[JPL] Sometimes, jazz is in the ear of the beholder

[Nou Dadoun]

 I was at this concert and was also surprised and disappointed with the mass
exodus for the exits after almost every song.  However, my general feeling
(which was echoed by many people I spoke to after the show) was that Andy
Bey for whatever reason just didn't connect with the audience.  Maybe it was
the size of the hall (The Centre with about 1200) - when he was here two
years ago, he did two shows at Performance Works - a more intimate space of
about 250 and it was pure magic.  Monty Alexander paced his show very nicely
and built to a strong finish with a couple of Oscar Peterson-inflected funky
blues that he does very well.  Andy Bey started low-key with a couple of
originals and kept it at a fairly meditative level most of the way through,
he finished up with a couple of strong interpretations of Ornithology and
Giant Steps but by then it was too late.

One of the perqs given jazz festival volunteers (of which there are about a
thousand) is free-seating at non-sold out shows so it's possible that nine
days into the festival, people were ready to party and didn't really give
Andy a chance. Or all of the above.

I do think that the writer is a being a little disingenuous at dismissing
Vancouver jazz audiences by the conduct at one concert during an 11-day
festival that features 1800 musicians at over 40 venues.  I can guarantee
from personal experience at the (literally) dozens of shows that I enjoyed
in the last two weeks that this concert was an anomaly; the jazz audiences
in Vancouver are generally a sophisticated and appreciative bunch and
they're well-nourished by a vibrant jazz-scene and internationally renowned
Jazz Festival.

At first I thought that this was a review and was surprised that I didn't
recognize the reviewer's name (unfortunately the local papers tend to rely
more on syndicated content than local writing); this was actually a letter
to the editor which I hadn't seen and I've submitted the bulk of what I've
written above as a rebuttal .... N


>
> Thursday » July 3 » 2008
>
> Sometimes, jazz is in the ear of the beholder
>
> Letter
>
>
> Thursday, July 03, 2008
>
>
> John Coltrane once called Andy Bey his favourite jazz vocalist and,
> according to Vancouver's Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, he is arguably the
> best male vocalist working in jazz today.
>
> Apparently, these accolades were lost on the hundreds of people who decided
> to walk out on Bey's June 28 performance at the Centre in Vancouver for
> Performing Arts. The Andy Bey Trio was double-billed with Monty Alexander
> and his trio for what was touted to be a highlight of the 2008 Canada Trust
> Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
>
> Alexander, the first act, received the kind of response one would expect
> for a world-class performance, standing ovation and all.
>
> Bey had a tough act to follow. However, he displayed his unique vocals,
> featuring a four-octave range and mesmerizing tonal qualities that cannot be
> described in words. Also on display were the expert musicianship of
> 68-year-old Bey on piano, Joe Martin on bass and Vito Lesczak on drums.
>
> Following the trio's third piece, and then with increasing frequency during
> pauses between numbers, dozens of people filed out. Judging by a few subtle
> comments, this exodus -- unlike anything I have ever seen -- did not go
> unnoticed by Bey.
>
> I find it incomprehensible that so many people would give him the message,
> "You stink," by leaving. It demonstrates how uncultured Vancouver jazz
> "lovers" really are.
>
> WALTER CICHA
>
> West Vancouver
>
> (c) The Vancouver Sun 2008
>
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Nou Dadoun
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