REVIEWS

The Star

​Foursome Produces Some REAL Jazz

Sept. 9, 2009

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By Don Albert

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Over the past few years of The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz there have been some memorable sets, which include the groups of Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis and Avishai Cohen. This year produced another amazing one played by trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, drummer Jon Wikan, bassist Ben Williams and pianist Rashid Lanie, who held his own with the New York musicians.

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Jensen is a thoughtful and inventive improviser rather than a flashy player. Wikan is always there adding colour to the music with subtle cymbal sounds, occasional accents, or percussion effects with either sticks, brushes or his hands.

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Williams is solid and an able soloist, while Lanie welcomed the challenge and played beyond himself. Combined, they produced what so many other groups fail to do, that is to play with dynamics.

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It was serious jazz. You could hear a pin drop among the Saturday audience who really listened to every nuance from the group.

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Me? I felt I was sitting in a jazz club in the Big Apple