 Return to Lonely Goat Features Archives JAZZ RULES: Jean-Luc Ponty & Charlie Hunter Some outside observers still believe that the presence of brass and woodwinds are the only indicators of true jazz. If a song contains saxophone or trumpet, it must be jazz. But if violins or guitars are the primary improvising tools, then it could only be a bastardized form of classical or rock- not proper, academic jazz. However, two renegade musicians, who rebuke this restrictive notion and continue to reinvent the acceptable parameters of jazz, recently brought their unique interpretations of the music to the Triangle. First, it was time for the old school with a performer who remains as cutting edge now as when he first broke into the spotlight over thirty years ago. That renegade is Jean-Luc Ponty, and he played a major role in bringing the violin out of the orchestra pit and into the realm of jazz improvisation. Jean-Luc grew up as
a child prodigy of classical musicians so violin was the most logical instrument of
choice. But by the 1960's with musical upheaval what it was, the talented violinist
embraced the freer sounds of jazz, encouraged by his precursor and fellow Frenchman, Stephane
Grappelli. And then Jean-Luc fell in with some rag-tag musical revolutionaries and
misfits, led by Frank Zappa and known collectively as the Mothers of Invention,
and nothing would ever be the same. After a brief internship, Jean-Luc went on to fuel John
McLaughlin's fusion fireworks, Mahavishnu Orchestra, make appearances on
several studio sessions and later forge his own groundbreaking style with his solo band in
the late seventies. And the crowd responded politely even to the weirder, spacier tangents as the able French quintet blended Ponty's older solo material, "Enigmatic Ocean" and "No Absolute Time" with his forays into Western African music and of course the obligatory new material. Proving he was the unmistakable star of the show, Ponty wailed furiously, bowed softly, pushed the envelope with electronics and even strummed a few chords, leading his backing band into territory that was wholly their own yet still mainstream modern jazz. Next, the pioneer of the eight-string guitar style, Charlie Hunter, treated his largest Cat's Cradle turnout yet to another venture into modern guitar jazz. Every time Charlie's returned in the last five years, he stripped his sound down further and further. From the three-guitar attack of T. J. Kirk to his double-sax quartet to the vibe-driven Pound for Pound to his most recent drum duet, this manual magician has demonstrated an increasing lack of dependence on a supporting cast. This time, I was half expecting to see the thirty-two year old San Francisco native without any backing musicians at all, possibly kicking out some rhythm with a bass pedal or high hat cymbal or blowing out some blues on a hands-free harmonica. But instead, he opted for a double-percussive trio with Stephen Chopek on a small kit and Chris Lovejoy on congas, in turn creating something much more rhythmic and groove-oriented than his previous projects. Some of Charlie's earlier work, especially his two most recent endeavors, were a bit too refined, too clinical, lacking that gritty, down-and-dirty swagger and head-nodding kinetic compulsion of the current trio. Watching Charlie play his specialized guitar is a marvel indeed. The custom-made eight-string guitar is basically a regular six-string guitar with two added bass strings. In general, Charlie uses his middle and index fingers to play the two top bass strings, producing one and two note bass lines. Simultaneously, he utilizes his ring and pinky fingers as well as his index finger, when it's free, to play the lower six guitar strings and pluck out some fine lead runs. His right hand functions similarly to that of a banjo player where the thumb picks out one melody while the other fingers work on another. And as if that's not enough, Charlie utilizes the magic of MIDI to create convincing "organscapes" to add even more texture to his one-man ensemble. His style requires unprecedented amounts of concentration and dexterity, but Charlie makes it look completely effortless, aside from the primeval grunts he exudes from time to time. By the way, also worthy of mention was an unannounced opening set by Chapel Hill jazz practitioners PLD (or Poor Life Decisions.) The local sextet specializes in the same jazzy funk that propels New Orleans' Galactic (except without the singer) or the former Chapel Hill jazz barometer Prozac All Stars. PLD's repertoire shows them equally at home with funky MMW-style jazz, a melodic Charlie Hunter cover, reworked rock classics or more traditional standards. However because of time constraints, their set lasted only a meager twenty-five minutes, hardly enough time to settle into the groove their music requires. So keep an eye open for a local headlining set to gauge their true potential, I know I will. As these three divergent ensembles as well as the Grisman Quintet demonstrate, one of the main rules of modern jazz seems to be that there are few ground-in-stone rules, other than the absolute need for improvisation. Could the Psychedelic Tuba Ensemble be that far behind? The openness of the music has spawned a diversified set of serious musicians, both younger and older, who still believe that pure unadulterated expression is the cornerstone of the musical experience- not unit sales, marketability or pandering to a formula. And for that freedom from commercialism alone, jazz, in all its permutations, should be embraced as the purest integration of music and art in the twenty-first century. |