Just a couple of days after the Berlin Konzerthaus Chamber Orchestra, CRR was the host of a very unique evening: they brought together on one stage a jazz trio, a decently-sized philharmonic orchestra, and a trumpet virtuoso. Jazz with a touch of orchestra. A trumpet solo backed by jazz and a philharmonic orchestra. Or a philharmonic orchestra in the company of jazz. Any way you frame it, it sounded interesting, and I was game.
Centered on the stage was the solo star of the evening, trumpeter Randy Brecker. A star in his field with a career spanning across four decades, Brecker has put out numerous albums and won six Grammy Awards, including “Best Contemporary Jazz Performance.” On deck for the evening was a performance of Night in Calisia, a 63-minute jazz album that garnered him his most recent Grammy for the “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” of 2014.
To his left was the Wlodek Pawlik Trio , a trio founded by — you guessed it — Wlodek Pawlik, a renowned jazz pianist with over twenty-four albums, a Grammy Award, and impressive performances in numerous jazz festivals under his belt.
The Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra was to the right of Brecker. This orchestra was established thirty years ago in the Polish city of the same name, a city noted for its place in Polish history as an important center of musical culture, having hosted Chopin, Wieniawski and many other virtuosi of the time. The Kalisz lives up to the reputation of the city, and is a state orchestra of international acclaim. And don’t be fooled by the fact that it only occupied a section of the stage in this performance. It was a philharmonic orchestra of full size, and was missing nothing — it even had gigantic orchestral cymbals!
Night in Calisia is composed of six “songs,” as defined by Brecker: “Amber Road,”
“Quarrel of the Roman Merchants,” “Follow the Stars,” “Orienthology,” “Forgotten Song,” and “Night in Calisia.” Each piece combined the improv vibrancy of jazz with the tonal richness of a philharmonic orchestra. It featured the best of trumpet, the vivaciousness of jazz piano, the energetic beat of the drum set, and the surrounding tremor of the the double bass. The orchestral arrangements were at times intricate, at times spontaneous. At times the lead, at times just providing back up. There were tremolos, vulgar staccatos, and forte slurs. It all fused together for a sound of ornate richness and intricacy, with a smooth flow and ease of listening. The audience responded in a long, standing ovation. And succeeded in convincing Brecker to play the final song, “Night in Calisia,” again, for another ten minutes of great music for our eager ears and rejuvenated souls.
