At Royce Hall, the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) presented the jazz musings of the respected jazz drummer on a night of eclectic performance.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 02-02-2024
Revered in the jazz community and beyond, Terri Lyne Carrington is a talented drummer who leads her band in modern jazz musings and investigations. At Royce Hall, CAP UCLA featured the drummer in a mixed performance on January 27, 2024. A troubling aspect of the performance was the decisions by Terri Lyne Carrington as bandleader. Who is she going to emphasize, and what is she going to choose to highlight?
The excitement of Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards was the drummer taking on the work of marginalized women composers. Hence, when you attend a jazz concert of a specific person, you expect that person to be the show’s centerpiece. Although Terri Lyne Carrington’s drum set was center stage, it was obscured by the other performers. It was hard even to see the artist do her thing and bang on her kit. Also, although she did have a few solos on the pieces presented during the performance, the focus was often on her band members and not on her; some were better than others.
Overall, Terri Lyne Carrington’s band is very talented and accomplished. Kris Davis is an inventive jazz pianist; her solos were some of the show’s highlights. Matthew Stevens is an accomplished guitar player willing to go to wild places to find sounds to complement the female composers in the New Standards repertoire. As a standing bass player, Linda May Han Oh is an impassioned and talented performer, although it sometimes felt like she was playing with another band. Her style and presence were a refreshing throwback to the classic days of jazz history.
However, much of the show focused on vocalist Michael Mayo and dancer Christiana Hunt. As a guest vocalist, Michael Mayo was not a standout. Although he has a fine reputation in jazz, he did not shine on this night. With so much emphasis on his songs, time was taken away from the artistic stylings of Terri Lyne Carrington. In addition, beyond having a seat positioned in front of the drums, Christiana Hunt’s dancing did not enhance the show. Why was it needed in the first place? It felt like a distraction that occupied time and space instead of taking the performance to another level of profundity.
What was missing way too much from the entire performance was Terri Lyne Carrington. Many people came to see the most renowned African American female jazz drummer in the world. Instead, we saw a bandleader who sat back and let others occupy center stage. In the future, less is more might be a good adage for the success of New Standards. Also, it makes sense to give an audience what they come to see in a performance.
Photos by Elvis Harold
