The Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Orchestra

At the Keystone in Palo Alto, California

March 24, 1979, Saturday

The music started at 10:14 with the chart Tuning Up. Tom Peterson soloed on tenor, followed by a trombone soli, then Bill Reichenbach on solo trombone, Bill Byrne on baritone, a trumpet soli, Steve Huffstetter on trumpet, Buddy Childers on trumpet, a "duel" between Huffstetter and Childers, a sax soli, closed by a tenor solo from Lew Tabackin.

Next we heard Salted Gingko Nuts featuring the trombone section. Andy MacIntosh soloed on alto, followed by Randy Alcroft, Bill Reichenbach and Rick Culver on trombone.

Alien Registration Card was recorded live at Newport '77. Dan Higgins played clarinet followed by a flute solo by Lew Tabackin, Childers on trumpet, ensemble work and a long flute cadenza from Tabackin.

Hangin' Loose started with Toshiko's piano with bass and drums, then Toshiko with the full band, followed by Huffstetter on flugelhorn, MacIntosh on alto, ensemble work and finally Tabackin.

Warning: Sex May Be Hazardous to Your Health from the Road Time album had solos from Huffstetter, Dan Higgins and Ralph Humphrey on drums.

A brand new ballad called Time Stream featured Peterson on tenor and Huffstetter on flugelhorn.

Chasing After Love was recorded in November 1978. Taken uptempo in a fast four it was all Tabackin's tenor, including a stop time section and a long cadenza.

The second set started with a tune that had Tabackin alone, then with rhythm section. Childers joined in on trumpet, Mac Intosh on alto, Reichenbach's trombone, Bill Byrne on baritone and Tabackin on tenor. The soloists were backed by stop time "bops" , just the rhythm, then the full ensemble.

First Night was next featuring Buddy Childers on trumpet. At the front and end of the chart the five man saxophone section took up flutes for a soli.

The March of the Tadpoles featured the four man trombone section. Solos were from Mac Intosh on alto, then Tabackin with just drums, then adding the bass. The trombone section stood for an unaccompanied soli, followed by solos by Alcroft and Reichenbach.

Kogun included a tape of Japanese "growls." The flute of Lew Tabackin was heard. The ensemble took over, the tempo changed to 3/4, the theme was reprised, a change to straight ahead 4/4, a piano solo from Toshiko, the ensemble again, and an ending flute cadenza from Tabackin.

Since Perry/Yet Another Tear started with a drum solo from Humphrey, then an umtempo 4/4, bone blasts, a sax soli, the ensemble, Tabackin's tenor over rhythm, then over the ensemble, then a long cadenza. This concluded the performance.

One of the band's strengths, one of any band's strengths is its charts. All of the band's arrangements are written by Toshiko. She is a gifted and prolific composer. Her writing for the trombone section is among the best, if not the best. Solis for a particular section were highlighted by having the section members stand. This is an effective stage technique and should be more widely utilized. Ensemble playing, if not flawless, was sharp. Power was available for contrast but the blatant volume of Maynard was thankfully absent.

Another strong point was the length of the tunes. Most songs lasted 10 to 15 minutes with several soloists getting the opportunity to blow many choruses with varying backdrops. The backdrops were workmanlike, usually building in complexity and the number of instruments used. But the soloists who filled all this space were generally undistinguished. Lew Tabackin, the group's featured improvisor, just doesn't do anything for me, either on tenor sax or flute. His seemingly endless cadenzas should be limited to one per set. They are unrelated to the song being played. Tabackin should take cues from Urbie Green whose brief song ending cadenzas are as brilliant technically as Tabackin's but also stunning capsulizations of the song's essence. Tabackin should be dubbed "the cricket." He was constantly shifting his feet and rubbing his legs together.

Only a few melodies stood out. Toshiko did display a fondness for fast syncopated bop lines and also fat ensemble "pows" to initiate or conclude stop time sections. There was also a nice line done for 5 flutes.

The band's newer tunes were easier to listen and like than some of the earlier compositions. An album taped at the Newport Jazz festival in 1977 has yet to be released by RCA. Who knows when the recording done in November 1978 will be available?

The band needs a soloist as exciting as Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich or Bill Watrous. Don Higgins played alto in a style reminiscent of Phil Woods with traces of a fast Paul Desmond. He bears watching. Bill Byrne on baritone sax seemed reluctant to solo. He is no match for Bruce Johnstone or even Gary Smulyan, Woody's new bari player. Peterson was unremarkable. The band needs either a cool jazz or a bluesy tenorman to offset the cadenza cricket. MacIntosh looking a bit flabby, has matured somewhat since playing with Maynard and was the most interesting of the sax players.

The trombonists were not always well amplified. Reichenbach had the most solo space. Like most of the players his solos lacked inspiration, direction, purpose or cohesiveness. Reichenbach and Alcroft did engage in some mildly warm bone duels. Rick Culver, formerly of the Buddy Rich band was not used much. Nor was the bass trombone of Phil Teele. I don't remember a single real ballad number, very little melodic improvising and almost no rock content.

Huffstetter played most the trumpet solos. They were unremarkable as were the solos of veteran (read-old) Buddy Childers. Childers did crack some high notes but his upper register was not capitalized on.

Humphrey's drums could use more of the drive of a Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson, Sonny Payne or Butch Miles. His solos was unimpressive. Bassist Heard did not solo. Toshiko's piano playing was good and could have used more exposure.

The band did play two long sets without signs of tiring but there were subtle signs of boredom with the small, dwindling, polite but hardly enthusiastic crowd. An enjoyable night of fine music but hardly an event.

In the meantime Toshiko could use some plush mellow ballads, maybe a touch of rock, more drive from the drums, more groove from the ensemble and most of all more interest and excitement from the soloists.

Personnel

Trumpets-Steve Huffstetter, Buddy Childers, Larry Ford, Mike Price

Trombones-Randy Alcroft, Rick Culver, Bill Reichenbach, Phil Teele

Saxophones-Lew Tabackin, Andy MacIntosh, Dan Higgins, Bill Byrne, Tom Peterson

Drums-Ralph Humphreys

Bass-John Heard

Piano-Toshiko Akiyoshi

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This page revised December 18,  2000.