- 203Recommend It!
- 5,065views
Live Reviews
Triple Play with Dave Brubeck: Saratoga Springs, NY, June 10, 2011
R.J. DeLuke
R.J. DeLuke is an indefatigable jazz fan and arbiter elegantiarum who aspires to ultimate hipness; also an upstate NY freelance writer for various media.Triple Play with special guest Dave Brubeck
Skidmore College
SaratogaArtsFest
Saratoga Springs, NY
June 10, 2011
The Brubecks are a family of fabulously talented musicians, starting of course at the top with father Dave, an American cultural icon. Among that brood is Chris, known for his talents as a bassist and trombonist, who has spent some time touring in his father's quartet, and plays outstanding jazz in a band his drumming brother, as The Brubeck Brother.
But Chris Brubeck has another band that he says tours more than the Brubeck Brothers. It's a trio called Triple Play, and believe it; it does not take a back seat to his straight-ahead jazz projects. The band performed as part of SaratogaArtsFest, a four-day celebration of all arts in Saratoga Springs, NY, in concert at Skidmore College. (Incidentally, SaratogaArtsFest is a fine friend of jazz, having featured a major jazz artist in each of its five years). The band put on a scintillating performance; superb musicianship with offerings of a wide range of music, especially the blues.
Triple Play can hold its own as headliner most anywhere. But the group tossed in a ringer, having a certain pianist join them to sit in, none other than Dave Brubeck.
It had to be one of the more memorable nights of music at Skidmore, a college that has hosted many fine concerts—jazz and otherwise—over the years. It wasn't just that the music was excellent—which it was—and that each member of the trio shone. The younger Brubeck not only showed his chops on bass and 'bone, but played accomplished piano. Guitarist Joel Brown's acoustic playing deftly adorned everything on Triple Play's menu, while Peter "Madcat" Ruth is a virtuoso harmonicist who blends a lot of soul with his amazing technique. And all three sing well.
But it was more than that. The band's been together for a while, and that was obvious with the performance, always on the money, tight and together, with rewarding improvisations. But the spirit of the musicians was palpable. They dug the music, and they dug in, pouring their élan into each song. It uplifted the audience, which gave that feeling back to the band—a state musicians strive for, but don't always achieve. Add in the appearance of Dave Brubeck, age 90, and the group achieved it in spades, making for many terrific moments. The music, and the concert, was uplifting. That was tangible, and the grins a cross each of the musicians faces genuinely told the tale.
Triple Play coverts a lot of ground: jazz, blues, folk, county. Said Chris, a couple weeks before the show, "If you can imagine the area where blues, folk music, acoustic funk and jazz overlaps, that's what that group's all about." On this night, most of what they did was blues—from the time Ruth bellowed "it's time for some Mississippi party music"—or related to it.
The first half was all Triple Play, but with another guest, this one a "kid" to the main guest, 85-year-old Frank Brown—Joel's dad—on clarinet. They played a couple tunes by the senior Brubeck—"Polly," which was swinging jazz, and "Koto Song," executed divinely as a slow, poignant ballad with Brown's guitar wringing out the pathos of the song with his thoughtful solo and Ruth literally crying on harp—but romped through tunes with irresistible grooves. "New Stew Opus 2," a sort of remake of King Curtis' "Memphis Stew." Behind Brubeck's funky bass, Triple Play portrayed three fine musicians enjoying themselves infectiously. On "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," the younger Brown sang the emotive Depression-era lyric that, unfortunately applies to today, while the elder Brown entered on clarinet, exhibiting clear and clean articulation, getting a big, warm sound out of the wood. Switching to trombone, Brubeck was soulful and gutsy.
"The Mighty Mrs. Hippy" was a blues that bounced into a boogie woogie with comical lyrics. The band's rhythm is sharp even without a drummer. Brown, who can tear up classical guitar as well rock out and swing, is a dynamite rhythm player. It's a particular, often unnoticed, skill, but vital to Triple Play's antics. Madcat, a wildly imaginative harmonicat on the order of John Sebastian (don't go to sleep on the Welcome Back Kotter author's abilities on harp) adds some percussive playing to help the rhythm, and plays some high-hat cymbal too.
Shop for jazz:
Tripleplay Related
Sorry, no events found. Submit one now.
