Sachal Vasandani: New Voice in Jazz

Young jazz vocalist Sachal Vasandani made the first stop on the pre-release tour for his second CD, We Move, at Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia on Friday. A helpful Arts Boston article tells me that he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1999 and worked as an investment banker before going full-time in the jazz biz. ArtsBoston nicely describes his voice as "deep-brewed" (but so did the Detroit JazzStage website, so credit to whomever came up with it first). I hear stylistic traces of Harry Connick, Jr. and Jamie Cullum, and some reaching back to Chet Baker and Jon Hendricks. He does some fine cover versions (a particularly swinging effort on Thelonious Monk's "Man, That Was A Dream") but emphasizes his original compositions, which are uneven. Among the better of his self-penned numbers is the title tune of his new CD, but even his lesser compositions were strengthened by his terrific backing trio: Jeb Patton on piano, Josh Ginsberg on bass, and Quincy Davis on drums. (Detroit transplant Dean Moore offered up a great alto sax solo on the Monk composition.)

Vasandani's opening set list at Chris' included: That Old Black Magic, There's A Small Hotel (Latin funk), Please Mr. Ogilvy, Medley: Royal Eyes, There Are Such Things, My Dear, Man That Was A Dream, We Move, No More.

Vasandani has a nice stage presence and a gentle but persistent sell (making sure to hawk his CD and collect e-mail addresses which he promises to treat with respect). He clearly loves his work and I think he'll continue to grow.

Musical Notes: Darcy James Argue, Lidia Kaminska

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society: Last Wednesday, Ann and I trekked to (Le) Poisson Rouge, a much-lauded, artist-owned, eclectic performance venue in Greenwich Village (on the site of the old and revered Village Gate), to see and hear Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, an 18-piece big band that performs the intricate compositions of its 33-year-old, Vancouver-born namesake. His pieces are inspired by history, literature and current events, and his introductions (and, on this night, dedications) of each piece set the stage, and sometimes prefigured the story arc, for each of the 7-to-12 minute works that followed. The orchestrations are densely layered and sonically rich, without many gimmicks but with some interesting innovations (including effective use of electric guitar and bass clarinet). You'll hear influences of Mingus, Miles and Frank Zappa, among others, but this really is new-generation big band -- a genre that Argue has dubbed "steampunk." Try to pick up on his complicated time signatures, and recognize how heroic his rhythm section really is. All About Jazz did this nice article and interview, and the New York Observer offers this appreciation. More about the band and its leader -- along with free downloads and the chance to buy their CD -- at the Secret Society's website. The recordings are good, but this is a band that must be seen, not just heard, as the complex interplay of the musicians as they wrestle with the complex charts is part of the fun. (This video shot from the back of the house in the same venue during a 2008 appearance will give you a small taste of that.) Seek them out live. And thanks to The Wall Street Journal for the tip.

Lidia Kaminska: The public radio program Performance Today included Lidia's performance of Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor, K. 141, from her December 7 concert at the Trinity Center for Urban Life in its July 2 broadcast. The accordionist's concert was presented by Astral Artistic Services, and Ann and I were co-sponsors of the event. It may be too late to hear the rebroadcast of this episode on your local public radio station (check the Performance Today website), but you may still find it archived online by your favorite local station.