When the stage was set for the Joe Locke Quartet, Wilke thanked the Festival’s Artistic Directors John Bishop and Matt Jorgensen, then introduced Jorgensen, who offered his thanks to the Ballard Chamber of Commerce and the lengthy list of sponsors. This is truly a grass roots festival – supported by and supporting the community – and obviously a labor of love on the part of its organizers. Already well-known in Japan, this quartet – the latest in a multitude of groups and projects masterminded by Locke – made its North American debut at this concert. Another first was the fact that the group was performing all new music. These guys must thrive on challenges, as the concert set was also recorded for future CD release. In fact, Locke cut the opening selection short after three bars, saying, “This is a live recording tonight, so we’re going to make sure we get it 100% right.” His announcement was accompanied by a loungey snippet of “Tea for Two” from Geoff Keezer at the piano.

When “Van Gogh by Numbers” – the title selection from Locke’s recent duo CD on Wire Walker with fellow idiophone player Christos Rafalides– got rolling it indisputably rolled, and rocked a bit as well. It’s an intricate, very up-tempo composition. Keezer began at the acoustic piano, then switched to the electronic keys, soloing in probing fashion. Bassist Mike Pope alternated between six-string electric and contrabass throughout the evening; his propulsive six-string work helped this Vincent-inspired piece fly in a starry night. A composition by Keezer titled “Tulipa” (spelling only my guess) was next.

Photo by TIm Tyler

There is also a deep spirituality evident in his music, and – like all true spirituality – it has a sense of humor. He plays with a very clean, clear, crisp sound, eschewing tremolo and sustain for the most part. If he ever sells off a set of his vibes on eBay, a fellow malleteer should snap ‘em up post-haste: the motor will likely be good as new. Keezer took a fleet, fluid solo that showed why he is one of the most widely respected keyboard players of his generation.

Also very pronounced in Locke’s stage presence and music is a sense of egalitarianism. Jason West’s interview with him in the November 2005 edition of AAJ-Seattle expressed this most fluently, touching on his displeasure with the increasing gentrification of jazz and his lengthy association with legendary multi-instrumentalist George Braith, playing on the streets of New York City twelve hours a day. It was certainly in concord with these sentiments that the quartet’s North American debut was in the Mars Hill Church Performance Hall, rather than a glitzy club with a pricey cover charge and inflated drink/dinner prices.

According to Locke, the West African hilife feel of some of Pharoah Sanders’ post-Coltrane playing inspired “Pharoah Joy”. It is a relatively straight-ahead quartet number – at least compared to the edgy, doing Tai Chi on the edge of the abyss feeling generated by many of the other compositions heard this evening – with Pope on acoustic. A few crunchy glitches in the sound system slightly marred the opening ensembles; let us hope that the marvels of digital technology and an engineer with big ears can repair these minor distractions so this galvanizing performance will appear on the CD. Locke’s solo was busy, bustling and ballsy. It’s obvious why Cecil Taylor has played extensively in duo with the vibraphonist. I can’t imagine how they manage to stay out of each other’s way, but I’m sure they do. Locke’s adamantine clarity and blinding speed is certainly comparable to the scarily effusive Taylor. Pope’s sound on the stand-up was big and round as a Chinese gong on his turn in the spotlight, with Keezer’s comping providing gentle accents. The piano solo was very energetic and densely textured: rather McCoy Tyner-ish circa Sama Layuca.

Another Keezer composition – “Honu, Honu” (“honu” is Hawaiian for turtle according to the composer) – was a bit more reflective, and found Pope returning to his electric instrument. The dynamics gradually built to forte, and there was a floating, shimmering quality in the ensemble sound provided by Gully’s beautifully controlled cymbals and Locke’s bar-talk. A delightful vignette toward the end was a good example of just how original and innovative a player Locke is. He appeared to wet a couple of the bars on the vibraharp with his tongue – something I’d never seen before – then used the stick portions of the mallets on the ends of the bars, summoning up echoes of ethnic idiophones in a unique percussive way.

Photo by TIm Tyler

“Fractured” by Keezer sported one of Locke’s hottest solos of the night, an intense, riveting matrix of interlocking ideas that forged ahead in a whirlwind of textures. The composer also soloed in memorably multi-layered fashion, and provided delicious interjections during Pope’s acoustic solo.

Locke finally removed his sport coat at this point; it’s a wonder that he kept it on this long, taking into account the alacrity and power of his playing. Set up by Gully’s fatback drums intro, the ravishing melody of James Taylor’s “Native Son” brought forth more emotive solo work from both Locke and Keezer, back on the electronic keys for this one. The group’s spiritual depth was again noticeable in this deeply affecting performance; one felt the tugging emotion of Taylor’s lyrics in the conversational contours and almost vocal cadence of the instrumental arrangement. Locke mentioned Taylor’s evocation of the havoc that war wreaks – guys coming home never to be the same again – in his closing comments.

A Locke composition redolent of multihued sunsets on the Pacific at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society – a fabled California club where he often plays – made its debut at this concert. “Miramar” has a beautiful melody, and is firmly in the jazz tradition of ballads that can be reflective and forceful, often simultaneously. A comparison to Bobby Hutcherson at his best might be drawn here – albeit obliquely – as Hutch has often mined similar territory in his compositions and improvisations over the years. Both Keezer and Pope utilized their acoustic instruments. Truly oceanic in its scope, “Miramar” brings to mind soothingly lapping small waves kissing the shore at times, then gigantic breakers crashing in. The ebb and flow, calm and turbulence, serenity and movement of the Earth’s lifeblood permeate this composition.

The quartet’s set closed with “The King,” another up-tempo Locke original with segments where the pace practically doubled, particularly effective for Keezer’s airborne piano solo. Gully’s mastery of blistering tempi was again supremely evident. He is among the most assured ensemble drummers now active, and doesn’t need a solo to make his creative presence known. In fact, he took no solos per se during this set, a pleasant change from the format of seemingly obligatory drum solos on general principle found in the performances of many groups.

Artistic Directors John Bishop and Matt Jorgensen deserve kudos for this thoroughly enjoyable and wonderfully diverse concert that provided a boldface exclamation point at the conclusion of the 2005 Ballard Jazz Festival.

©Bill Barton 11/26/05 Seattle