| But this evening was a bit of a party, too, when Dawkins on alto led audience members in an impromptu conga line for Adele, a lady in the audience who was celebrating her birthday. Dawkins sang "Happy Birthday" in his informal, inimitable fashion. The bass player shook a rattle. Cake was served. We all had fun.
"Tribute to Malachi Favors" combined a descending bass line like in "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles and a melody like the first 4 bars of "Alfie" by Sonny Rollins. The multiple voices of Rollins, Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon spoke out in the tenor. In an extended free blowing section, then a vigorous tenor/drums duet, Ernest Dawkins further demonstrated a sweeping mastery of instrument and improvisation. The enthusiastic Spencer — sticks all the way — capped it off with a stiff smash of hi-hat, snare, and ride cymbal.
"Baghdad Boogie" brought us back full circle. Politics. The hurt put upon African-American communities. And during a rap about Donald Rumsfeld's Haliburton Corporation, and how it was relocating to Dubai — "bye-bye" intoned Dawkins — two Toronto guests sat in, Harvey Cowan on violin and Jaruba on flute. Eventually surrounded by whistles and duck calls, they made way for pummelling drums, groaning bass, and a high flying, searing alto. And when everyone came back to earth, Dawkins soliloquized and played, "You Don't Know What Love Is".
|
|
Ernest Dawkins |
