By: Joe Lang
If there was one good thing to come of the heavy snowfall that almost buried me in on Friday morning, it was getting to see Ari Hoenig and Jean-Michel Pilc among just a handful of people at the AQ that night. Of course, that’s being greedy; I certainly hope that the band was able to recoup ticket sales the following night.
That said, getting to see one of the most versatile and dynamic drummers on the scene today in an intimate setting is a welcome experience, to say the least. Hoenig, who has supported artists as diverse as fusion/blues guitarist Mike Stern, the often avant-garde Dave Liebman, world music bass maestro Richard Bona and the sublime Kenny Werner, was playing in support of Inversations. Accompanied by Jean-Michel Pilc, whose playing has been said to “represent another stage in the evolution of the interplay brought to piano jazz by Bill Evans,” the trio (with Anthony Cox on bass) blasted through several standards and Hoenig originals with swinging abandon.
The set started off with one of Hoenig’s trademarks: melodic drumming. Hoenig will impress the toms and alter the pitch to create a subtle melodic groove. In songs like “On Green Dolphin Street” and “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” Pilc and Hoenig traded solos back and forth with Cox usually walking or holding down the groove. The interesting thing about Hoenig’s drumming style is that it is in contrast to most of the bigger drummers on the circuit. With a trio like The Bad Plus, Dave King is seemingly in constant drum solo mode as the pieces are often set up with drums front and center. Someone like Jeff “Tain” Watts also has a very front and center, busy style. Hoenig, while undoubtedly possessing monster chops, has a far more subtle approach. You don’t hear roll after roll, but his dynamic range is staggering; the guy could play a solo while you hold a conversation, and then knock you into the next room.
Pilc’s mastery was displayed early on in the set when someone’s cell phone rang with a standard (and rarely heard these days) “ring.” Pilc walked up to the piano and played back the ring exactly, begging the question: does he just know cell phone rings, or does he have perfect pitch? At any rate, Pilc’s virtuosic playing up and down the board never failed to impress.
The highlights of the evening, however, came with the originals. Hoenig’s “The Painter,” off of the 2004 album of the same name and “Blues for Sino” (announced as “Blues for Kenny,” a tip of the hat to the club owner, Kenny Horst) breathed some needed originality into the set. That’s not to say that Pilc’s chops and originality and Hoenig’s listening and dynamic touch weren’t good in and of themselves, but there are a million jazz musicians out there who can blow through standards blindfolded. On the originals, the listener is treated to more of the musical strengths of the players.
Any drummers out there—or fans of percussion who think that Keith Moon, John Bonham, Buddy Rich or Vinnie Colaiuta are where drumming starts and ends—should be advised to check out Hoenig next time he rolls through, snowstorm or not.
Location Info:
Artists' Quarter
Artist Info: Anthony Cox, Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc
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