This afternoon I discovered that some idiot (that’d be me) somehow forgot to
include a bio for the group J.M.O.G. in City Newspaper’s 2012
Jazz Guide. So I felt obligated to start my Saturday night at the fest by
checking out the group’s early show at Xerox Auditorium. The band – an acronym
for Jazz Men on the Go – is made up of American and Canadian musicians, several
of whom are playing in multiple shows at this year’s festival: Pat LaBarbera
(tenor/soprano saxophone), Don Thompson (piano), Neil Swainson (bass), and Joe
LaBarbera (drums).

The quartet focused on original compositions by its members, which tended to
be mid-tempo (or slower) and feature meandering melodies with ample aural
embellishments. There’s no question that every member of J.M.O.G. is a
fantastic musician, but ultimately, the music did nothing for me. It was
pleasant. It sounded good. But by the third song it started to become
predictable: Pat LaBarbera typically took lead, and then gave each member a
chance to improvise in extended solos. Wash,
rinse, repeat. Each song sounded distinct, but none of them moved me.

Conversely, I was immediately moved by the Sultans of String when the quintet started its earlier show at the Big Tent. From the first note
I was hooked, as was the rest of the packed tent, which was visibly bopping
along with and clapping to the various world styles being spun out on the
stage. The Sultans are based in Toronto
and feature a percussionist, two guitars, a bassist, and violin and fiddle
played by apparent band leader Chris McKhool. Everything about this set worked.
The Sultans started out with some exotic gypsy tunes, switched to
Irish/Scottish folk songs, threw in some jam-band sounds, segued into American
honky-tonk blues, took a detour to Lebanon, and even included a fascinating
song about a killer whale that may have been the reincarnation of an aboriginal
Canadian tribe leader (it was way cooler than sounds, I swear).

The truly astonishing thing about this group was the way it worked dynamics
and the sounds of its instruments to produce a wide range of intonations.
McKhool and one of the guitar players (I’m sorry, I missed the name) in
particular produced notes that at times almost mimicked the human voice. It was
the kind of awe-inspiring musicianship I’ve come to expect from the Jazz
Festival, and I was chagrined to discover the Sultans were only playing
tonight. I ran into a friend on the street and implored him to see the group if
he got a chance.

I tried to finish the night by hitting pianist Gerald Clayton‘s
late set at Max of Eastman Place, but the place was totally packed. After a
(very polite) festival handler explained that I could not stand in front of
patrons sitting in the chairs that lined the back wall of the venue, I found
the lone open spot, which afforded me a fantastic view of a giant cement
pillar. I could literally see nothing that was happening on the stage — but it
sure sounded nice. Clayton’s playing is cool, assured, and what I would call
cerebral – he toys with melody, rhythms, and time signatures, and his band ably
followed along. The quiet, contemplative start to the set was marred by the
very loud music coming in from Gibbs Street,
but the band built things nicely and soon enough dominated everyone’s
attention.

Looking for more of City’s Jazz Fest coverage? Click
here for City’s 2012 Jazz Fest Guide, click here for
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