Concert Review: Ropeadope's "What is Jazz?" Festival

Bostonist basked in the glow of Berklee's Performance Center last Saturday as a roster of ropeadope stars - Bobby Previte, the Charlie Hunter Trio, DJ Logic, and the Christian McBride Band - asked the musical question "What is Jazz?"

The name of label's "mini festival" was not so much a serious definitional challenge as an acknowledgment that much of ropeadope's genre-bending music -- while based in improvisation - is an amalgamation of jazz, funk, hip hop, blues, gospel, avant rock and world musics. And while the reactionary purists and conservative curators of the ossified (yeah we're talkin' to you Stanley Crouch and Wynton Marsalis) may reject much of what went down last Saturday as part of the tradition, it's all jazz to Bostonist. And it's all good.

The evening started off with an electrifying solo performance by Bobby Previte, who banged out an avant barrage on electronic drum kit. Previte's dDrum pads triggered sampled sounds, including gongs and bells, industrial clatter, and all sorts of organic and mechanical noises. Just when Bostonist thought the display, while impressively orchestrated, was getting a bit indulgent, it took a sharp political turn . . . and really took off. A muezzin sang out the Islamic prayer call. A stuttered "Mr. Speaker" sample announced "the President of the United States." Bush's disembodied voice, slowed down and floating above horrific noise and bomb blasts pounded out in martial cadence, repeated "we have the terrorists on the run. Keep 'em on the run." And while that may sound a bit cliched, it worked. Really well. It reminded Bostonist of The Art of Noise's phenomenal "A Time for Fear" and "Instruments of Darkness." It was a highlight of the evening, and the crowd loved it.

Charlie Hunter Trio:

The groove was in effect as the Charlie Hunter Trio took the stage. Hunter cut his teeth with Michael Franti's lefty, jazz-hop Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early 1990s, and leads T.J. Kirk, a guitar focused unit dedicated to interpreting the work of James Brown, Thelonius Monk and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. But Hunter is best known for his own groove oriented bands that showcase his amazing technical ability on a custom designed eight string guitar. Three of the guitar's strings serve as the group's bass, much like the pedals of a Hammond B3 act as bass in soul jazz organ trios. Which is no coincidence; Hunter often mimics the smoky, earthy sound of the mighty B3. And last Saturday at Berklee was no exception. The trio cranked out a phenomenal set informed and inspired by late '60s soul jazz and '70s jazz funk. Doubling on keys and reeds, John Ellis' electric piano floated over the funk while his gutsy tenor sax either punctuated or rode rough on top of the interlocking groove of Hunter's guitar and Derrek Phillips' drums. Bostonist's favorite moments came when Ellis picked up the bass clarinet and, later, played a mournful melodica (we did a double take, first thinking Ellis had strapped on a bandoneon).

Christian McBride:

"We've been aching to come back to Boston for some time. If you're even a quarter as happy to be here as we are, you're thrilled." - Christian McBride

As McBride traded off upright and electric bass, his band alternated between relatively straight ahead, 4/4 jazz and gnarly jazz funk, with Christian, on occasion, turning on the wah-wah and echo delay for extra effect. McBride's interaction with drummer Terreon Gully and keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer was a joy to see and hear. Berklee professor Bill Pierce did a great job filling in for Ron Blake on tenor saxophone. McBride's come a long way, baby, from his early apprenticeship with traditionalist fanatic gatekeeper Wynton Marsalis. He's found a great home in indie ropeadope records -- one where he can continue to push the mainstream notion of what is jazz.

DJ Logic:

And few explore and expand the boundaries of jazz with more passion and originality than the Bronx's own DJ Logic (Jason Kibler). Logic spun in between sets, displaying his incredible turntable skills while seamlessly mixing a dope amalgum of funk and jazz. Coltrane's "Naima," cried out in between the likes of Miles' early '70 classic On the Corner and James Brown. And Bostonist broke out laughing when the riff from Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" leapt off the turntable. Just an hour before, Bostonist had been telling our dinner companion how Chameleon has been a mainstay in the Berklee students' canon (if not fake book) for 30 years.

But the highlight of the evening was when the master turntablist joined McBride's Band for the encore. Rather than just adding some pedestrian hip hop beats, Logic's turntable became, as usual, an integral part of the jazz quartet quintet, improvising and interacting with the group. Damn. Now that's what we call Jazz.

Listen to Logic: Black Buddha.mp3 (long clip) | Sonic Thrust.mp3 (from DJ Logic website) | Ron's House.mp3 (clip)
Listen to Hunter: Aunt Jemima's Revenge.mp3 | more Charlie Hunter mp3s purchase music from ropeadope

post contributed by Matt Durutti
More of Matt's photos from the show may be seen here.