fans received a real treat last Thursday night as Peter Brainin and Friends performed to a near-full house in the Smith Recital Hall at Plymouth State University. The performance featured several original works by Brainin, as well as renditions and tributes to jazz greats throughout time.
The quartet, advertised mistaken-ly as trio, is led by saxophonist Peter Brainin, a dedicated performer and educator in jazz since 1986. Among Brainin?s performance credits are tours and gigs with Matt Murphy, the Joey Calderazzo Quartet, Mon-go Santamaria, and a decade-long association with the Hilton Ruiz Ensemble. Brainin has also been a member of the Chico O?Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra since 1995, and contributed to Grammy nominated CD?s by O?Farrill, Heart of a Legend and Carambola, and Bobby Sanabria?s Live and In Clave. As an educator, Brainin is a teacher and judge, and has performed numerous presentations and workshops throughout New York City, including ?Arroz con Bebop,? which he does with as a quintet led by Arturo O?Farrill. Brainin contrib-uted at the New Hampshire Music Festival prior to his performance at Plymouth State.
Also joining Brainin for Thurs-day?s performance was Cuban pianist Manuel Valera, bass player Eric Stiller, and drummer Chris Hig-ginbottom. Along with his skills on the piano, Valera is also a composer, arranger, bandleader, and is among the leaders of the next generation in performers and composers of comtemporary modern jazz, col-laborating with numerous artists for tours and CD?s. Stiller, who recently made Jazz Ambassador for the Kennedy Center, has toured and performed with several artists, including Ernie Andrews, Bobby Shew, and Maynard Ferguson, and is a member of the Greenwich Village Orchestra. Higgenbottom, a Londoner only recently added to the group, has toured throughout Europe with musicians Tim Gar-land and Jason Rebello among oth-ers, and has taken to many freelance projects since moving to New York last year.
All three, together with Brainin, provided a fantastic display of jazz music. The two hour performance featured eleven compositions from assorted artists, including Brainin himself. Among Brainin?s original works in the performance were the tribute song Elis, the gospel tune Zen Baptist, the intense Ceremony and Pedal Down, and Painted Des-ert, a tribute to the beautiful Arizona deserts. Among other pieces were a rendition of band-favorite Jimi Hendrix?s Castles in the Sand, Dex-ter Gordon?s Fried Banana, Charles Mingus?s Good Bye, Pork Pie Hat, Wayne Shorter?s Night and John Coltraine?s Giant Steps. Also on Brainin?s program list were works by A.C. Jobim?s Favela, Thelonius Monk?s Nutty, Stanley Cowell?s Equipoise and other Brainin origi-nals, including La Paz, though time restraints and the performance of several unannounced composi-tions did not permit for Brainin and company to perform them. While disappointing that not all selections could be played, the performance was satistfactory regardless, and the compositions added by Brainin were met with great enthusiasm.
Brainin and Friends proved to be a quiet group, as Brainin did all of the talking in between pieces, and even that was very little. The quar-tet hardly needed to make conversa-tion though, as their performance did all the talking for them. The audience showed appreciation and enjoyment throughout the perfor-mance, especially during dazzling drum, piano and bass solos, while Brainin often stood by and watched, awaiting his next part. Brainin him-self drew loud applause every time he returned to his place on stage, and his intensity on the tenor sax, as well as briefly at the end on soprano sax, drew cheers and whistles. In all, performance-goers thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with some jazz fans staying after to congratu-late Brainin on his performance.
Brainin and Friends continued their tour with another performance on Friday, in Laconia. For music by the group, you can check out Brain-in?s latest compilation, No Saints, No Sinners, featuring pieces by Brainin and Steve Jones, as well as Manuel Valera?s Prey to Indulgence.