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Review: LESTER BOWIE'S BRASS FANTASY (August 1991)
by Harry S. Pariser

Everyone knows a standard jazz ensemble is composed of one or two horn players, acoustic bass, possibly a piano, and drums. But in recent decades there have been musicians who have helped to redefine this standard format. One of these is reedman Henry Threadgill who appeared with his singularly iconoclastic (two tuba players, two guitarists, a drummer, and french horn player) Very, Very Circus at Oakland's Koncepts Cultural Gallery this past May. Similarly, Koncepts took another cutting edge chance by presenting the Bay Area premiere of Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy from Aug. 22 to 24.

Famous for his eclectic playing which continually draws every range of sound from his instrument, Bowie is a trumpet players closely linked with the "New Music" in jazz. Renowned for his work with the avant garde and instrumentally diversified Art Ensemble of Chicago and the jazz superstar band, The Leaders, Bowie allowed his whimsical, intuitive side free reign when he founded Brass Fantasy some seven years and six albums ago. Reinterpreting tunes ranging from Willie Nelson's "Crazy" to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Brass Fantasy dramatically reaffirms the jazz tradition of transforming unexpected choices into choice jazz while retaining the burlesque, low-key attitude that makes jazz fun as well as cerebral.

On Thursday night, the musicians took the stage and moved swiftly into an abbreviated "Nighttime is the Right Time." From the left were two trombones, a French horn, tuba, drums, congas, and three trumpets; Lester Bowie stood center stage. All the players were wearing blindingly shiny red satin suits (with accompanying outlandish ties) with two exceptions: percussionist Don Moye (Bowie's compatriot in the Leaders and Art Ensemble) was in metallic blue, an African-patterned shirt underneath baring the musical roots pulsing beneath the band's glitter, while Bowie--forsaking his trademark white doctor's gown--donned a long metallic silver jacket with matching tie.

Introduced by Moye, the band's thundering percussive anchor--the rhythm was swiftly punctuated by Bowie's characteristic squeaky voicings on flugelhorn--the unit shifted into "Smooth Operato" while Moye alternated between congas and bongos. A seething version of Steve Turre's "The Emperor" was next, prefaced by a gong strokes by Moye. Trumpeter Stanton Davis soloed, followed by the cuica-like tuba of Marcus Rojas who had been flown in from NY to replace previously engaged Bob Stewart for the gig. The tune kicked into high gear with Moye's mouth dropping in rhythmic harmony as he pounded his three congas, using his fists at times!

A rousing "In the Still of the Night" was next with Bowie breaking out his trumpet while Moye played two tamborines while mouthing a screwdriver, which he periodically used to jab at his bells and triangles). The tune featured a long-winded solo by virtuoso trombonist Louis Bonilla. Next, an uptempo "Three For the Festival" was highlighted by drummer Vinnie Johnson's solo. On "Saving All My Love for You," which completed the first short but sweet set, the evening's tongue in cheek index hit new highs as Bowie--whom one might characterize as a slim, professorial version of Dizzy Gillespie--locked his face in mock ectasy and pranced as he conducted the trombones and French horn.
For the second set Bowie had changed to blue and Moye to gold; Moye banged tambourines as the band moved into "Siesta for the Fiesta." A lovingly rendered, "God Bless the Child" followed with Moye initially playing brushes on his congas while Bowie swirled notes in the air, his squeaks substituting for Billie Holliday's mornful cries. The tune turned to partially funky schmaltz as Gerald Basel plugged a cornet on his trumpet and played against the pounding beat of Moye's congas. Toward's the tune's conclusion, Moye waved rattles and a shakere , struck claves together, tapped his triangle with a wrench, and waved a beehive of bells. A fast and forthright "As If You Read My Mind" followed with a relatively straight-ahead "Afterthought" after that.

Bowie played with R&B bands in Chicago during the 1960s, and a rollicking "Honky Tonk"--featuring a boisterous tuba solo by Marcus Rojas--invoked his past. An awe-inspiring version of "Inflated Tear," a poetic tune Rahassan Roland Kirk wrote about the experience of being blinded during his youth, followed. It began with Art Ensemble-style waving of an exotic percussion instrument by Moye and a whispery trumpet by Bowie supplanted by another trumpet and trombone playing in unison, followed by Bowie again, before the rest of the ensemble kicked in with trombonist Louis Bonilla tapping his mute with his hand. A robust and hearty "Jungle Fever" followed with frantic Bowie-ing on trumpet. The evening ended with a smoking "Macho"--a tune dedicated to the late salsa bandleader Machito (Frank Grillo) --conducted by a prancing Bowie and flavored by a Moye conga solo. Things were brought to a conclusion with a short coda from longtime Bowie theme song "The Great Pretender," and an exhausted band filed off in front of an exhilarated audience.

There is an Android version and an iTunes version.

St. John Visitors:

Please check out Explore St. John, our new travel app to St. John, which supplies comprehensive information (useful for residents and visitors alike) along with pictures, maps and links to hundreds of videos and relevant websites.

iPhone/iPad/iPodTouch version

Android version

	Web www.savethemanatee.com