Tyshawn Sorey Trio 12/6/24 Firehouse 12

 Got an advance ticket for the TST, advisable as the room was nearly filled. Drummer Sorey lived in the area while spending time at Wesleyan soaking in some of the wisdom of Anthony Braxton. The trio on this evening featured Aaron Diehl on piano and Harish Raghavan on standup bass. The sound reminded me of Ahmad Jamal’s threesomes only the drummer is out front. Tyshawn is a hulk of a man, and seems hulkier since my last viewing. With his 70s afro, he looks more like a bouncer in a blaxploitation flick. His effortless technique and simple drum kit show a master drummer whose compositions straddle jazz and modern classical. Rhagavan seems to be a perfectionist, coming out before the set and pinching the sound guy to sharpen his tone. Diehl seemed chameleonic. The set started with a piano-centric Horace Silver tune with Diehl plinking in a straight ahead style. Sorey’s switch from mallets to sticks to brushes exponentially expanded the sound. Raghavan was intense, his solo sections were fluid and rubbery. Tyshawn said the group was returning the next day to the Firehouse studio to cut a new record. The improv that we were treated to will be fleshed out and released on the F-12 label. Sorey is a master collaborator, joining forces with the likes of Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Leo Smith, Bill Laswell, Kris Davis, and Ingrid Laubrock. He is a MacArthur Genius recipient who has recorded in Texas’ Rothko Chapel. The music at this venue is always fascinating, this seasons lineup has been stellar.

Bassoonarama 12/5/24 Sudler Hall, Yale

 No annum would be complete without attending the annual holiday “gathering of the bassoons”. Professor Morelli is not only a master bassoonist, but an expert in program concept. This evenings program was “the Bassoonarama You Can’t Refuse: Wolfgang Meets the Godfather”. Every year I marvel at the wide range of young people who choose bassoon as their spirit instrument. Returning from last year a young black woman and the googley-eyed middle eastern kid. They are joined by a prim female puckerer, a wispy young woman, a flamboyant cardigan model, and braugh, a long haired, bearded fireplug who looked to be wearing an ill-fitted burgundy leisure suit. The crew starts with Eine Kleine Nachtbassoon Musik, Mozart’s jewel, usually played with strings. The program was interspersed with selections from Rossini’s Barber of Seville. These sections had each student in duet mode with Morelli, the kicker was the student had to describe what was happening in the opera during their passage. Puckerton chose the trickery employed in relationships, Googley’s piece was about unrequited love (natch), cardiganboy focused on the fire (Fire Island?) generated by young love, while hairsuit’s piece was about money and the currency of love. I need the good Dr. to remind me why I love the bassoon sound. As a child in the 70s, I spent a lot of time with cartoons, loping turtles, inept criminals were usually soundtracked by the bassoon. Bugs Bunny had a memorable episode that borrowed heavily from The Barber of Seville, allowing me to reach back and remember the music. Next up was  Nino Rota’s wonderful music for The Godfather.  The Godfather Waltz, The Godfather Theme, and Michael’s Theme were mournfully delivered by the group. Morelli says he doesn’t subscribe to ethnic stereotypes, but a summer school class at Banff dubbed him the “godfather” which he says comes in handy when he needs to strike fear in his students. Fear seems like a rare commodity for this group, they all seem to genuinely like each other and their craft. The evening ends as always with a selection of Christmas tunes: Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, and closed with Jingle Bell Rock. Traditions are born in the strangest places, I’m happy that the Christmas season is punctuated by a bassoon recital.