And All That Jazz (9/9/14)

At the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, I heard their first concert of the season:
Jörg Leichtfried Project. It was a delightful jazz performance with Jörg Leichtfried (piano), Lukas Gabric (saxophone), Christopher Nolte (double bass), and Peter Traunmüller (drums). Seeing as the selections played were announced from the stage, you won’t be getting any composition titles; you’ll have to make do with my overall reactions to the performances.

The first piece was composed by Mr. Leichtfried, and I found it to be in a classic jazz style, tuneful, and slightly overwhelming, in terms of volume, for the size of the hall. Still, very enjoyable. A Duke Ellington piece followed which showcased the piano a little more, though there was still good ensemble playing. Classic jazz again, with a throw to the sax, followed by a bass solo. The audience was appreciative and applauded the individuals, per classic jazz audience behavior.

The next piece was more up tempo, though not frantic. (I’m not a huge fan of somewhat overbearing frantic jazz.) The next piece was edging that way. It was a showcase for the sax, and finished with a fillip and a bit of humor. I’ll take a moment here to comment on the fine musicianship of the four players. They all played very well—their techniques were really strong, but I only realized it after the fact, which is just as it should be. Strong technique without showing it off. I was also impressed with the compact quality of the piano playing of Mr. Leichtfried, who is a very tall man. But his playing was compact and controlled, even when the musical themes were rangier.

A composition written for a Roman Polanski film followed. (Composer, Philippe Sarde, perhaps?) It was bluesy, interesting, and featured a saxophone cadenza. The final piece reminded me a little of caravan-style jazz—a feeling of “traveling” music—quite fitting as a way of playing out the set. After prolonged applause, the quartet performed an encore, which was another piece composed by Mr. Leichtfried.

Many of the concerts I attend at ACFNY are edgier (sometimes, in fact, almost too edgy for me), but this one fit the bill exactly. Even though some of this jazz was obviously new, I had overall feeling that these four guys have old jazz souls, while playing classic jazz with a contemporary sensibility. This was a treat.

ConcertMeister