July 27,2002

Dmitri Matheny Concert Review

BY JIM HARRINGTON - CONTRIBUTOR

Well, it was a marvelous night for a moondance.

Flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny led a band of local all-stars on a musical trip through the cosmos on Thursday night at the intimate Campbell Recital Hall on the Stanford University campus.

Celebrating the big shiny globe in the night sky, Matheny, pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Ruth Davies, drummer Darrell Green and saxophonist Anton Schwartz filled the Full Moon Concert with lunar tunes and stellar standards.

Although these musicians came together just to play this one Stanford Jazz Festival show, the band members sounded like they had been performing together for years.

Matheny already had a foundation in place with longtime touring partner Davies, who had just hosted a night of blues at Stanford on Monday. Still, that doesn't explain the undeniable chemistry that one felt on the bandstand.

Eigsti, a 17-year-old piano prodigy from Menlo Park, plays well beyond his years. Green, one of the most stylish players on the Stanford Jazz faculty, makes everything look almost too easy. And the multi-talented Victor Lin, who made a guest appearance in the second set, has a beautiful touch on the violin.

But, the most impressive performance of the night came from Anton Schwartz. The saxophonist is undeniably one of the Bay Area's best players. In this case, however, he really managed to make the most out of a tough situation.

Schwartz was called upon at the very last minute to replace saxophonist Dave Ellis, who had to bow out due an undisclosed family emergency. Without getting any time to practice or prep, or even look over the material, Schwartz managed to do more than just tread water. He managed to deliver some of the most powerful and memorable leads of the night.

He's exactly the type of player I'd want on my team - versatile, confident, poised and graceful. Make sure to catch Schwartz when he plays in your area. (For dates, see www.antonjazz.com.)

The concert began in the quartet setting, with Matheny leading Eigsti, Green and Davies through one of his own compositions "Elegant Night." After this striking ballad, mood changed as Schwartz joined the band for a fast run through the dynamic "Desert Moonlight," the Lee Morgan tune that some say inspired Chuck Mangione's hit "Feels So Good."

The celestial theme continued with the upbeat "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars," by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, which featured some of the best ensemble playing of the evening.

You can often tell how good a group is by what the bandleader does during his breaks. Does he pay attention to the music? Or does he run off to make some phone calls backstage? Matheny took a two-song break in the first set, exiting the stage from the side door. But he didn't get far. He immediately came around and took a seat in the back so that he wouldn't miss any of the action.

Eigsti, who Matheny introduced as "twice my talent and half my age," took control for a trio version of the Miles Davies track "Solar." Without either horn player to push him, Eigsti was somewhat restrained in this setting. He was solid but not showy.

Schwartz joined the group to make it a quartet and delivered some of the most ferocious playing of the night with John Coltrane's "Equinox." The tenor saxophonist's big leads mixed nicely with some really subtle piano work by Eigsti.

By this point, the young gun was ready to put the pressure on his elders. The first set closer, Matheny's own "Soca Nova," featured a blistering piano segment that had the bandleader pointing to Eigsti and yelling to the crowd in disbelief - "He's it!"

Once Lin joined the band, making for a very powerful sextet, Eigsti seemed especially motivated to deliver the goods. Following an impressive lead by the violinist on "Softly as in the Morning Sunrise," Eigsti unleashed the single most forceful display of musicianship of the evening. By the time he had finished, Lin could do nothing else besides poke the young player with his bow. It was obviously a sign that he surrendered.

Having played second fiddle to his mighty band for much of the night, Matheny showcased his own talent on the wonderful Hoagy Carmichael song "Stardust." His flugelhorn playing was warm, lyrical and wistful and perfectly suited for this lovely standard.

The second set closed with a song that Matheny introduced as having been composed by "Jiminy Cricket." Of course, it was the beautiful "When You Wish Upon a Star."

It was a stellar ending to a stellar evening.

The Stanford Jazz Festival continues through Aug. 10. For more information, call (650) 736-0324 or visit www.stanfordjazz.org.

[QL]

You can e-mail Jim Harrington at jimthecritic@yahoo.com.