PolSynth - Political Synthesis

Rapturous. Incomparable. Breathtaking. Once in a lifetime. I can find no more apropriate words to describe the sum total of the performances at the October 1st Jazz for Obama event in NYC.

Obama: Jazz man

I didn’t plan to write any of this but I just couldn’t keep this experience to myself.  Hank Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Stanley Jordan, Roy Hanes, Jeff Tain Watts, Aaron Goldberg, Bilal, Edsel Gomez, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau and so many others whose names I don’t have at hand but whose performances were stunning. It’s impopssible for mere words to fully capture the experience of such a signal event for a lover of Jazz. This assemblage of Jazz luminaries will most likely never happen again. I’m still in shock. The standing-ovations still seem too short. How does one begin to describe something like this? While sitting there in the hall there’s no time for detached analysis. There is only the moment. The deluge of time, sound and silences made profound by the mastery of tone, melody, rhythm, brilliant expressionism, subtlety, vibrancy, cadence, harmony, supreme innovation and musical conversations that prove lyrical, spontaneous, structured yet so free. The night was an amazing collection of high points.

I can only list them rapid-fire and without taking a breath, just like the experience itself: the unmistakable exhuberance of Hargrove’s trumpet in the opening performance by the Roy Hanes Quintet; the hypnotic, delicate brilliance of Mehldau; the unrushed, satisfied mastery of Hank Jones; the rhythmic sweetness of Christian McBride’s bass; the force that is Jeff Tain Watts; Aaron Goldbergs effervescently joyful playing; Dee Dee Bridgewater’s playful vocalism, freedom of intonation, outright beatiful power and exquisitely precise timing; the goddess that is Dianne Reeves, brimming with vocal power, tonic magnificence, improvisational stylings and lush, melifluous delivery; Stanley Jordan’s unbelievable self-accompaniment and virtuosity; Bilal, whose unique style and amazing range combined with phenomenal musical accompaniment to form a soaring, swooping, steady, insistent and lifting delivery of “All Matter” to a standing ovation; Joe lovano, whose sax carried us all evening long, steady and perfect; the Charlie Hunter & Doug Wamble Duo with their brilliantly adapted version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”, somber, evocative and inspiring.

And there was more. So much more that I’m  still in sensory overload and unable to recapture it all. I would have snapped a few pictures and posted them, unfortunately photographs were not allowed.

The final performance featured a stage so packed with talent that it was impossible to digest it all: Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jeff Tain Watts, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Aaron Goldberg, Brad Mehldau, Roberta Gambarini and more! To hear Bridgewater and Reeves together, throwing the melodies back and forth between themselves and the other singers was stunning. The effect of all this channeled power, balance, generosity, respect, pitch-perfect delivery and flawless improvisation cannot be described. It can only be felt. And only once in a lifetime.

There are still a few opportunities to hear more of this kind of magic. Go here to find upcoming events.