An Imaginative Duo at Old First Concerts

Henry Plotnick and Sebastian Alexander Johnson (from their Old First Concerts event page)

Yesterday afternoon Old First Concerts presented the second of the four live-streamed performances planned for this month. This was a duo performance by pianist Henry Plotnick and vibraphonist Sebastian Alexander Johnson, both of whom are students at the School of Jazz, the second conservatory of The New School in New York. The program was live-streamed through YouTube and recorded as a video that is now available for viewing on a YouTube Web page.

The program consisted of two sets, which were conceived with symmetry in mind. Each set coupled a jazz standard with an original composition by each of the performers, along with a spontaneous duo improvisation. All of the introductions were made by Plotnick, who has not yet found his comfort zone in dealing with an audience, particularly when he cannot experience either visible or auditory feedback from that audience. Fortunately, any shortcomings in introducing the selections was quickly overcome by the performers’ instrumental skills and expressive rhetoric.

The standards could not have been more iconic. The first half concluded with Thelonious Monk’s “Bye-Ya,” whose solid rhythms fared just as well on vibraphone as on the piano (which was, after all, Monk’s instrument). The second half presented a selection from the Duke Ellington album Such Sweet Thunder, a twelve-part suite inspired by William Shakespeare, all movements of which were composed jointly by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. (The program sheet omitted Ellington’s name and listed Strayhorn as “Bill,” recalling the album Ellington composed after Strayhorn’s death, …And His Mother Called Him Bill.) The suite movement was played as a solo by Plotnick, who selected “The Star-Crossed Lovers” (also known as “Pretty Girl”).

Each of the composers’ pairs of originals had a common theme that cut across the two sets. Plotnick’s theme could be called “water in nature,” with “Dew Gatherer” in the first set and “Turn of the Sea” concluding the second. Both of these were more evocative in spirit, rather than explicitly “pictorial.” Johnson, on the other hand, turned to the Old Testament. HIs first-half composition was entitled “Esau” and seems to have captured the coarser qualities of Jacob’s brother. The second half of the program began with his “Judges” (from Nevi’im Rishonim, the Hebrew for the “Former Prophets”). This book of the Bible accounts for the many battles that the Israelites faced with hostile neighbors; but the music tended to reflect resolve, rather than militancy.

Most impressive, however, was the spontaneity of the two improvisations, particularly since the second was far from a rehash of the first. To be fair, the spontaneity obviated any plans for overall structure. The music thus emerged as a shared stream of consciousness. Some might have been concerned with the lack of a well-defined beginning, middle, and end; but those familiar with large-scale extended improvisation (think of Cecil Taylor) could be readily contented with just enjoying the ride.

Taken as a whole, the program provided an excellent platform to present the skills of the two performers, both as a duo and in their solo takes. Each displayed solid technical command of his instrument, and it was clear that original invention was a high priority for both of them. Most likely classes are currently on hold at the School of Jazz. However, bringing your music before an audience is also part of the educational process. Plotnick and Johnson rose to the challenge of performing for a virtual audience with laudable confidence, presenting a multi-dimensional perspective of their approaches to playing jazz.