The Sarah Hughes Sing Song Trio at Sotto, Washington, D.C., January 25th, 2018
After wrangling my way into the improvisational group, Heterodyne, I’ve had the great fortune to befriend several musicians I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered. The first day I met Sarah Hughes, she invited me and a few others to an impromptu jam session in her apartment on Maryland Avenue in Baltimore. Some highlights included Sarah playing flute while riding a stationary bike, the arrival of Corey Thuro and his electric mandolin, and a personal moment during which Sarah and I discovered an owl living in her kitchen tabletop. Also present were Heterodyne core partners Ted Zook and Maria Shesiuk. (For this gathering, it can be said that I bongo’ed rather incompetently.)
I have performed with Sarah several times by now. At
Heterodyne shows, we are usually situated next to one another, and it has been momentous
for me, to be arranged beside Sarah, who is a keenly intelligent, considerate
soul, and who is wildly talented. She is the reigning best alto sax player in
the D.C. area, as proclaimed by the latest Jazzies Awards. In addition to sax,
Sarah also plays flute and clarinet, and sings, and scats, and projects the fabulous
melodies of her voicing. Last night, I caught her for the first time as leader
of the Sing Sing Trio, which features Steve Arnold (bass) and Jack Kilby (drums).
The Sing Song Trio played a host of jazz classics—Monk, Bird,
Ellington-Strayhorn, etc.—with such affection and energy that when Sarah crooned
“You Don’t Know What Love Is” she must’ve been speaking to those out of
earshot. The audience, meanwhile, fell in love with her quickly and “maaaadly.”
Unless I’m mistaken, Thelonious Monk first recorded “Let’s
Cool One” in the early 1950s, on Blue Note. More than sixty years later, Sarah
and her bandmates easily resembled a trio of Monk’s era. A song that builds,
“Let’s Cool One”—akin to another Monk tune, “Evidence”—could have invented
bebop all by itself, if called upon to do so. It was compelling to watch the
Sing Song Trio navigate through an intricate Monk composition, especially as all
three musicians experimented in the middle of the tune. A lot rides upon
Sarah’s shoulders, if jazz is ever to regain a percentage of its former
prominence, but as last night demonstrated, she is more than capable of
“cooling one.” Her choice of piano-less trio resembles Sonny Rollins, Joe
Henderson, and Ornette Coleman, and she’s as good a saxophone player as any of
them. Let Sarah cut a slew of 45s, jam at Minton’s (so to speak), and become the High Empress of Love, Saxophone, and Jazz Trio!
More:
Sarah Hughes web site
Also see: Heterodyne
3 comments:
Well written, Dan. It was my great good fortune to attend last night's Sing Song Trio performance. Here's what I posted earlier today: "What a nice line-up; what astonishing communication among y'all; what unvarnished joy you radiate from the stage. I really enjoyed your singing as well -- it was memorable evening indeed!" . Dan's blog post underscores what an amazing musician Sarah Hughes is, and the undeniable promise that she holds for the future. I look forward to sharing the stage again with Sarah (and Dan, on "words") as soon as possible -- it's always a delightful exploration into the terra incognita of the Muse; journeys down paths that are never duplicated.
Thanks, Ted. I couldn't agree more. From the moment Sarah began playing last night, I knew it would be a special show. I especially agree about Sarah radiating joy from the bandstand.
Much credit, too, to her band-mates in the Sing Song Trio. They played with great energy and great reverence for jazz and the jazz musicians they admire. Very well done.
------BA
Amazing talents all around!
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