When the legends are on stage. Holland’s leg, Potter’s drive and Hussain’s pace at Tbilisi Jazz festival 2022: Videos, Photos

Republic of Georgia is a hospitable country, the capital of Tbilisi in particular, and when jazz evenings are added to it in the form of Tbilisi Jazz Festival 2022, then a miracle in this country becomes perfect.

On July 7-9, we were hosted at the Tbilisi Jazz Festival, where we enjoyed the concerts of Dianne Reeves and Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Zakir Hussain and Vijey Iyer trio. This time we present an overview of the singer’s concert, and about the concerts of jazz legends and Iyer, as well as the features of the Tbilisi Jazz Festival and local jazzmen, wait for the near future. We already had a post about Dianne Reeves’s concert. See HERE

A subset of the fusion group CrossCurrents, the trio of Zakir Hussain, Chris Potter, Dave Holland it was the second day of the wonderful jazz trio legends concert at the Tbilisi Jazz Festival 2022. In for me very great contrabassist Dave Holland’s solos, I had never noticed the leg movement you can see in the video, which was interesting. Perhaps the reason is that he always wore long clothes recently.

Hussain, a San Francisco resident, is legendary for his tabla mastery as well as for his participation in a wide variety of musical groups. Potter, a widely acclaimed saxophonist, needs no introduction. Bassist Dave Holland, a veteran of a number of other combos as well as a bandleader in his own right. At the beginning Hussain sat behind his collection of eight different tablas and other hand drums. As “Ziandi” commenced, Hussain dribbled on his tablas while Potter soloing vigorously in tandem. Ten minutes into the show, which turned out to be halfway through the tune, the tempo dropped as Holland soloed, playing off of Hussain’s riffs. Two of his tablas, placed front and center, received most of the action.

The second number featured a bass solo from Holland. Potter then re-entered the pastiche by offering sweet yet piquant soprano before soloing exuberantly, his head bobbing up and down. Hussain played his tablas with the back of his hands and with both palms for emphasis.

“Doors” opened with a bass solo; then Potter stepped in on tenor, upped his volume and continued along propulsively. “Suvarna” began with a meditative bass solo before the lights dimmed to highlight Potter soloing eloquently on tenor. “Hope,” which ended the engaging ninety-minute show, before Potter took a turn; the band coalesced into a rhythmic crescendo which then spurred expected and well deserved bows and acclamation.

Chris Potter, the heroic post-bop saxophonist is the debut studio album by Crosscurrents Trio, a supergroup with bassist Dave Holland and tabla master Zakir Hussain by three giants of American and Indian music: an international supergroup of musicians who individually have played vital roles in pioneering advances in Jazz, developing and nurturing the cultural and musical connections between East and West. Three of the best in the world on their respective instruments. Three of the most sophisticated and masterful arrangers and composers.

Emanating from an original impulse by Zakir Hussain to form a large group project known as “Crosscurrents”, the trio is built on a shared love and mutual respect for each others’ playing and the subtle integration of different worlds and different approaches to music making into a coherent and beautiful whole.

Zakir Hussain is a true master of the Indian Classical tradition – his hypnotic, percussive tabla playing instantly recognisable. Refusing to be confined to the music of his homeland, throughout the years he has embarked on a multitude of creative collaborations that transcend boundaries including Shakti.

Dave Holland, one of the greatest and best known international jazz players since he was chosen by Miles Davis, has never stood still – his career defined by a lifetime’s urgent quest for new beauty, for new tests of his extraordinary technique and musical ability, for new partnerships with the brightest and the best. His questing nature has led to many fascinating fusions, all of them organic outcrops of his own musical nature. With Crosscurrents he has found another grouping in which his improvisatory instincts and beautiful tone can flourish.

Chris Potter is a generation behind Zakir and Dave but his musical language, his inspired creative intensity and command of his instrument is on a par with his fellow bandmates. Adept in almost any style, tempo, harmonic or rhythmic position, Potter’s voice is unmistakable, powerful and awe-inspiring. His breadth of ideas and creativity is endless and spontaneous, and is executed with generosity, respect, and maturity. Despite being almost two decades younger than Holland and Hussain, Potter is fast progressing towards legendary status as one of the greatest saxophonists of his or any generation. For Potter, working with this band was enlightening: “For many years Zakir Hussain had been on my short list of people I really wanted to work with, so when I got the call a couple years ago.

Their concerts and Tbilisi’s in particular on mutual respect, a shared love of the music and dedicated to musical and cultural integration: unity in diversity. That is a vital contribution to the art of musicianship and collaboration. It’s brilliance, musical vision and execution is world-class.

In for me very great contrabassist Dave Holland’s solos, I had never noticed the leg movement you can see in the video, which was interesting. Perhaps the reason is that he always wore long clothes recently.

By Simon Sargsyan

 

SS: – And finally, I waited so long to have a selfie with my favorite musician !!!