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Coltrane Configurations: Funky Trane Is On The Road
DK Metallurgov
Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
April 17, 2009
John Coltrane resides in the pantheon of most, if not all, jazz lovers. Both fans of post-bop harmonies and free-jazzers appreciate his contribution to music. Many of his compositions became standards that have been played again and again by his many admirers. But few would approach Coltrane's tunes in the funky manner of
Jamaaladeen Tacuma
bassb.1956
Coltrane Configurations is a quartet comprising the bassist-leader himself, British saxophonist Tony Kofi, Japanese pianist and keyboard player
Yoichi Uzeki
pianob.1976
Tacuma, known for his liberal musical approach, brought the same eclecticism into John Coltrane's music. In his quartet's renditions, Coltrane is not the familiar impassioned preacher; he is rather a frolicking, playful and youthful lad, forever eager to explore the world around him. Played with a tight groove, Trane's tunes provoked the involuntary question: is this really "Impressions" or "A Love Supreme"? From the very beginning of the set one could understand the musicians' determination not to produce dull duplicates. There was no confusing any of them with bassist Jimmy Garrison
bass, acoustic
1934 - 1976McCoy Tyner
piano
1938 - 2020Elvin Jones
drums
1927 - 2004
Yet the members of Coltrane Configurations proved equally good at playing in a meditative, loose way as in handling up-tempo numbers with a tight and highly expressive funk, all supported by a solid, bass-saturated framework.
Pianist Uzeki's solo on "India" showcased bluesy phrasing with the harmonic wit of a Paul Bley
piano
1932 - 2016
The most touching moment of the night (and the closest to the spirit of Coltrane's music) was bluesy Tacuma's soloing on "Equinox," combining elongated reverberated notes with his crispy funky licks. Kofi's solo, even more bluesy and lyrical, suggested that he possessed not only immense technical skills but a flair for the dramatic.
Hutson is really versatile drummer, equally good at evocative background playing and at specifying distinct yet flexible funky rhythms. "Equinox," was just one tune that found him working empathetically with Uzeki, who played the piano no less rhythmically than melodically.
A musical narrative emanated from Uzeki's ruminations on the composition by Mongo Santamaria
percussion
1917 - 2003
The last number, A Love Supreme's "Acknowledgement," was a logical and impressive encore and final statement. And though the audience seemed unwilling to respond to Tacuma's call to sing alone "A-Love-Supreme, A-Love-Supreme, A-Love-Supreme," many left the concert hall humming "na-Nah na-Nah, na-Nah na-Nah."
Photo Credit
Courtesy of Svetlana Minakova
Jamaaladeen Tacuma
bass
b.1956Yoichi Uzeki
piano
b.1976
Visit Yoichi Uzeki on the web
Visit Tony Kofi on the web
Visit Creative Jazz Fans on the web
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