed before shifting back to the 6/8 feel.
All in all, it was a remarkable concert – an impressive display of the creativity and virtuosity of all the members of the band.
–by Liz Fixsen
Liz is a jazz vocalist and pianist and jazz aficionada. She is on the board of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance and edits and writes for the BJA newsletter.