Jazz |
“Sometimes it’s good to return to a more traditional form of jazz, to reconnect with the roots. In 2015, Clemons released “Live at Smalls”, a selection of standards by Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Gigi Gryce, and others, featuring alto and baritone saxophonist Josh Benko, pianist Sacha Perry, bassists Murray Wall and Jon Roche, and drummer Jimmy Wormworth. It took nearly ten years for Dwayne Clemons to return on CD and to Smalls, marking a triumphant comeback to this basement venue—this time under the Cellar banner, and with another remarkable group: alto saxophonist Amanda Sedgwick, tenor saxophonist Aaron Johnson, pianist JinJoo Yoo, bassist Paul Gill, and drummer Taro Okamoto. Clemons has been connected to the Smalls-Mezzrow scene for more than three decades; he met Spike Willner, the future owner of Smalls, in the late 1980s. The 1990s were tough for Clemons, who spent five years in the Texas state penitentiary system due to a drug-related conviction. However, in 1994, he received letters from Willner and trumpeter James Zollar encouraging him to come play in New York.
A life of wandering—many musicians have been through it; some made it out, others didn’t—so it’s almost a miracle to still be able to enjoy the talents of this artist, who says: ‘[Smalls] has become like a home base for me,’ Clemons explains. ‘We had a lot of fun. It was a big challenge for me. It was the kind of challenge I needed.’ In 2003, with New York still shaken by 9/11, the club unfortunately closed. Fortunately, in 2005, founder Mitch Borden—along with pianist Willner and bassist/guitarist Lee Kostrinsky—revived Smalls, and it continues to thrive today.’ Preparing this concert was a long journey. The trumpeter had wanted to assemble the « Center of Gravity » group since the mid-2010s, when he was living in Stockholm. The concept of the group: ‘I wanted to do something with trumpet, tenor, and alto,’ says Clemons. ‘I wanted to use Amanda and [an old colleague] Aaron Johnson in particular. I wanted to use him because I really appreciate him; he’s one of my most recent colleagues and friends.’
Overall, Clemons is impressed by Sedgwick, Johnson, Yoo, Gill, and Okamoto. ‘They play the tradition, they speak the language. But at the same time, it’s not artificial,’ he notes. ‘They are creative and imaginative. They have the essence of the music in their playing. They inspire me when I hear them.’
That’s exactly what this album is, an album of inspirations. Dwayne is one of those artists who keep the jazz tradition alive, lighting up every place he plays, because beyond tradition, there is Wayne’s vision. However, it’s not a reinvention, just a method shaped by an angle from which to approach the work. And the saxophonist continues… ‘Smoke Rings’ is ‘a piece I’ve been playing recently; it’s quite rare to hear a piece like this, with its beautiful harmonic and melodic structure.’ The same goes for ‘Sweet Emmalina, My Gal’: ‘It’s a piece I’ve recently come to appreciate as a vehicle, and it has now become part of the repertoire.’ The album ends with ‘When I Grow Too Old to Dream,’ based on Arnett Cobb’s arrangement for tenor saxophone. ‘It’s a fun vehicle to play,’ says Clemons about this last piece, as with the others. And that’s the nature of a ‘vehicle’ in this music: pushing boundaries without ever sacrificing that Center of Gravity. One can only embrace this kind of offering, a jazz that feels good for everyone, an album that will allow you to have an excellent time—it’s our ‘coup de cœur’ of the day!”
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 11th 2024
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