On Monday night, the members of Blue Highway brought a
more traditional bluegrass approach to the Squeezers Roots & Americana
Stage. This sound had less swagger and more twang than The HillBenders
from three nights before.
And while the music of Blue Highway was perfectly pleasant,
it felt staid — almost commonplace — lacking the spontaneous improvisational
energy and combustible chemistry between players trading searing solos. That’s
not to say there weren’t cohesive, whip-smart licks or beautifully blended
harmonies (as in the a cappella song “Someday”). The
instrumental textures were wonderfully lush and you’re not likely to hear a
more pleasing country voice than that of multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lane.
That said, the band’s self-described “hillbilly jazz” was safe
and laid-back, even during the brisk numbers. I came away merely appreciating
the music. What I wanted to do was get lost in it.
In search of something more dance-inducing, I ventured over
to the Rochester Regional Health Big Tent, where New Orleans octet The Soul
Rebels got my blood pumping with rousing funk rhythms, brass hooks on
overdrive, and old-school hip-hop inflections.
Front-loaded with two trumpets, two trombones, tenor
saxophone, and the tuba-like sousaphone, The Soul Rebels’ tunes got under my
skin the best possible way. But the most musically satisfying moments occurred
when individual band members such as saxophonist Erion
Williams and trumpeters Julian Gosin and Marcus
Hubbard took solos, revealing great depth of skill and an intuition for melody.
I couldn’t help thinking how much more amazing the experience
would have been had the band played on one of the outdoor stages, where the
party could somehow feel less inhibited. In other words, we need to dance more,
Jazz Fest fans! And if you were at one of the four Soul Rebel sets over the
last two days and you weren’t at least tapping your toes — well, that’s
completely on you.
Once again, virtuoso guitarist Stephane Wrembel and his band brought his jaw-dropping music to
a captivated Jazz Fest audience, this time outdoors on the Jazz Street Stage.
One thing I’m afraid I failed to state clearly enough in my review from last
night is just how spectacular Wrembel’s supporting
cast of musicians is.
Rhythm guitarist Roy Williams was a dynamic and mesmerizing
soloist in his own right, so much so that at times I had look up to be sure of
exactly who was playing. Bassist Kells Nollenberger quietly set both the pace and mood of the
songs in an unassuming but no less impressive manner. I would have liked to
hear more solo interludes from him. And drummer Nick Anderson was an
unequivocal tour-de-force. His kinetic, flowing style could be thunderous at
times, but it never came across as brash or ostentatious. His stamina and
hyper-articulate rhythms were astounding, making him the most exciting drummer
I’ve seen at this year’s festival so far. But the 2015 Xerox Rochester
International Jazz Festival isn’t even halfway done, so who knows for sure….
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2015.
