By Paul Acquaro
Saturday, July 30th
The evening was cooling down, nicely, from the mid-90s of the late afternoon, and a very light breeze kept the air moving. After two years of festivals in modified formats and scope, the return to the outdoor amphitheater in the Gulbenkian gardens in the middle of Lisbon felt good in many senses.
Before the show. Photo: Gulbenkian Música – Vera Marmelo
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The audience filled in, settling most of the semi-circle, quietly and expectantly. From behind the tree ensconced stage, the five members of Irreversible Entanglements, the first act of Jazz em Agosto 2022, emerged. A drum roll and a quick blast from the trumpet broke the seal, the festival had begun with trumpeter Aquiles Navarro’s short melodic calls ringing out over drummer Tcheser Holmes’ undulating pulse. Saxophonist Keir Neuringer and vocalist Camae Ayewa (a/k/a Moor Mother) started getting creative with percussion instruments, and a thump from Luke Stewart’s double bass brought everything together.
Irreversible Entanglements. Photo: Gulbenkian Música – Vera Marmelo |
From just the opening moments, the charisma was palpable. The rhythmic pulse and vibrant interplay set the perfect conditions for Moor Mother to deliver her powerful opening call to action: “what are you going to do with all these riches, this history?” A potent and open ended enough question to give the listener pause, but even more powerful under the commanding delivery. It did not feel like she was asking an abstract audience, rather it was me, and the people sitting around me. As the need to answer swelled, the horns delivered a cascade of notes, giving me time to think. Their playing slipped in tightly with rollicking rhythms of the drum and bass, and the powerful band propelled Moor Mother’s kinetic words as she sculpted the mood in the amphitheater.
Without the complex intertwining work of Holmes and Stewart, the effect would be different. Their propulsive energy is at the heart of the group, making the caustic tones and catchy melodies from the front line even more powerful. However, it was more than just powerful playing, as nuance and dynamics served an important role too. One of Neuringer’s taut solos ended in a cluster of notes supported by his circular breathing, while Navarro worked more elongated tones over an swirl of electronic tones of his own making. Neuringer also switched to the synthesizer, adding additional textures to the band.
Irreversible Entanglements brought their suite-like set to an end with Moor Mother asking “they talk about freedom, but do you know free love?” Hell if I knew, I was still mulling her first question.
Another hot day in Lisbon, a city of rich culture and even richer topography. A mid-afternoon event was planned at the Jazz Messenger’s record store across the city near the river front and there was plenty of time to walk. So I packed a bunch of water and set out over the hills, through the changing neighborhoods, down to the river front, and to the LX Factory in an old industrial area turned hipster hotspot (more from last year here).
Inside Jazz Messengers at the LX Factory. Photo by João Brilhante |
Following the short discussion, the action moved to the record store to a DJ set by Ayala, which demonstrated just how well International Anthem has its finger on the pulse. Following the set, which skillfully wove hard hitting jazz with lighter groove oriented cuts, a young woman from Lisbon asked where else Ayala DJ’d. She was probably a bit disappointed to hear Chicago.
Nicole Mitchell and Moor Mother. Photo: Gulbenkian Música – Vera Marmelo |
“Do you feel safe,” intoned Moor Mother, over the effected sounds of Mitchell’s small hand percussion. The atmosphere had been getting thicker, Mitchell being ever more creative with the electronics, and Moor Mother adding new layers to the poetry. The building tension, though, never reached a breaking point, and the performance in an ellipses, leaving the audience wanting more.
Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra. Photo: Gulbenkian Música – Vera Marmelo |
- Rob Mazurek – composer, piccolo trumpet, electronics, modular synthesizer
- Damon Locks – texts, voice, electronics
- Nicole Mitchell – flutes
- Keir Neuringer – alto saxophone
- Tomeka Reid – cello
- Pasquale Mirra – vibraphone
- Julien Desprez – electric guitar
- Jaimie Branch – trumpet
- Angelica Sanchez – piano
- Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass
- Chad Taylor – drums, rercussion
- Mikel Patrick Avery – drums, percussion
- John Herndon – rhythms machine