By S. Rotan Hale
A few notes into the set and everyone in the hall at the Jefferson Center Friday, May 22 knew full well that it was going to be a legendary night. Legendary because on stage was none other than Ravi Coltrane, the son of the famed saxophonist John Coltrane, notably one of the most influential figures in modern jazz.
Joining Ravi on stage was a trio of world-class musicians as Johnathan Finlayson on trumpet, Ghadi Lahadi on several keyboards and Ele´ Howell who percussively carried it all with layers of underlay on the drums.
The quartet approached the stage, manned their respective instruments and immediately plastered the place with an extremely altered interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s Round Midnight.
Using delicately liltingly stretched notes the group slipped into Nefertiti, by saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. The tune showed the greatness in one of Shorter’s many collaborative efforts with the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis. The two opening selections created a surreal intro into what unfolded as an extraordinary night of lightly-fusion-infused mainstream jazz standards.
Most noticeable (visibly) was the absence of a bass player in the quartet which really emphasized how well Lahadi singlehandedly filled the void throughout the night with synthesized bass accompaniment. With strong fluent lower register notes on his keyboard he led the third song of the set – Cobb’s Hill, by Ralph Alessi one of Ravi’s close associates and a critically-acclaimed jazz trumpeter and composer.
Coltrane creates bold and beautifully crafted layers of sound as he leads the group through music that is clearly layered with improvisation. The shear sultry, soft sound of his saxophone ushered the group through each of the well-crafted selections performed throughout the night.
Spacey meanderings defined the intro on their rendition of Ornette Coleman’s Happy House a tune that midway through very strategically flipped into a choppy conversation first between Finlayson showing his amazing rapid-fire chops on the trumpet and Lahadi’s ‘jammin’ bass undertones after which Ravi and the drummer went full on. The song closed as all members converged for a finely-tuned ultra snappy abrupt ending.
There’s one thing better than a great concert and that’s a great concert with a history lesson told by the direct descendant of the history makers themselves.
Prior to announcing the song Universe as one of the last pieces of music his mother Alice wrote, the audience sat attentively intrigued while Ravi very candidly told of his family and how his parents, John and Alice Coltrane met in New York City, in 1962.
Alice, who passed away in 2007 was an accomplished pianist and composer. She began her illustrious career as a church organist “when she was a little girl,” he said. She later performed with her husband John as well as a host of other jazz greats. Alice is revered as one of the first harpists in jazz and was a major influence regarding the inception of what’s considered spiritual jazz.
“My mother was a very unique individual, she was truly one of a kind,” he said. Ravi continued to speak on his mother’s quest for enlightenment that ultimately led to her multifaceted spiritual journey, her transition to Hindu and her relocation to India.
The intimacy of his talk served as the perfect segue into his mother’s spiritually enlightening ballad. Gently quoting his mother’s lyrics to the song Ravi said, “The time is here and the call is clear. The trumpet sounds for the healing of all nations, and the healing of the earth, and the healing of the universe, and for the healing of all hearts and minds throughout all creation.”
Lahadi’s celestial progressions on the keyboard led the song as the others chimed in on the timeless tune that was a solemn tribute to his mother and her artistry and also rang out as a message for these troubling times.
The group closed with an energetic menagerie of improvised riffing that showcased the individual talents of each member after which they collectively joined center stage for a bow.
This extraordinary group of musicians, blending their incredible talents, created a mesmerizing musical experience that carried the audience through a very special night that will unequivocally go down in the annals of great performances at the Jefferson Center.
