Santa Barbara County boasts some local artists gone global, but also some global gone local stars, a list which certainly must include the eminent French classical pianist Helene Grimaud, who made Santa Ynez one of her homes several years ago. We’ve had the good fortune of hearing this important and personal virtuoso many times now, and the upcoming recital on Thursday, February 22, at the Lobero Theatre, part of CAMA’s Masterseries, is one not to miss.Grimaud’s credentials in the upper echelon of living classical pianists are well in order, along with such accolades as France’s prestigious Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur. But when we soak into her intimate and deep encounters at the piano, especially in recital mode, the music of the moment is the thing, and the world goes away. No doubt, she will bring on that special quality in next Thursday’s program of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bach (arranged by Busoni).
Blue Notes, High Notes
Jazz of a worldly quality blew through town last week, when the so-called Blue Note Quintet viscerally and intellectually shivered the rafters of Campbell Hall, as part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures jazz sidebar this season. This was officially a stop on the Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary all-star road show, but anyone expecting a nostalgic tip of the hat to the historical legacy and songbook of Blue Note — unequivocally one of the great American jazz labels — was in for a pleasant, fresh-grown surprise.
What we got instead was proof of evolutionary creative spirit from a gathering of some of the label's new bright lights. In particular, pianist/music director Gerald Clayton (son of big-band leader John Clayton) has been making deep inroads as a young titan, with more recent contenders Immanuel Wilkins — a fledgling master on alto sax — and the captivating Joel Ross on vibes commanding greater attention and affection on the global jazz spectrum. Drummer and bandleader Kendrick Scott and bassist Matt Penman supplied a firm yet hip-flexible rhythm section foundation.
As Clayton explained at show's end (no words or between-song explanations were necessary), the task of paying tribute to the grandeur and creative fire of the label required forward motion and extending their own original music vision. Apart from an encore of Thelonious Monk's "Work" and a bebop classic in medley mode, the material came from the fertile minds and imaginations of the players onstage, with a contemporary post-hard-bop style at once sophisticated and vibrant. Check out these artists' work, now appearing on Blue Note.
