Evangelista’s Latest Full-Evening Jazz Gig

Those of us that take listening to jazz seriously probably recall the first time we encountered a performance that went far beyond any expectations. In my case that event took place when John Coltrane’s Ascension album arrived at the campus radio station at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There was an unexpected jolt at the very beginning, and the aftershocks endured throughout both sides of the long-playing record.

Last night, when he was introducing the performers for Bukas, his latest full-evening performance, guitarist Karl Evangelista recalled his own personal incident when introducing drummer Andrew Cyrille to the audience. He had first encountered Cyrille on Cecil Taylor’s Conquistador! album, and listening to jazz would never be the same again. When Evangelista prepared last year’s full-evening composition Apura, he invited Cyrille to be his drummer; and last night Cyrille returned, this time to serve as drummer for Bukas. This time he was joined by another “veteran” of the free jazz movement, Lewis Jordan on alto saxophone. I was fortunate enough to be a fly on the wall during the pre-performance run through, followed by the microphone checks. Jordan spoke into his microphone, “I have nothing to say, and I am saying it, and that is poetry.”

After all the pre-performance activities had concluded, I was able to approach Jordan and tell him I liked the way he quoted John Cage. He smiled and talked about how he had been influenced by Cage’s Indeterminacy album. He had not known that Cage used the stories from that album as the “music” for Merce Cunningham’s “How to Pass, Kick, Fall, and Run.” He seemed amused at this connection between words and dance.

In Bukas Evangelista again led on electronic guitar, extended with vocal work. The other performers were also “veterans” of Apura, Lisa Mezzacappa on bass, Rei Scampavia on keyboards and electronics, and Francis Wong on tenor saxophone. The title of the program was again Tagalog with two different meanings, depending on the pronunciation: “tomorrow” or “open.”

The composition consisted of ten movements preceded by an “Introduction.” However, while the Apura movements had Tagalog titles, those for Bukas were in English:

1. What I am Concerned About Now
2. Midas
3. Temp
4. Confirm the Truth
5. Ghost Captain
6. Walking Ayler in Tarzana
7. Residente
8. Anti

I have to confess that I could not follow these movement labels very well, but it was enough for me to listen to the interplay among all the performers.

I assume that “Ayler” was not the jazz saxophonist! Nevertheless, the free jazz spirit of Albert Ayler was clearly present in the evening, rubbing shoulders with Cyrille’s presence and Taylor’s memory. Evangelista also prepared some program notes in which he discussed the legacy of the Free Jazz movement and how it has now advanced into a broader category that he calls Free Music. It that context it is worth observing that there was no charge for those coming to listen to last night’s “Free Music” performance!