Upon hearing Iris Bergcrantz Group (featuring
Anders Bergcrantz) at the Lutheran Church, the
individual performances stood out immediately. As an ensemble, however, the net
effect was more muted.
To describe Iris’s pure vocal tone as merely ethereal would be
clichéd and somewhat misleading. Her voice was also grounded and worldly. At times,
the melodies had a subtle Middle Eastern flair, or a pentatonic structure that
evoked Asia before delving into synthesized, Imogen Heap-like harmonies.
The frequent use of nonverbal vocalizations accentuated the
sense that the music was out of time and place. A highlight of the set was an a
cappella rendition of a Swedish folk song translated as “My Rose,” which
sounded like a nearly lost melody passed down through mystical means and only
recently discovered. Unadorned, Iris’s voice had more power and immediacy — akin
to that of the Lebanese vocalist Yasmine Hamdan — as
if she didn’t have to tone things down as she might when accompanied by the
band.
Iris’s father, the trumpeter Anders Bergrantz,
was dynamic, with a charismatic, bold style that was decidedly more
traditional. While Iris’s voice seemed to represent the future — what canonized
vocal jazz might sound like further down the line — Anders was firmly rooted in
the past, giving the audience a pleasant and entertaining taste of the
familiar.
It was like watching two benevolent leaders at
cross-purposes, trying to coexist, with neither of them truly advancing their
respective agendas. Each musical direction had merit, but they canceled one
another out while vying for the ear of the listener. At times, the piano
accompaniment felt out of stylistic sync with the vocals, too traditional to
keep pace with the twists and turns of Iris’s melodies.
As the set wore on, I grew tired of the creative dissonance.
I’d love to hear Iris Bergcrantz perform in a more
experimental context.
You can hear her music
at soundcloud.com/iris-bergcrantz.
Filthy Funk, with saxophonist Jimmie Highsmith Jr., was
expertly named and perfectly suited for the Jazz Street stage on Friday night.
The smooth-grooving trio’s strong funk inflections laid the foundation for
Highsmith’s searing, soaring sax. Guitarist John Viviani’s delectable,
thoroughly enjoyable solos also stood out.
Sammy Miller and The Congregation don’t take themselves too
seriously, but their music certainly swings with pep and swagger. Complete with
a light-hearted stage presence and engaging musicianship, the band delivered
hearty throwback music from bygone 20th century jazz. That said, the second set
at the Big Tent seemed less like a collection of compositions and more like a
series of impressive solos strung together.
There’s still time to hear
Sammy Miller and The Congregation at this year’s Jazz Fest: Montage Music Hall
at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday. $30 or a Club Pass. sammymillercongregation.com.
Tomorrow, I’ll close out the festival with the Balkun Brothers at the East Ave. and Chestnut St. stage and
Gard Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity at the Lutheran Church.
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2017.
