Saxophone Summit 2020

February 9, 2020

It was a crisp, clear winter afternoon. Inside the Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, a near capacity crowd settled in for this year’s Saxophone Summit. The church’s acoustics, together with the sizable audience and sound engineer Marshall Pihl’s hands on the controls, provided a pleasing sound, with just a hint of natural reverb.

Band-leader Dave Becker put together a world-class group for the event. The rhythm section consisted of Dylan Johnson (bass), Marshall Otwell (piano), and Darrell Voss (drums). The front line was Dave Becker, Andrew Conrad, Sam Franklin, Jake Hammer, Ron McCarley, Michael Mull, Wes Smith and Arthur White. Each front-line man played multiple instruments. In addition to instruments we’d expect to hear at a Saxophone Summit, we were treated to fine jazz work on clarinet, bass clarinet and flute.

THE SONGS

McCarley on “Mixing”

“Green Blossom,” by Michael Mull. The opening number, a medium swing, featured Mull on bass clarinet and Becker on soprano sax. Mull took the first solo, Becker the second. Mull is a graduate of the jazz program at Cal State Northridge.
“As Soon As Possible,” by Arthur White. Though completely original, this tune’s vibe evoked the feeling of Charles Lloyd’s “Forest Flower.” Becker took the first solo on alto before handing it off to White. White’s tenor solo started off understated and deceptively simple before moving into a sequence of fast, precise lines. Very tasteful. Otwell’s piano solo provided excellent contrast as he recapped the themes of the piece.
Wes Smith Solos on “Something I said”
“Mango Flames,” by Sam Franklin. According to Darrell Voss (whom I consulted during the break) this one was built on a Latin groove called a “Songo.” Franklin (tenor on this tune) took the first solo. Conrad, also on tenor, began his solo with a cool, almost mellow vibe, but he brought up the energy and phrased his work to emphasize the rhythm section’s accents. Nice to see that use of space, especially in an uptempo piece.
“Well My Dear, It’s True,” by Andrew Conrad. This jazz ballad had an almost classical feel. It featured some very nice ensemble work, with big, quarter-note chords on the piano contrasting with sustained harmonies in the woodwinds. Dylan Johnson offered up a beautiful bass solo followed by Conrad’s fine work on the clarinet. McCarley was on tenor, Smith on alto, and Mull returned to bass clarinet.
“Something I Said,” by Wes Smith. Smith used the soprano for the melody parts of this uptempo piece. He switched to alto for his solo, which featured great control of both phrasing and dynamics. Smith moved “outside” at just the right points before sliding back into the piece’s harmonic structure. Tasty! Hammer (on tenor) took the second solo. He built a well-structured ride on the song’s form.
“Straight, No Chaser,” Thelonius Monk, arranged by Jake Hammer. The whole crew climbed onto the platform for the last song of the set. White (tenor) led off the solos. Franklin (baritone) followed, and Mull (alto) wrapped up the woodwind action. Otwell’s piano solo nailed Monk’s signature phrasing.
INTERMISSION
“Kahoot” (aka “Lobby Music” by Kahoot) arranged by Ron McCarley. The front line, backed by Voss on drums, returned for the second set’s opening number. This big ensemble arrangement included several hand-offs and lots of fun atonality. At various points in the tune, the “sections” traded fours: Smith and McCarley on soprano, Franklin and Becker on baritone. The crew laughed and joked their way through the song.
“Peckish,” by Arthur White. This was the first live performance of the piece, which was originally commissioned by the KC Area Youth Jazz organization. This number had strong funk overtones, and Dylan Johnson deployed his five string electric bass to hold the bottom together. Otwell returned to the keys. White was on tenor. Franklin (baritone), Hammer (alto), and Smith (soprano) rounded out the front line. This arrangement featured a lot of solo work. All of it was tight and well-executed. White and Smith mixed in strong outside runs while the rest of the team carried the form. Voss’s solo, punctuated as it was with front line riffs, really grabbed the audience’s attention.
“Trinkle, Tinkle,” by Thelonius Monk. This is one of Monk’s great swing tunes. Conrad (tenor) took the first solo. He led off with “Monk Trills” before moving to straight ahead solo lines that stayed true to Monk’s original vibe. Some very sweet, angular runs there. Mull (baritone) soloed second, and he ran his hands all over that big ol’ baritone sax. Otwell’s solo demonstrated a wonderful grasp of Monk’s use of intervals and rhythms. From where I sat, it seemed like Otwell was working from a transcription of Monk’s original solo. Extremely cool.
“Mixing,” by Airto. This song was in 7/8 time, and it featured Mull on bass clarinet and McCarley on flute. McCarley performed a wonderful, extended flute solo that was one of the afternoon’s (many) highlights. His solo began in the low register, and it remained very sparse at first, just McCarley jamming against Voss’s great drum work. Otwell came back in with a I – V chord pattern that filled out the sonic space. The solo built to a crescendo and Mull took over, carrying the mood of the piece back to the head. Well done!
“Passion Flower,” by Billy Strayhorn. Becker (tenor) and Otwell (piano) dialed back the heat with a beautiful rendition of this classic tune. Close your eyes. It’s late, and you’re sitting in a smoky club in 1940. The conversation is muted. Thoughtful. This song is your soundtrack.
“Woody ’n You,” Dizzy Gillespie. The final number brought the whole band back. McCarley and Smith (soprano), Hammer and Mull (alto), Conrad and White (tenor), Becker and Franklin (baritone). Becker played an active solo, consistent with the bebop feel of the piece. When his turn came, Voss cranked up the sticks while the ensemble punctuated his solo with Gillespie’s main riff. This high energy number brought the concert to a close and the audience to its feet.