Blue Cranes
Posted by: Greg | From: August 5, 2007
I've returned, I'm refreshed, and I'm ready to go. Unfortunately in my run for a spicy black bean garden burger from Burgerville and coffee from Tiny's I missed Blue Skies for Black Hearts and System and Station. On the upside, I managed to make it back in time for the amazing Blue Cranes. We've been hearing The Cranes described as one of Portland's leading jazz lights and now I know why. They just played the heck out of a bunch of songs, ranging from originals to a cover of Portland mainstay (and PDX Pop alums) The Kingdom to a few standards. Keeping tightly to the charts, The Cranes intersperse wild out wailing with elegant straight ahead melodic soloing. Reed (their leader and alto player) walks that tightrope particularly well, using honks, squawks, and runs to enliven choruses and add dramatic tension to his solos. Their rhythm section drives the whole proceedings with a near-rock style straight beat decorated just the slightest forward-leaning swing.
We're lucky, living in a town so far from New Orleans, New York, LA, and the other centers of American jazz, to have the Blue Cranes and Evolutionary Jass Band (coming up later tonight!) and the other truly excellent original groups that we do.
Thanks for the correction, TDR, I've fixed it in the entry. Better Homes and Garden sound awesome, I'll have to keep an eye out for them.
Posted by: Greg at August 15, 2007 4:02 PM
Post a comment:
the leader's name is Reed. Reed Wallsmith, and he plays alto saxophone, not the tenor. And for more fun you can catch Reed and second saxophonist Joe Cunningham with EJB bassist Bob Jones in Better Homes and Garden.
Posted by: TdR at August 15, 2007 1:44 PM