John Lindberg and Leo Smith at Kerrytown
Concert House
assist
John Lindberg is back in Michigan for a spell and I had the fortune
to hear him at the Kerrytown Concert House on January 13. Lindberg,
a Detroit native, invited trumpeter Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith
from New York to join him in these intimate surroundings. The two first
met through their association with the innovative saxophonist Anthony
Braxton. Lindberg told us that "Leo taught me how to use space in music
when I first got to New York [in the late 1970s]."
Smith's distinctive approach to the trumpet does indeed
use a lot of silences and it was particularly evident on his two solo
pieces for the evening. On the duo pieces Smith and Lindberg worked
expertly together, with Lindberg switching from repetitive rhythmic
patterns to melodic commentary. Lindberg is, of course, a consummate
small group player, as one might guess from knowing that he has been
a long-time member of the String Trio of New York. One of his solo pieces,
"Common Goal," was a real tour de force. Lindberg developed increased
tension as he switched between pizzicato and arco playing. In contrast,
his second solo piece, "Sophie's Lullaby," was a pretty theme with variations.
The duo's last piece was an homage to Mingus and was a swinging finale
to a wonderful night of music.
I
N - T H I S -
I S S U E :
1. RECENT RECORDINGS---2.
JAZZISTRY
3. LINDBERG & SMITH---HOME
