Last night I saw the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra at Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall. The first half of the program was mostly Gil Evans and Miles Davis with a smattering of other composers/arrangers. The second half was Evans and Davis’s Arrangement of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
The original recording is with Miles Davis is something I have been listening to for years, this was one of the few times that I have listened to an orchestra play jazz. Its different; few solos not much improvisation. Dave Liebman did well and it was interesting to listen a non-trumpet play the lead. At a couple points he soared.
I suddenly realized that in my mind I was listening to a quartet: Lieberman on saxphone, the orchestra, Will Clark on drums and Linda Oh on double bass. Linda and Will were impressive. I was very impressed and moved with Oh’s playing; she has got a commanding sound, so much so that sometimes it was a duet. I would love to see her in a smaller setting, a trio or quartet, where she could let herself fly on long improvised solos.
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