CyberHalides Jazz » 2017 » WANG - Christian Scott - 3 Nov 2017

This gig received negative comments in one controversial festival media review, and cautious, guarded comments in several others.  There's no doubting the skills of the individual musicians, especially the rhythm secion.  However the "stretch jazz" performed by Christian and his band was loud, very loud - every strike of the kick-drum shook the venue from two large speakers at the front of the stage.  The style of music tended to be less the style of improvisation that we've come to expect from a Wang international headline act, and was more a sequence of long-held, forceful notes from the front line (is this the stretch in stretch jazz?), supported by an active rhythm section.  

The venue was fairly full, and clearly some people enjoyed it a lot, but most of the regulars that I spoke to didn't - either the style of music or the volume.  That includes yours truly.  This is not the sort of headline act that would encourage me to continue attending.  I agree with Eric Myers that "if this is what is needed to increase the jazz audience among young people, I fear the worst".  YMMV.

The Christian Scott Band (Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - trumpet, reverse flugel, sirenette; Shea Pierre - piano, Rhodes; Logan Richardson - sax; Kris Funn - bass; Corey Fonville - drums) performing in the WPAC Theatre at the 2017 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz