Four at the Franco
Lina Allemano Four commands respect
NICK MCMAHON
On a miserable February evening, in celebration of a style that, in the words of Rodney Dangerfield, “don’t get no respect,” it was great to see a crowd of all ages gather at the Franco- Manitoba Cultural Centre to see the Lina Allemano Four. In a genre that is as much a social movement as an art, Allemano shows that she has the same ferocious appetite for jazz that has catapulted other jazz giants to greatness. It is no surprise that she won the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award at the 2005 National Jazz Awards.
The quartet dove headfirst into Thelonius Monk’s “Let’s Call This,” setting the tone for the evening. Without a guitar or piano to comp, Allemano on trumpet and alto saxophonist Brody West took on the challenge. By playing long, sustained melodies in almost whispered tones, they added colour and texture to the tight rhythmic section of bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser.
The group definitely had a vibe going on throughout the night, most notably in the interplay between Allemano and West. As Allemano would play a melody, West would subtly decorate the line, occasionally harmonizing the melody and always lagging a little behind her, giving the band a characteristic loose intensity. The whole quartet possesses enormous chops, yet they never felt the need to show off and only did when called for by the song, unlike, for example, the self-indulgent flashy guitar solos of late ’80s hair metal.
The band’s forte is, without a doubt, the coupling of their dynamics with unusual song structures. Not only were they able to crescendo to a cacophonous climax, but they could also come to a screeching halt. They would recommence ever so softly, making the horns sound like the static of an old jazz recording while simultaneously reinforcing many senior citizens’ distrust of greedy hearing-aid corporations. They ventured fearlessly into these unconventional song structures, at times stepping into an eerie, subdued groove mid-song that suggested the influence of jazz-guitar legend Pat Metheny.
The avant-garde stylings of Ornette Coleman and Thelonius Monk were evident in the harmonic freedom of the musicians’ solos. They even paid direct homage to these giants, playing a few of their songs, most notably Coleman’s “Happy House.” Every tune had amazing continuity. As one musician reached the end of a solo, the next musician would begin interrupting, initially with patience, then with a confidence that said “Shut up and pass the conch shell!”
The highlight of the evening was the closer of the first set — “Grid Jam” — which was inspired by a trip to the Big Apple. It opened with a chaotic bass solo that pushed the limit of both technique and dissonance, fingers jumping all over the place and contorting into positions that looked downright unhealthy. Downing brought the audience into a crowded Manhattan street. The sax and trumpet joined in as the car horns of frustrated drivers and the drums became the construction site of The Donald’s latest gold fortress development.
Duke Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” wrapped up the night, awarding the audience’s musical intellect a break with a soft, short, melodic ending to a high-energy evening.
