By: Steve Jansen
Better than: Blaise Lantana throwup jazz on KJZZ 91.5
On Sunday night, the NYC-based Ravi Coltrane Quartet performed a super kick-ass show, despite the fact that half of the half-filled theatre left during intermission. The old-timers – who were possibly expecting a verbatim rendition of John Coltrane’s Blue Train or Giant Steps – don’t know what they missed.
Really. Shame on y’all.
Tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane – son of music (and not just jazz) giants John and Alice Coltrane – performed two 50-minute sets with a foursome that showcased drummer E.J. Strickland, pianist Luis Perdomo, and bassist Drew Gress. Songs included hip takes of tunes from Coltrane’s debut record Moving Pictures, his latest effort In Flux, and a totally sweet interpretation of Ornette Coleman’s “The Tribes of New York.”
The only parental-penned song that the quartet performed was a “Countdown”-like interplay between Coltrane and Strickland that transitioned into a roundabout version of “Giant Steps,” which is father John’s most recognizable tune.
Personal Bias: You know those surveys that ask you who would you want to meet, dead or alive? Well, John Coltrane tops that list for me.
Random Detail: Under one of the musician’s credits, the show program incorrectly spelled Jimi Hendrix as “Jimmy Hendricks.” Ack!
