I have been meaning to write about my Tuesday night going-away soiree, and will do so over the weekend. En bref, like any weeknight party that ends at 2am with a Madonna dance-off * involving my vintage kid glove collection (best you don't ask or think about that too much, I believe it was while we were all "Vogue'ing"**) the evening was a success.
I pity those of my friends, i.e. everyone else, who had to go into work a few hours later. The amount of wine the last few of us polished off during the dancing portion of the evening was roughly equivalent to what the entire group drank during the more civilized eating and chatting portion.
Oh well. It was the first party I threw at my parents' house, and, if they have their way, the last.
But a good time was had by all, and I got to spend all of the following day under my duvet reacquainting myself with the holy trinity of hydrating, carbonating, and caffeinating (i.e. the ultimate cure for the morning after usually involving copious amounts of Coke or Sprite, naturally rounded off with starch, grease, and water) . Plus I got to watch the first season of 30 Rock which I had never seen, reaffirming my non-sexual crush on Tina Fey. She is one funny lady.
Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling doing a concert in honor of the 1963 John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album. That particular album has lots of good memories for me, mostly of my freshman year roommate at Middlebury an amazing woman with an amazing music collection. I had been a huge Coltrane junkie until that point, but was not familiar with the Johnny Hartman collaboration until Xhingyu turned me on to it. I definitely teared up during more than one tune as I was reminded of smoking out our dorm room window, drinking coffee (me) or tea (her), and listening to music. It was how we spent a good chunk of our time together, over 12 years ago.
Simply put, the concert was fantastic. The set of musicians included tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Ethel String Quartet, and the Laurence Hobgood Trio. The highlight of the evening was the last performance where our local jazz legend came out to do a trio with Kurt Elling and Ernie Watts. All of them "played" the saxophone, be it literally the case of the Ernie or vocally for the other two. I had never heard male jazz vocal scat, much less imitating and keeping up with a saxophone's riffs. I can only describe it as surreal, fun and energetic, and technically mind-boggling.
So all in all, a great night ending a great day, and reminding me of why I get a rush while listening to jazz. Jazz is spontaneous creation, no two jazz tunes when improvised sound exactly the same. Each performance is a unique creation of art that only exists in that moment. As a classically trained violinist, the ability to let go of the rigidity of following notes on a sheet of paper, and use a tune to reinvent, recreate and just play with around with is hugely inspirational. Frankly, it is something I've never had the balls to do. Once you leave the safety of the written page, your technique will only get you so far and you really have to trust your own musical instincts as well as those of the people you are playing with.
But to all of you who might be on his up-coming tour dates, I would highly, highly, highly recommend seeing the show.
* our dance off was much, much, much better.
** luckily my vintage black sequined hot-pants collection was at the dry-cleaners, saving us all from what could be very embarrassing photos. . .
