Jacob Sacks Quintet at Kerrytown
BY LARS BJÖRN
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celebrate their new CD Region, the Jacob Sacks Quintet
visited the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor on June 10. I was fortunate
to make it to the second set, in which they played several tracks from
the CD as well as other originals by Sacks. Sacks is a talented young
pianist and composer from Monroe who resides in New York City, where
he studied at the Manhattan School of Music. Drummer Danny Weiss is
also from New York and added to an already stellar group of young players.
Weiss set a formidable groove with Ann Arbor's own Tim Flood on bass.
The
saxophone front-line, altoist John Wojciechowski and tenorist Andrew
Bishop, was very impressive. Both doubled on soprano sax, and Bishop
also played the clarinet. Bishop's clarinet sound was marvelous on the
opening piece and on one of Sacks' latest untitled compositions. His
statement on the tenor sax on the slow "Region" was majestic and beautiful.
Wojciechowski showed his usual fire and complete command of his horn.
The central figure in the concert was Jacob
Sacks, who impressed me with how much he has grown in his piano playing.
He has always been a striking pianist with a beautiful touch, technique
and ability to swing. What I detected this time was a more identifiable
personal statement. His playing was more relaxed and unforced than in
earlier years and he treated us to several beautiful contemplative passages.
Added to this are his considerable gifts as a composer. I hope that
he can come back next year to give us another chance to hear how his
art has progressed.
