Vivid Virtuosity: Jazzing It Up With Rubalcaba

Charlie Haden, with Geri Allen, Paul Motian; and with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Paul Motian

Verve Records

Charlie Haden had nothing to prove, Gonzalo Rubalcaba did--that neatly summarizes the outspoken energy Cuban pianist Rubalcaba injected into the jazz trio led by legendary bassist Haden on one of the two recently released Montreal Tapes.

Of the two live recordings, the Rubalcaba performance, which constituted the now-established pianist's North American debut, is more immediately arresting than the other, which features the relatively subtler, more angular style of pianist Geri Allen. Allen's set features more integrated playing and arguably more depth than Rubalcaba's virtuostic display, however. In the end, both recordings prove to be quality examples of contemporary small-group jazz. They are worthwhile, though not essential, acquisitions for serious acoustic jazz fans.

Haden's contributions to many landmark albums of jazz, most notably those of innovative saxophonist Ornette Coleman in the 1960s, prompted the series of tribute concerts from which these recordings are culled. The eight concerts, given in 1989 in Montreal, featured Haden playing with many prominent musical colleagues. These marked the third and fourth releases; two performances from the series were released a few years ago, and more may be yet to come.

Even with his impressive, ground-breaking body of work, Haden continues to play and innovate, and is widely considered one of the top acoustic bassists in jazz today. Though the Montreal Tapes, with their relatively standard arrangements, do not push the envelope of jazz like Haden's most novel work, they display his solid and adaptable bass style in abundance.

The rather dissimilar playing styles of the two pianists mark the greatest difference in personality between the two concerts. Rubalcaba possesses extraordinary virtuosity, and his technical facility is very evident throughout his performance. With his cascading solo lines and fluid, rapid-fire outbursts of notes, he seems extroverted almost to the point of brashness. His linear, lyrical sensibility and use of stylistic devices like tremolo octaves are very reminiscent of McCoy Tyner. But Rubalcaba's lines are even longer, and his touch more commanding, than that of John Coltrane's former pianist. Rubalcaba's improvisations are heavily patterned and rhythmically defined; even when adding dissonances or rubato to his playing, it sounds quite calculated and logical.

An Afro-Cuban flavor permeates Rubalcaba's playing, placing his virtuoso stylings in an effective and distinctive context. This world music influence is most evident on the Spanish-style waltz "La Pasionaria," but is apparent throughout the album's six tracks. Often there is a dance-like and regular feel to his solo lines, accompanied by percussive comping; other times he will simply transplant wholly Cuban figures into his improvisations.

Rubalcaba opens his set with a moderately-placed reading of Gary Peacock's "Vignette," and, when the remainder of the trio kicks in, we get to appreciate Haden's tasteful and supportive, but never cliched, accompaniment style. His use of unison double-stops on the opening cut is particularly striking, and his unerrant intonation and rhythmic sense carry throughout the performance. Unlike some of the younger bassists in jazz today, Haden does not rely upon technically impressive devices such as quadruple-timing or playing at the extreme high registers of his instrument to carry his solos. This is to his credit, because his ideas don't get buried under contrived affectations, but shine through with their melodic sense and foundation in the spirit of the particular composition and performance.

"Vignette" is tastefully executed, but seems to meander and lose a little steam toward the end of its 11-minute span. The excitement picks up again with Haden's bluesy "Bay City," which leads into the centerpiece of the album, "La Pasionaria." The most extended performance on the album at 14 minutes, it also is the most ambitious in its incorporation of diverse musical idioms. Another Haden original, the mellow "Silence," and an appealing version of Ornette Coleman's "The Blessing" pass before Rubalcaba and company leave the audience with an impressive, incendiary rendition of Miles Davis' "Solar."

Haden's trio with Geri Allen feels less like a vehicle for showcasing the pianist and more like a veteran, integrated combo--no surprise, since they had played and recorded together well prior to the engagement, unlike the group with Rubalcaba. Allen's set is also evenly divided between the compositions of Allen, Haden and Motian, while Rubalcaba's featured three Haden tunes and three standards.

Allen's playing is more difficult to grasp than Rubalcaba's--her playing is more harmonically complex and less predictable. She is also a less flashy player, although she possesses considerable technical agility. Her tendency to improvise relatively freely of bar downbeats, as well as her use of parallel octave lines and other mannerisms, suggest a strong Bill Evans influence. Her music flows a little more freely than Rubalcaba's, at least in these performances, and she introduces elements of chaos and abstract texture that the other trio never attempts.

This is most evident in Motian's frenetic "Fiasco," in which Allen's improvisation degenerates into seemingly random clusters of notes amidst heightened activity in the rhythm section. But Haden takes his most intriguing solo of the two sets during this tune, coaxing unworldly, industrial and percussive sounds from his instrument.

The remainder of the compositions on the Allen set, with the exception of

Haden's elegant "First Song," are of a moreexploratory and less melodic vein than thosechosen by the Rubalcaba trio. Motian seems to bemore involved in Allen's trio, venturing into theforeground even when not soloing.

The rather spare drumming of Motian, who hasworked with such luminaries as Bill Evans andKeith Jarrett, is well matched to both trios.Motian embellishes and decorates the beat ratherthan filling space by pounding out rhythms, so hiseffective contributions can be easily overlooked.His solos are distinctive--they are not dense,roaming waves of sound in the vein of Elvin Jones,nor are they marked by a closing of the hi-hat onevery off-beat as in standard drum technique.Starting and stopping in flurries, Motian's soloinventions are also distinguished by the light,almost tinny sound quality of his drums.

The Montreal concerts represent the way tributeconcerts should be done whenever possible: withthe active musical involvement of the artist beinghonored, and of his most distinguished colleagues.Either of the Montreal Tapes should notdisappoint; the one that is preferable is largelya matter of the listener's affinity for thedivergent piano styles of Rubalcaba and Allen

Haden's elegant "First Song," are of a moreexploratory and less melodic vein than thosechosen by the Rubalcaba trio. Motian seems to bemore involved in Allen's trio, venturing into theforeground even when not soloing.

The rather spare drumming of Motian, who hasworked with such luminaries as Bill Evans andKeith Jarrett, is well matched to both trios.Motian embellishes and decorates the beat ratherthan filling space by pounding out rhythms, so hiseffective contributions can be easily overlooked.His solos are distinctive--they are not dense,roaming waves of sound in the vein of Elvin Jones,nor are they marked by a closing of the hi-hat onevery off-beat as in standard drum technique.Starting and stopping in flurries, Motian's soloinventions are also distinguished by the light,almost tinny sound quality of his drums.

The Montreal concerts represent the way tributeconcerts should be done whenever possible: withthe active musical involvement of the artist beinghonored, and of his most distinguished colleagues.Either of the Montreal Tapes should notdisappoint; the one that is preferable is largelya matter of the listener's affinity for thedivergent piano styles of Rubalcaba and Allen