Randy Weston at Tri-C

[BlueMiles]

Two nights ago I saw a concert by Randy Weston at Tri-C Metro (Cleveland). This was my second time seeing him live, the last being at the same venue four years ago. Randy is now 80-years-old, but he is still going strong. He’s had a long-standing group, the same one as last time--except this time Billy Harper was not present. But the really big different was that he brought along five “master musicians” from Mooroco. He has long had interest in the music and musicians of this country , and there have been at least two full-length albums that document this group. I have "Spirit: The Power of Music," but it may be my least-played Weston CD. The Moorocon music seems very simple and repetitive, and it plays up vocals and hand-clapping. But by being at a live concert, you certainly get a whole different feeling. Weston’s talk of communal and even tribal music really comes to life. The costumes were colorful, the musicians were charismatic, there was much handclapping with audience participation, and several of the musicians danced. One piece built up slowly, with the Moroocon musicians going for a long time, then members of Weston’s band joining in one by one. There was eventually an impressive and exciting collaboration between the two, though curiously Weston was the one most in the background. The piano just does not seem to naturally mesh with this kind of music.

In the climactic moment of the evening, the whole band really wailed, and then T.K. Blue came down from the stage, he was followed by the master musicians and then other Weston band members--though not Randy himself. And then they came right up the aisles and into the audience, though Benny Powell (nearly as old as Weston) stayed below. Anyway, this was vibrant, kinetic stuff--and the crowd just loved it.

Randy had two solo spots during the evening--the first was “Night in Medina” (which he said he had not played in many years), and he finished the concert with a superb reading of “Little Niles” (one of his very greatest tunes). That was the second encore, the first being a quintet version of “Mystery of Love,” which was a bit simplified compared to the many other versions I’ve heard.

The quintet began the concert with “African Sunrise,” though I should say Weston started--his intro quite lengthy and brilliant. This version, like the one of the “Live in St. Lucia” CD, lacked something--partly because of Powell being past his prime (his trombone break on the original is stunning in its emotional intensity) and because it just doesn’t sound as good with two front-line horns (there are 5 or 6 on the original). Later, the group performed a splendid long version of “The Shrine,” most memorably for T.K. Blue’s flute solo.

Overall, it was a night of great music. With its multi-cultural qualities, visuals, and great energy, it was really a total experience.