Concerts
designed to pump up interest in live music
By Will Pirone/ Salem SOund
Friday, March 10, 2006 - Updated: 02:44 AM EST
For more than a
year, Salem music aficionados have been involved in an ongoing
discussion of how to increase the number of venues in Salem where
music can be heard.
Most of
the music scene occurs in bars and clubs. The combination of
no-smoking laws and a reduced tolerance of alcohol use have cut into
their income and made it more difficult for them to pay for live
music.
Frank
Zappa once said that for most people music is furniture. It is
there, but no one pays attention to it. In some local clubs this is
the case. Music plays second fiddle to sports TV, and other
diversions as part of a successful business plan aimed at enticing
young singles to the establishment. The sound of conversation is
music to the owner’s ears.
For
serious listeners, some of these establishments may as well not
exist. This creates the challenge of creating environments where
music gets first billing, and musicians are well treated and
adequately paid.
Matt
Caruso has risen to the challenge. He lists himself as the "Chief
Listening Officer" of "Salem Sounds." (No relationship to this
column, beyond a love of music and alliteration.) He has organized a
Saturday evening concert series he hopes will create an environment
where musicians and listeners come first.
Cooperating
venues include the Boon Gallery, with a capacity of about 60, the
Newmark Gallery which can accommodate 100 people in its downstairs
assembly room, and the Z Crepe Café, which holds 40-60 people. These
are, by their very nature, aesthetically pleasing environments,
conducive to the mood being created.
The
first concert was held at the Boon Gallery, 24 Front St. It is a
deep single-store front. Its high, exposed-beam ceilings and brick
walls give the room great acoustics.
The
beautiful pieces of contemporary art and fine architectural details
offer sophisticated surroundings consistent with the intent of the
promoters.
The
front of the room is at street level, while the back half is a
mezzanine up five stairs, edged with a wrought-iron balustrade.
About 40 folding chairs were set up in the lower area. The band was
set up near the front of the upper level, with more seating beside
and around them. There were about 50 people in attendance and light
refreshments were offered.
The
concert featured the Paul Ahlstrand Quartet. Ahlstrand, who plays
tenor sax, has been a sideman, arranger and producer for Toni Lynn
Washington.
Drummer
Dave Mattacks was part of "Fairport Convention," and has worked for
Paul McCartney and Elton John.
Keyboardist
and composer Consuelo Candelaria has performed with numerous jazz
and classical groups and was the 1998 winner of the John Lennon
songwriting contest. Bassist David Landoni has credits ranging from
Buddy DeFranco to Juliette Prowse.
They
performed 11 instrumental pieces in two sets. These were divided
between covers of mainstream jazz classics and Ahlstrand’s own
compositions. The covers ranged from variations on a Charlie Parker
tune to a Latin number by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Some of
Ahlstand’s compositions were also Latin-flavored. His tune
"Pachanga" was noticeably more contemporary than the rest of the
program, with its interesting change ups and occasional well
structured dissonant runs.
The
quartet is rooted in progressive jazz with a touch of bop.
Ahlstrand’s saxophone is cool and mellow, with beautifully
understated riffs. It is well matched to Candalaria’s broad
chording, rapid runs, and frequent rhythm changes which are
reminiscent of the stylings of Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson.
Mattacks is the perfect professional, with his subtle ability to
mimic the phrasings of the horn and keyboard on the drum set, and
his ability to change from brush on cymbal to mallet on toms in
response to the changing dynamics of the other instrumentalists.
To me,
Landoni’s extensive standup bass solos were the instrumental
highlight of the evening. His ability to produce interesting
cadences and melodic treble lines high up the neck of the instrument
were outstanding. His multi-string octave interval runs, full of
bends and slides, garnered the most enthusiastic applause of the
evening.
The
witty banter between Ahlstrand and the other band members helped
create a casual and intimate atmosphere.
The
emphasis of the series, as a whole, is definitely on jazz and blues,
although the offerings are not limited to any genre.
The
next concert will feature local favorites The Boston Horns Saturday,
March 18, 8 p.m., at the Boon Gallery.
Future
concerts will include singer Juliet Lloyd, The Ben Zecker Trio,
Stone Crazy, Maggie Galloway and Anthony Weller, Chamber Jazz, and
2120 Michigan Avenue.
The
intimacy of the performances and venues is well worth the $8-18
cover charge.
Caruso
is unwavering in his dedication to using the series as a platform to
promote other live acts in Salem, which he freely advertised in the
program notes. He hopes his excellently designed Web page will be
used as a portal to access information about all the bands and
venues in Salem, and help nurture the vibrant and growing local
music scene.
Caruso
certainly created the environment and presented the concert he had
envisioned. It is now up to the music lovers of Salem to support
this venture, and show Caruso that they are as serious as he is.
Visit
his Web page at www.salemsounds.com.
* * *
Will
Pirone is a musician and music aficionado whose columns will discuss
the scene in Salem.
|
|
|
