In addition to that, the ensemble also included a DJ playing turntables and a gospel singer. Let me say that one more time: jazz, Bach, DJ, turntables and a gospel singer. Interesting concept. I was more than a bit curious to see how it would all come together.
The integration of classical music (particularly Bach) with jazz does have its precedents. The Modern Jazz Quartet (the MJQ as jazz buffs affectionately call them) in the early seventies recorded an album, "Blues on Bach," that blended jazz and blues elements into Bach's music.
Also, the great bebop piano player, Bud Powell was very much influenced by Bach's music; he too experimented with playing Bach in a jazz setting. But Caine's take on Bach's "Goldberg Variations" stands out as a particularly ambitious venture, mainly because of the diverse range of musical styles he attempts to forge together.
As a leader, pianist Caine has recorded twelve albums. His projects have ranged from tribute albums to Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock and early Tin Pan Alley to the works of classical composer Richard Wagner.
Several of his more recent efforts reflect this interest in bringing classical composers into a jazz context. Caine's ensemble on Sunday included David Binney on saxophone, DJ Olive on turntables, Drew Gress on bass, Joyce Hamman on violin, Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Cornell Rochester on drums and, rounding out the ensemble, Barbara Walker on vocals.
But I was more skeptical about the inclusion of a DJ in the ensemble than the choice of classical material. I have heard of some recent jazz albums that made use of turntables, but before Sunday I'd never witnessed them in action.
Unfortunately, Sunday's concert did little to convince me of their validity in this context. Instead of enhancing the experience, the DJ was, for the most part, distracting. Very distracting. The fabricated sounds could have been described as a baby crying, a man snoring or a dog barking, but, most accurately, the interruptions were "meaningless, non-musical ejaculations from the DJ," as one musician in the audience noted.
There was, however, one moment during the concert when the DJ appeared to be having some kind of dialogue with Caine's piano playing and he did succeed in eliciting some laughs from the audience as well as from fellow band members.
Apart from the turntables, one of the most striking aspects of the concert was the diversity of musical styles the group employed in their take on the "Goldberg Variations." In one section, we heard solo violin doing a pretty straight, unaltered take on Bach's music.
The band then leapt into a heavy R&B and gospel influenced tune with vocalist Walker invoking R&B legend James Brown. Yes, James Brown meets J.S. Bach.
Walker: "How bout a little James Brown? Yeah Amherst! Put your hands together."
DJ Olive: "Woof, woof."
See if you can guess what then came out with next, after you've just heard classical violin, James Brown and a dog barking. Klezmer! No kidding, the band continued on with an enlivened klezmer piece, then launched into a fast swing piece before returning to the more classical sounding Bach.
I have to admit, it was fun. At certain moments, mainly the parts involving the DJ, you could tell that the band was not taking itself too seriously. They were smiling and laughing along with us and that was the direction you had to take with the music, with a sense of humor and an open mind. This music kept you guessing.
However, as I tried to imagine the performance as a cohesive whole, I really could not see how all the parts fit together. Some melodies did seem to build off of each other and some of the jazz pieces riffed off the Bach melodies. It seemed, though, that the band was simply showing off their ability to play different styles of music; rather than an effective blending of these disparate styles of music, this performance reflected more self-conscious eclecticism.
Yet, the musicians themselves played with energy and conviction. The swing pieces, though a bit heavy, had people's heads bobbing and feet tapping. It was refreshing to hear this daring concept performed.
Part of the beauty of jazz is its ability to bring together, transform and harmonize so many different musical styles. This concert was one example of how musicians attempt to transcend the confines of certain genres of music. Though we could still pick out certain parts of the performance and say, "oh that's gospel, now it's classical again, and now we're back to jazz," it's still, at the most basic level, just music; and, for the most part on Sunday, that music was well played and enjoyable.