Monique Avakian enters the 21st century wondering if this will enable her to become more efficient, less distracted and yet furthermore joyful in her more poetic endeavors to explore the more creative and abstract realms of her imagined existence......
Slowly but surely I am finding the Rivertowns Jazz Blog content I created. For now, I am just linking until I have time to re-do it all. I am thankful I am not completely DE-indexed from Google, but I am confused about the Patch and curious as to why the new owners have approached the situation this way.
I created something cool and involved that benefitted many people, including the Patch. To have it all just DISAPPEAR overnight like that...well, it is just confusing, to say the least.
I'm not sure people realize how many hours and hours and hours it takes to put something like this together....
Thank you for your patience. The links I've found so far are below. It doesn't look like any of the video carried over....
Review of Live Show
at the Hastings Unitarian Society, April 27, 2013
by
Monique Avakian
You know, I got to go to church the other day in another
way: through music. Specifically, jazz. Intentionally: Hastings.
I love Hastings. So many creative people live there. And the
arts are really supported. You can go hear the Hastings Jazz Collective almost every Friday night at the
Station Café for a donation. Plus, if you’re so inclined, these generous
professionals open up the mic for improvisers to jam with them! Their
generosity and good will are to be treasured!
Anyway, I wanted to write a little something about this
particular show at the Unitarian Society because the musicians’ choices of
tunes and arrangements were very thoughtful. Each song had a bluesy~gospel root
and that made for a really enjoyable and threaded exploration. The standards
and originals included Oscar Pettiford’s Laverne
Walk, Kenny Wheeler’s Mark Time and
Kenny Baron’s Voyage.
And this particular evening (part of the Common Ground
Community Concerts series), each player took long, long solos. Each and every
time. These cats got into it!
Ron Vincent on
Drums:
If you’re ever in a bad mood and want to snap out of it,
just imagine Ron’s face while he’s playing. He is so in touch with the joy of
jazz, it is absolutely infectious. And as a player, he is constantly
evolving.He’s got the softest
bass drum EVER and makes these Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em hits INSIDE a smooth ride feel
that is so clean and free. He’s not afraid to get involved with the toms
either, and he has this arresting slight drop~out~of~time feel at choice
moments that’s simply magnetic. His arrangement of “Pick Yourself Up” was
intriguing, especially when he went into a sudden Latin feel and then traded 4’s
with himself rhythmically! I never heard a drummer do that before – too cool!
David Janeway on Keys:
David is not afraid to experiment in the moment and has a
range of technique that allows him to test the waters fearlessly. And even
though he can be as avant as the next guy, he chooses to go there just
slightly. This is really effective and wonderful for listeners, because you
don’t get lost or confused or exhausted. Yet, you are encouraged to evolve in
your understanding of the complexity that is so attractive about jazz. David,
too, is constantly evolving, and I have never heard one player have so many
different ways of texturizing with arpeggios, tremolos, little endearing
Monk-like tinkles, and soulful and inventive chord voicings. Completely relaxed,
yet with appropriate authority, Mr. Janeway very much embodies the phrase:
“Yours Truly.”
Tim Armacost on Sax:
Though his solos can be sweet and lilting, Armacost always
has a good slab of grease on it. He’s got awesome lung power and this subtle
feel~great vibrato sound which he sometimes offers at the end of an excursion.
Armacost’s tone is especially warm way down low, but the man covers a lot of
interesting territory all the way up and down the register.
Frank Tate on Bass:
Solid. Relaxed. Accomplished. This is a player that can be
relied upon to respond to anything. Tate’s lead on their version of Willow Weep for Me on this particular
evening was especially grand and meditative.
Check them out! At the Station Café, The Hastings Jazz
Collective is often joined by Jay Azzolina on guitar, various bass players and
all kinds of special guests. It’s a great hang.