Another of the jazz evenings regularly organised by the Brno Philharmonic was dedicated to the duo Will Vinson (alto saxophone) and Aaron Parks (piano). These musicians have been working together in various formations for twenty years. So they decided that it was time to try the most intimate and, according to many, the most difficult - playing as a mere duo. These mid-generation jazz musicians performed a selection of classical jazz material as well as several of their own compositions on Monday 10 March at the Besední dům.
The duo made their entrance in the darkened hall of the Besední dům, where only the stage was lit in blue. Without a word, they started playing their first number of the night: Everything I Love by Cole Porter, with the first gentle notes of the piano echoing as the applause faded out. Parks was soon joined by Will Vinson, and his melodic playing was the perfect continuation of the intimacy of the piano intro. In the following piano solo, Parks showed that he has no need to flaunt his technique, putting musicality to the fore. This was further enhanced by a fine melodic saxophone line, which appeared at the end of the solo without detracting from the piano in the slightest. After the first song, Vinson took to the microphone to say how much he loved the beautiful Besední dům, adding that it was his third or fourth time in Brno and that they were the best audience in Europe. He then briefly introduced himself and his bandmate, and the names of the previous and next song. He said the first was a tune by one of his favourite composers, while the subsequent Banal Street was by a very little-loved composer, jokingly adding that it was his own number.
That retained the melodicism exhibited in the opening of the concert but was slightly more rhythmic overall. This time the saxophonist was not afraid to spice up his solo with a few technical runs, but the distinctive melody remained. The quality of the solo was enhanced by the tonality of the sax (alternating between a cracked and smooth tone) and the excellent piano accompaniment. Parks did a great job of playing the bass lines with his left hand, easily compensating for the lack of a double bass or other bass instrument. When the composition resorted to a piano solo, Parks sang along, accompanying almost all of his solos without distracting from them in any way. The audience was then treated to another of the pianist's compositions, this time entitled Afterglow, which kept up the standard as described above. After that, it was Parks turn at microphone. He said how happy he was to be able to play with Vinson, and that he was one of the first friends he made after moving to New York.
The subsequent series of nine pieces comprised compositions of his own as well as covers. Both artists continued to stick to a strong melodic line, interspersing it with more technically demanding passages showcasing their mastery of their instruments. Parks and Vinson always played together as one, while giving each other plenty of room for solos. Before the final song, Anyone Else, Vinson thanked the audience. The thunderous applause led the musicians to play one more number, Darn that Dream.
Although the mood of the individual songs did change somewhat, the evening as a whole was rather gentle. Both musicians kept the dynamics medium to low and rarely went into forte. Yet they played with an admirable depth. The intimacy of the event was further enhanced by the well-chosen stage lighting. The sound engineer also did a great job. Both instruments could be heard perfectly, with neither getting drowned out or overriding the other, and the overall sound was not too loud. This was a perfect display of the sensitive feel of the two musicians, who, despite occasionally flaunting their chops, never strayed beyond the melodic boundaries of their individual lines. They played together perfectly without any obvious communication. The gig went to show that they'd been playing together for a long time and knew what their partner was thinking by heart. A few somewhat brief yet very nice accompanying words then made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Moreover, it was obvious that both musicians were not just colleagues, but friends. All this just goes to prove that Monday's jazz concert was a beautiful and profound experience.
Set list:
Everything I Love
Banal Street
Afterglow
Delivery
Start of Something
Countdown
First Glance
Boogaloo
Prism
Anyone Else
Encore: Darn that Dream
Will Vinson - alto saxophone
Aaron Parks - piano
Monday, 10 March at 7:00 p.m., Besední dům
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