Take 5 to appreciate top jazz show
HE IDIOSYNCRATIC Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo has come up with another winner with its current show, featuring the accomplished Melvin Peters Quartet paying tribute to jazz superstar Dave Brubeck.
As a pianist and composer Brubeck was regarded as one of the foremost exponents of cool jazz, and was described as one of jazz’s first pop stars. He died a day before his 91st birthday in December.
Throughout his career Brubeck was known as an innovative musician who used unusual time signatures and rhythms to produce musical gems which gained popularity way beyond the realm of jazz lovers.
Classics such as Take Five, Blue Rondo á la Turk, Unsquare Dance, Three to Get Ready and It’s a Raggy Waltz are but a small sample of the huge musical legacy left behind by Dave Brubeck.
Also part of the Brubeck legacy is the influence his music had on the careers of many pianists throughout the world.
One such pianist is our own Melvin Peters (pictured), who has become one of South Africa’s leading exponents of jazz. Joined by three superb musicians in Jonathon Judge (sax), Ildo Nania (double bass) and Bruce Baker (drums), he produces an exciting and memorable programme of the best
Tof Brubeck’s music. This dynamic quartet played with consummate skill and I am sure they would have made Brubeck proud with the quality of their performance.
I was however a little disappointed that Peters played an electric keyboard rather than a proper piano. While the space limitations of the Rhumbelow stage may be the reason for this, I felt that the sound produced had a distinct electronic quality about it and was too reverberant. It certainly lacked the resonance and body provided by a piano.
Another legacy left by Dave Brubeck is his four sons who are all also talented musicians. There is an interesting link here in that Darius, the eldest son, was Melvin Peters’s tutor in the 1980’s while he was teaching at Natal University.
In recognition of this, the quartet played Darius Brubeck’s excellent composition, October.
This was a certainly a poignant reminder of the influence the Brubeck family had on the jazz music scene in Durban.
Remembering Dave – A Tribute to the Brubeck Legacy is an outstanding production. The ambience of the quirky Rhumbelow Theatre has the mood of a smoky jazz club and, with an excellent jazz quartet playing unforgettable music, one can’t fail but to have wonderful night out. – Artsmart.co.za
Performances take place at the Rhumbelow Theatre onApril 26 and 27 at 8pm and on April 28 at 2pm and 6.30pm. Tickets R100 can be booked through Computicket or contact Roland on 031 205 7602.