Welcome back to The Jazz Scene!
This past week at the , the Vance Provey Group took the stage in one of the most exciting performances since the beginning of the Jazz Series.
Vance, a native of Norwalk, cut his teeth early on, studying with Trumpeter Bill Dixon, who is most famous for his work with the pianist Cecil Taylor. Dixon would go on to work at Bennington College, where he continued his work as one of the most experimental musicians in the last 60 years, and Provey was there to learn and witness such great music first hand.
It certainly comes out in his style. As a fellow trumpeter I know the importance of influences in our playing. Vance draws from an aesthetic that is very different than mine. His use of long extended tones pitted against very short clusters of notes is a yin yang in of itself. This style of playing creates a strong sense of tension and release in his band's over all sound.
Provey was backed by some very familiar gentlemen that not only do I know but also have the privilege of playing with. Michael Dick on the drums, Jeff Cedrone on Guitar and Jaime Lamb on the bass provided a solid rhythm section for the music. The communication between these players was evident on every tune and the energy fantastic. The final voice in the band was saxophonist David Folman who played some of the most Archie Shepp style sax playing I've heard.
The icing on the cake was guest artist Stephen Haynes, who took the stage for just one tune to join the band. Another Dixonite, Haynes wasted no time playing long, energetic and cerebral lines over the groove of the rhythm section. The only downside was it was for only one song of the whole night.
Luckily the band recorded their performance for a album that will be released in the not too distant future. I personally look forward to reliving a great set of music.
The Outer Space Jazz Series is every Sunday 6-8pm.
