Word: sax
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Bela Fleck and the Flecktones delivered a private performance last weekend at Tufts University. Besides Bela, the band includes Victor Wooten on bass guitar, "Future Man" (Wooten's brother) on synthesized percussion and Jeff Coffin on sax. Victor Wooten has been voted Bass Player Magazine's "Bassist of the Year" for three years in a row. And it is little wonder why. His mastery of the instrument leaves you room for no other reaction than a open jawdrop as you let out a few nervous laughs, expecting the Apocalypse. This might seem like a strange statement, but this reviewer does...
This is not to say that the performance was perfect. Indeed, Coffin's tone on the tenor sax was considerably less controlled than that of his soprano sax. And certainly the Flecktones' lyrical pieces were less convincing than their instrumental numbers. The 1999 Grammy-nominated "Big Country," for example, proved that instrumentation is where the strength of the Flecktones lies...
...Chet Baker album for those who don't like Chet Baker, recorded at a 1983 live date in Norway. It's Getz's gig, but Baker shines, singing with an unaccustomed force and levity; on Just Friends he scats nimbly too. His trumpet and Getz's tenor sax are also in top form; these relaxed, lyrical players have an obvious rapport. Reportedly, they couldn't stand each other; you'd never know from this little gem of a disc...
...soft ballad "A Search for Peace" hushed the room in the first set, allowing the sax to whisper melodies in the silence. Next came "Giant Steps," one of the most difficult compositions in all of jazz. "Giant Steps" began slowly--as a tribute to the original 'Trane. The audience could not believe the rapid chords that blazed through the air. As the song ended, bodies that sat at the edges of their seats languidly slouched back, fatigued and in awe. A buzz of recuperation and conversation filled intermission, as a humble figure in black began mixing with the crowd...
ESCAPE HATCH Pals Harry and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason use their clout to get him on Carson's show. Clinton plays the sax and makes fun of himself. More people watch the show than the speech...