Holophonor plays a brand of jazz loaded with
understated swagger and suave cool. Mentored
by jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, the band is rooted in the
past while resolutely looking toward the future, as evidenced by its early set
on Sunday evening at The Wilder Room.
The powerhouse rhythm section — drummer Jonathan Pinson and
bassist Dave Robaire — drove the music forward with subtle confidence.
Impassioned and uninhibited solos from alto saxophonist Josh Johnson and
trombonist Eric Miller gave things a freewheeling, untethered air of
anticipation — an ideal quality for music listening. Miller’s sound, in
particular, was rare. I’ve never heard quite as supple and mellifluous a sound
from a trombone before. Filling out the horn section at the top was trumpeter
and Rochester native Mike Cottone, whose poise and panache will undoubtedly
serve him well during what is sure to be a long and fruitful career.
The highlight of the set was during the performance of a new
song called “Zirma,” composed by Johnson. Pinson laid down an extensive drum solo that was downright
electrifying. If there’s such a thing as legato phrasing on a drum kit,
Pinson’s playing had it. In a group stacked with dynamic musicians, including
pianist Miro Sprague, he stood out.
On this evening, Holophonor was a band intrinsically
connected to itself, exhibiting a calm charisma. The musical rapport between
players felt natural and effortless. Watch out for these guys. A new record, Holophonor’s
second, is on the way later this
summer.
The Elliot Galvin Trio makes moody music for the cerebral listener — or more specifically, jazz for Radiohead fans. During the second set on
Sunday night at Christ Church, pianist Elliot Galvin’s melodies were often
gestural, almost abstract. Melodic flourishes flashed across the keyboard like
lightning, both ephemeral and visceral. His chordal language had just enough
dissonance to give the music some bite. Galvin couldn’t help but add twinges of
harmonic dissonance to the undeniably pretty tune in “A Major.”
As a band, the trio displayed extraordinary precision. The
music’s magic had everything to do with the rhythms, bolstered by bassist Conor
Chaplin and drummer Corrie Dick. In that respect, in no song was the players’
prowess more apparent than in “Punch and Judy,” a periodically jarring,
dizzying, and altogether fun work incorporating old audio from a performance of
the famous puppet show.
The Elliot Galvin Trio was the kind of Jazz Festival act I
would have liked to see twice. Galvin is a heady jazz composer who knows how to
toe the line between expected jazz trio fare and avant-garde experimentation.
If you like your music to be almost inscrutable and always enjoyable, the
Elliot Galvin Trio is well worth the listen.
You can hear the all
three members of Elliot Galvin Trio playing
in trumpeter and composer Laura Jurd’s band Dinosaur on Monday, June 26,
at Christ Church. 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. $30 or a Club Pass will get you into
the concert.
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This article appears in Jun 21-27, 2017.
