Saxophonist Mark Turner and a mysterious band of musical magicians began their run at the Jazz Standard Friday evening, and it is safe to say they managed to surprise and astound a full house of jazz fans.
Decidedly modernist, Turner, his main musical partner-in-crime Avishai Cohen on trumpet, as well as Joe Martin on bass and Justin Brown on drums were intoxicating to listen to and mesmerizing to watch. Amazingly in sync with one another, Turner and Cohen often seemed to merge into a single instrument for a time before occasionally drifting away from one another (Turner literally leaving the performance space and hanging out by the stage door for minutes at a time) to create an evening of music that was quite suspenseful and ultimately satisfying. If these two masters have different styles, I could not detect them.
The utter seriousness with which these artists entered the stage and prepared to play set the tone for the evening. There would be no jokes and almost no speaking to the audience at all in-between the music selections. There were five pieces, all of them quite long and each of them very complex. This was the jazz equivalent of contemporary chamber music. Atonal, sometimes arhythmical, but always impeccably played and gripping. Nothing seemed to have been set in stone and yet nothing was left to chance. The quartet started things off with "It’s Not Alright With Me" and immediately showed the audience some fascinating improvisation from Turner and Cohen, symmetrically placed on stage like two bookends. Justin Brown’s drums were dreamlike and hallucinogenic. "Ethans Line" was dissonant, atonal and through it all Martin’s bass and Brown’s drums created the sound of distant thunder. Cohen’s trumpet sounded like a child that is lost and trying to find its way home. And as in every piece, Tuner joined him to play a nearly identical melody before letting him alone to explore. "Left-Handed Darkness" was my personal favorite, a drunken, dizzy-sounding melodic line that was punctuated by the sharpest bass chords I’ve ever heard. Haunting and melancholy, it was the soulful and occasionally menacing highlight of the evening.
There were remarkable duets, not just between the front-and-center Turner and Cohen but also between Martin and Brown. Martin’s most powerful drum solo came towards the end of the evening. It was a rapid yet velvety-soft tour-de-force. Brown kept the symbol sounding constantly (this seems to be a trademark of his, and it is magical) His playing was so fast it was a blur, yet the sound was soft and exquisite.
In an eclectic schedule of talented performers at the Jazz Standard, it is wonderful to hear exquisite playing in this highly modern style. It is also gratifying to experience such an appreciative crowd.
