"Praise for the Sweetness": Notes on the Jazz for Obama Benefit Concert
Tonight Joe Biden goes to bat for Barack Obama in the two senators' bid for the White House. Last night, a concentration of jazz talent made an appeal for the democratic candidates with sobriety, humor and flair. Jazz for Obama, a benefit for the Obama/Biden campaign that featured more than enough of the genre's luminaries to warrant the $50 to $250 tickets, was the second installment of political fundraisers organized by pianist Aaron Goldberg. Jazz for America's Future, a 2004 concert for then Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry, was the first, and Kerry's subsequent loss compounded by George Bush's disastrous second term imbued an insistence to the night's performances and a bit of melancholy.
Doug Wamble, the Memphis-bred guitarist and vocalist behind Bluestate, embodied this tension well. He and guitarist Charlie Hunter tackled Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" during the first set. It should have been a hard sell, being such a literal interpretation of this time and Barack Obama's promise, not to mention the challenge of meeting the high standard set by the late Chicago soul and gospel icon, but Wamble proved himself capable. Charlie Hunter's considered accompaniment perfectly complemented Wamble's shuddering vocal work. It was a great performance on a bill overrun with them.
Bilal and Robert Glasper opted for the pensive as well. One of contemporary soul's last great hopes before losing his record deal, Bilal, whose stylistically ambidextrous, launched into a smart ballad, "All Matter", restricting himself to his mid range in lieu of his mannered falsetto and baritone. It felt decidedly uncool just plainspoken and honest in a fashion that might just have mirrored how Obama supporters interpret their candidate's composure.
Dianne Reeves, whom emcee Kurt Elling introduced as "the Renée Fleming of Jazz," most invigorated the audience. The Denver native brought with her that August 25-28th zeal, closing up the first set with Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken." It was rousing enough to demand her inclusion on the Obama Inauguration Party bill, when, not if that day finally comes. Reeves know hows to build a sentiment and convey power without overwhelming. It's a diplomatic style of singing, you could say, and it converted the evening's energy. Where with the exception of the strident, straight-ahead stylings of the first set's opener--the Roy Haynes Quintet with Roy Hargrove, Joe Lovano, Aaron Goldberg and Christian McBride--the mood was reflective. And reflecting back on these past eight years doesn't evoke the pleasantest of thoughts.
But, in closing, Dianne Reeves and Dee Dee Bridgewater's imaginings of a post November the 2nd world with "a skinny kid with a funny name" in charge took shape via "Afro Blue." Bridgewater, late of Mali, set forth the percussive and Reeves picked it right up, with the women volleying rhythmic improvisations over pianist Edsel Gomez's Latin arrangement. Unpracticed, its was exemplar, and an apropos example that experience ain't everything.
See my Flickr slideshow for extensive photographs of the event.
Additional jazz benefits for Obama are scheduled for Tuesday October 7th at S.O.B.'s (Click here for ticket info.) and Sunday October 12th at the Jazz Gallery (Click here for ticket info.)
Tags: Bilal, Doug Wamble, Jazz, Obama, Robert Glasper, Roy Hargrove
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