The LCJB is held in the highest esteem by the NYC music community; as well they should be. They sound great and are considered to meet artistic standards, differences in genres aside, that have nothing to apologize for in comparison to the standard-setting LC institutions, Met Opera, NY Phil and NYC Ballet.
Re body language:
Totally sincere. Players in a band that work together often and for a long time develop a kind of brotherhood and they are each other’s biggest supporters. They can also be each other’s worst critics. But when a player is "in the zone" as Wes Anderson is when he plays his solo in the Porter clip, other players may not only smile in approval, but actually say or shout things to encourage the player. When players improvise they are speaking each other’s language. It is a language that only they understand at that level. They understand the nuances of what the player is "saying" in a very personal or intimate way and are privy to things like, for instance, little musical "jokes" or musical quotes that relate to anything from a verbal conversation to a previous performance; all things that may not be obvious to a non-player. A performance by a band may be full of these kinds of dynamics. Of course, there are times when any two players simply don’t get along or don’t like each other and you won’t have much of this kind of rapport between them. Thankfully, simple professionalism then usually kicks in and gunplay is kept to a minimum 😉
Porter sounds fantastic. There’s a wonderful straightforward and "up" quality about his singing; not to mention great vocal chops. The band sounds fantastic. Something special happens during that performance; they are clearly interacting and lift each other up. The sum becomes even greater than the parts.
I have said it before and this is a PERSONAL opinion: Salvant just doesn’t do it for me. She’s clearly good, but the "affectations" in her singing simply don’t ring true for me. There’s a little bit of Sassy, a little bit of Billy, a LOT of Betty Carter; where’s Cecile? To me there’s a "forced" quality about her style. Imo, and partly as a result, the performance doesn’t have the energy that the Porter does and doesn’t feel as good; the band does not play quite at the same level.
Great stuff both, however. Thanks for the clips.
Re body language:
Totally sincere. Players in a band that work together often and for a long time develop a kind of brotherhood and they are each other’s biggest supporters. They can also be each other’s worst critics. But when a player is "in the zone" as Wes Anderson is when he plays his solo in the Porter clip, other players may not only smile in approval, but actually say or shout things to encourage the player. When players improvise they are speaking each other’s language. It is a language that only they understand at that level. They understand the nuances of what the player is "saying" in a very personal or intimate way and are privy to things like, for instance, little musical "jokes" or musical quotes that relate to anything from a verbal conversation to a previous performance; all things that may not be obvious to a non-player. A performance by a band may be full of these kinds of dynamics. Of course, there are times when any two players simply don’t get along or don’t like each other and you won’t have much of this kind of rapport between them. Thankfully, simple professionalism then usually kicks in and gunplay is kept to a minimum 😉
Porter sounds fantastic. There’s a wonderful straightforward and "up" quality about his singing; not to mention great vocal chops. The band sounds fantastic. Something special happens during that performance; they are clearly interacting and lift each other up. The sum becomes even greater than the parts.
I have said it before and this is a PERSONAL opinion: Salvant just doesn’t do it for me. She’s clearly good, but the "affectations" in her singing simply don’t ring true for me. There’s a little bit of Sassy, a little bit of Billy, a LOT of Betty Carter; where’s Cecile? To me there’s a "forced" quality about her style. Imo, and partly as a result, the performance doesn’t have the energy that the Porter does and doesn’t feel as good; the band does not play quite at the same level.
Great stuff both, however. Thanks for the clips.