After six decades, the annual festival in the breathtaking Basque seaside town San Sebastián (Donostia) has a tried and tested mix in its schedule. Overseas visitors take in a well-judged selection from the US artists on Summer visits to Europe. This year their first contribution came from Lakecia Benjamin, spectacularly energetic at one of the popular free stages by the beach. Other standouts included Chris Potter’s all-star quartet with Brad Mehldau, John Pattituci and Johnathan Blake and the beautifully poised duo of John Scofield and Dave Holland, both celebrating their final tour dates with gusto in the town’s cockpit for the jazz faithful on Trinitate Plaza.
Refreshingly, the organisers leaven these engagements, and the other routine big names from Gregory Porter and Diana Krall to Rufus Wainwright, with more extended presentations from invited artists who are not otherwise on the Euro circuit. William Parker joined this select group this year, as recipient of the Jazzaldia award, with three sets to savour his art. As the citation noted, the award recognises “his commitment to innovation, his creative freedom and in-depth understanding of musical language makes him a fundamental figure in contemporary Jazz.”
Photo credit Lolo Vasco/Jazzaldia
First up was an early morning duo with New York-resident pianist Eri Yamamoto in the cloister of the old convent now reborn as a museum of Basque culture. The opening long exercise in free lyricism established their fluidly responsive mutual sympathy, beginning and ending with bowed bass, with succeeding bass and piano dialogues covering a rich range of tone and feeling. Like the bassist, Yamamoto has folk cadences in her vocabulary along with free flurries and rhythmic intensity, and their now long-enduring collaboration is a partnership of equals. Parker led a second exploration on shakuhachi that left the pianist with a larger rhythmic responsibilities and had equally splendid results.
Photo credit Lolo Vasco/ Jazzaldia
Set two was a late appearance in Trinitate Plaza, with Parker offering the second half of a double bill after Scofield and Holland. Yamamoto was joined by Ikuo Takeuchi on drums and long-time Parker associate Rob Brown on alto sax to complete a fiery quartet. Brown’s alto was as melodically astringent as ever, though sweetened at the outset by the contrast with Parker’s piercing shrieks on one of his alternative horns. As often in a Parker set, the freer playing was presently underpinned by a bass groove. And what a groove. We had just enjoyed fine work from Holland, one of the world’s pre-eminent double bassists, but Parker’s presence on the instrument is, if anything, even more remarkable. A Parker bass line comes over like a message hewn on tablets of stone brought down from the mountain, never more so than on the set closer, Malachi’s Mode. It’s a familiar Parker sign off: play as free as you want, in this case on bass, shakuhachi and a traditional flute acquired locally a few days before, but finish with a tune with an irresistible hook.
And finally, a trio show in the gilded splendour of the Victorian Eugenia theatre, our man a little more forthcoming with announcements at this early show. We began in Don Cherry world, with shakuhachi over a steady beat from Takeuchi and slowly gathering piano. Oklahoma Sunset, Parker’s tribute to drummer Sunny Murray led seamlessly into East Harlem sunrise and a nod to Alice Coltrane. As before, a kaleidoscopic display of richly inventive free playing from all three concluded with a hummable classic from the bassist’s older repertoire, the infectious Cornmeal Dance making the piano ring. Give William Parker an award? I would.
