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odied gusto, but the tentet proved formidable
during “Little Rootie Tootie.” Tolliver pointed
out that in the original recording, Monk’s band
momentarily lost its way. His group played the
piece to perfection.
The final orchestral piece was a lyrical swing
through “Crepuscule With Nellie,” after which
Town Hall hailed the band with another standing
ovation. With that, the orchestra romped through
“Little Rootie Tootie” again to conclude the satiating
75-minute performance.
As fine as it was, Tolliver’s offering won’t go
down in history like Monk’s landmark concert
did. But it provided a lucid reminder of the vitality
of Monk’s legacy. And it hastened a return to
the original recording, where the pianist, obviously
enthralled by his band and the arrangements,
doodled throughout with his trademark
idiosyncratic, whimsical, wrong-note comps.
Despite Cowell’s solid performance, including
the geometric shapes he created in his solo during
the first run through of “Little Rootie
Tootie,” there was no mistaking that he
couldn’t—and wouldn’t dare to—compete with
the odd grace notes of the master.
—Dan Ouellette
Jazz, Neo-Soul
Stars Honor African
American Legacy
at Carnegie Hall
As Carnegie Hall’s “Honor” performance series
set out to present “A Celebration of the African
American Legacy,” an all-star lineup took on
that lofty goal. Opera singer Jessye Norman
curated a repertoire that spanned blues, jazz,
rock ’n’ roll, r&b, hip-hop and classical music.
The Carnegie-sponsored event ran for three
weeks in March at venues throughout New
York. Yet on March 4 at Carnegie Hall,
“Honor!” grappled with satisfying its educational
mandates. Spoken introductions and testimonials
by Ben Vereen and Avery Brooks amounted
to a rehashing of what has been written
countless times. The portraits of icons projected
above the stage were also unnecessary.
Perhaps the most daring aspect of the
Carnegie Hall program was booking singers
from the neo-soul era for a tribute to vintage soul
music. If neo-soul fell short of its more visceral
predecessor, performances by Leela James, Kem
and Anthony Hamilton saluting James Brown,
Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Bill
Withers highlighted the concert.
James made the strongest impression. She
brandished her voice like a weapon on Brown’s
“It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and “I
Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).”
James’ voice echoed the wildly expressive style
of Koko Taylor and even Janis Joplin while rising
above the 14-piece house band.
The jazz portion of the program sometimes
fell short of its star power. James Carter provided
a couple of thrills, but his performance was
uneven. He overwhelmed on “A Night In
Tunisia” during a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie,
Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Carter tackled
the timeless bebop tune on soprano, an instrument
that had no profile during the bop era. The
ploy worked—Carter’s outpouring of notes
recalled the upper reaches of Gillespie’s trumpet
and the harmonic concepts Coltrane pioneered.
Ron Carter and James Carter’s duet on Duke
Ellington’s “Degas’ Racing World” had its
JACK VARTOOGIAN/FRONTROWPHOTOS
James Carter
moments, so did Terence Blanchard during his
quintet’s reading of “When It’s Sleepy Time
Down South.” But James appeared out of her
element when she joined the group for its tribute
to Billie Holiday on “Good Morning
Heartache,” and James Carter’s unaccompanied
tenor intro on “Naima” missed its mark.
Saxophonist Carter redeemed himself on “All
Blues,” where another unaccompanied intro
ignited a tenor solo matching the intensity of
“Naima,” but with greater coherence. Jeremy
Pelt built his flugelhorn solo from a series of riffs
that climbed into the upper register, where his
tone acquired an appealing edginess.
Singer Freddie Jackson closed out the show
with likeable covers of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s
Going On” and Luther Vandross’s “Never Too
Much.” While the program ebbed and flowed,
the talent shone through. Music of this magnitude
requires little or no explication. It speaks for
itself.
—Eric Fine