Jazz breaking news: Baptiste’s Let Freedom Ring! at QEH adds audiovisual dimension to King’s still-powerful dream
Monday, October 28, 2013
On paper this concert, a highly ambitious audio-visual presentation, might appear to be a revival of the talented British saxophonist’s 2003 project Let Freedom Ring! But the prefix Now Is The Time points to an extension of the original concept that saw Denys Baptiste (pictured) write a suite based on the second half of Dr.
Martin Luther King’s Lincoln Memorial address of 1963, the moment when the civil rights movement acquired a gravitas that no right thinking human could deny. It is the first half of the speech that Baptiste draws on for a new set of music that opens the evening, and it is a vivid showcase for both the leader’s compositional verve and the smart deployment of the vast resources at his disposal.
In addition to his 14-piece band, there is an 80-piece choir, Voicelab, as well as the projected image of Lemn Sissay who recites an original poem that breathes thought-provoking fire into the themes of identity and equality. Baptiste’s score is no less compelling. A blend of subtle but resonant Afrobeat grooves, courtesy of the Rod Youngs-Satin Singh drums-percussion axis, and rousing gospel choruses is impressive. As is the unusual slant of the band: next to the piano and double bass is a string quartet with two celli, which brings notable extra weight to the ensemble voice. That said, crystalline, muted trumpet and swooning, soulful trombone astutely lighten the textures.
Although he solos relatively little, Baptiste’s tenor makes for a commanding lead, while the typically expressive improvisations by violinist Omar Puente and alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey ensure there is sufficient individual colour within the shifting orchestral canvas. The second set is no less charged, and if there is more of an Afro-Cuban flavour to some of the rhythms then bassist Gary Crosby often flies into swish passages of swing in the most organic way.
Yeast Culture’s visuals provide a graphic collage of footage of brutalised civil rights campaigners and contemporary protest movements like Occupy, all of which underlines the continuity and pertinence of King’s words today. ‘Free At Last’ is a joyous triplet that lifts every voice at the end of the night, which is possibly the best soundtrack to his most enduring message: “We cannot turn back.”
– Kevin Le Gendre