April 10--The hard-charging band that bassist Kyle Eastwood led Thursday night at the Jazz Showcase wasted no time making its point.
Brisk tempos, taut solos, surging rhythms, precisely executed instrumental cues -- these were the hallmarks of the opening work, Eastwood's "From Rio to Havana," and of virtually everything that followed. Ballads were scarce, and a few more moments of introspection would have been welcome, but there was no denying the excitement, virtuosity or communicative urgency of this music.
Eastwood began visiting the Chicago area in the late 1990s, but he has been here all too rarely, judging by this evening. One hesitates to mention that he happens to be the son of actor-director Clint Eastwood, if only because that familial association has zero bearing on the nature or quality of the bassist's art. If Kyle Eastwood were named John Q. Public, he would be every whit the forceful musician (perhaps a shade too forceful) that he showed himself to be during his first set at the Showcase.
Opening numbers can be deceptive -- they're either opportunities for musicians to find their bearings or attention-grabbers fashioned to rouse attention or some other form of curtain-raiser. What happens next tells you how serious a performance is going to be, and Eastwood turned up the dial from an already exuberant beginning.
Not many jazz artists these days dive into "Big Noise from Winnetka," an ancient piece that has become something of a signature for him. He evoked the famous 1938 recording by whistling along with his acoustic bass solo -- just as bassist Bob Haggart did on the original -- at once recalling a fondly remembered moment in jazz history while crafting a colorful introduction to "Bullet Train" (from Eastwood's most recent album, "Time Pieces").
As its title suggests, "Bullet Train" went by like lightning but, more important, showed the cohesiveness of this quintet under taxing circumstances. Despite the breakneck tempo, these players managed something of a controlled frenzy. Eastwood's uncommonly nimble bass playing and drummer Joe Strasser's tight-but-explosive backbeats were key here, with trumpeter Alex Norris and saxophonist Jason Rigby trading solos of considerable muscularity. Now there was no doubt: The Kyle Eastwood Band, with Rick Germanson playing piano robustly, had something significant to say.
Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance," also from the "Time Pieces" release, might easily have become a nostalgic look at a fondly remembered jazz classic, but Eastwood's band rigorously developed it. Playing electric bass, Eastwood brought forth the disarming lyricism of the tune, while trumpeter Norris built complex new melodic structures upon it. As intricate as Norris' solos became, however, there was no mistaking the melodic core of his work. Similarly, Eastwood's fluid solo emphasized musicality over technical prowess, forward movement over stasis.
The music of Horace Silver clearly means a great deal to Eastwood, and not only because he played the master's "Blowin' the Blues Away." It was the buoyant character of this reading, with Eastwood on stand-up bass, that attested to his affinity for Silver's funk-tinged, dance-driven, ever-optimistic spirit. Once again, trumpeter Norris' brilliant solo -- his lines skittering from one offbeat to the next -- elevated the performance, as did the unstoppable drive but light touch of Eastwood's cadenza.
Silver's aesthetic also inspired Eastwood's "Prosecco Smile," its persistent rhythmic drive and hard-bop sensibility reminding listeners of the critical roles that trumpeter Norris and drummer Strasser play in this organization.
The set's only moments of relative calm came in Eastwood's "Song for You," which was less a ballad than a tone poem built on spacious melodic intervals and ensemble pastels. More such passages would have helped Eastwood's set breathe.
Additionally, in several pieces Eastwood's bass lines were a bit too prominent, throwing off the ensemble balance. Yes, he's the leader of the quintet, but toning down his sonic profile a shade or two would heighten the impact of the band at large.
Still, this was an inarguably dynamic performance suggesting that Chicago listeners need to hear Eastwood far more often than we have.
hreich@tribpub.com
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4, 8 and 10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court
Admission: $20-$40; 312-360-0234 or jazzshowcase.com
