Kenny Werner, June 30, Vancouver Jazz Fest

After a busy day, I wasn’t able to make the beginning of the Fred Hirsch Trio/Kenny Werner Quintet and thus deprived myself of an opportunity to hear the terrific Hirsch command the keyboard again as I had in 2004 at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival in California. Alas. If you missed this chance to see him, make sure that you catch him the next time around. He is a pianistic force, often described as cerebral. Cerebral, yes, but swing he can…

All that said, I missed out on very little in terms of piano expression when I saw Kenny Werner perform with his outstanding quintet. Although I have heard about Werner for years and probably “back announced” his name in my jazz DJ days earlier in the millennium and have seen his books in the Jamie Abersold catalogue, I wasn’t familiar with his work as a leader and, truth be told, attended the concert more for the opportunity to see a couple of his sidemen (David Sanchez on tenor and Randy Brecker on trumpet). Well, Werner is no longer under my radar. He demonstrated equal strength as an accompanist, a composer, and as a performer.

With the exception of the last number, Werner composed all the songs. Many of these came from his 2007 release, “Lawn Chair Society” which he described as a commentary on life in America. In the slower vein, “Uncovered Heart”, released originally in 1990 and re-released on “… Society”, Werner informed the audience that it was written for his daughter when she was born. It was a touching, sweet composition without veering into the maudlin and trite. It left plenty of room both for extensive piano musing as well as protracted ensemble work and compatible, understated solos by Sanchez, Scott Cauley (on bass), and Brecker. Learning today that Werner’s daughter died tragically in a car accident in 2006 gives this song that much more emotional import; that Werner chose to omit this last detail in his introduction of the song allowed it to speak for itself. Choosing as he did to revisit this piece on a work that had a broader theme only goes to show, perhaps, that the personal never gets lost even when addressing the political and the social. “New Amsterdam”(New York City’s previous name) was perhaps a portrait of New York. While it, too, unfolded as a compositional journey and built to an inspired finish through a series of solos and ensemble playing, it had a definite funky underpinnings with city-ish shadings in the group playing. Werner’s driving, rhythmic accompaniment drove the whole band.

Sanchez’s final solo was amazing, propelling the piece to its heightened conclusion. “Inaugural Balls”, Werner informed us, was written in response to the 2004 U.S. election (something to the effect of: “What else could I do? I wrote a song.”). He imagined what would it be like at the Inauguration Ball with Bush, Cheney, et al in their tuxes and dancing. So he wrote a piece that might reflect that (scary) sight. Unique, to the say the least. Though there were at least two discernible sections to the piece, throughout there was a sense of the choppy and of the deranged (is this mere projection on my part?). And this was illustrated by consistent interplay between Sanchez and Brecker. It was almost like a warped New Orleans style blowing session (without the New Orleans style) with the two musicians blowing phrases and lines into, by and around each other.

The last song(there probably was an encore but I was off the to see Joyce at Performance Works), introduced by Werner saying that “if you’ve been a parent for the last fifteen years, you’ll be familiar with this”, was Hedwig’s Theme, from the Harry Potter films. While not as varied in its compositional twists and turns as the Werner pieces, it was a springboard for yet more inspired playing from each of the members of the ensemble. What is notable for me is that it will always be possible to interpret and improvise upon- and indeed take them to places we would never have thought possible- popular songs and film themes of the present day. It’s not even an either/or thing- either you play the “standards” or you play your own compositions.

One last word. The band was fantastic. Scott Cauley was solid as solid can be. Antonio Sanchez was an understated but fluid communicator, keeping the beat, playing around the beat, and driving the band. After years of being a Brecker fan, it was a treat to see him as a sideman. He moved from the muscular to the cerebral with ease. His chops are still very much intact. And, after a week of seeing great tenors, David Sanchez had big shoes to fill and fill them he did. He sacrifices little in skill to blow most expressively. And, to see him grinning and nodding as he often was when not playing, it is obvious that he got as much out of his band mates as I did.

Sorry, no video.

-Bill