Avant-garde chamber ensemble Fusion convened on the Emory Performing Arts Studio Sunday for its signature mixture of jazz and classical selections, chosen around the theme of summer. It was an afternoon of stunning virtuosity and genre-defying sonic landscapes, blemished only by the fact that hardly anyone was there to see it: a paltry dozen attendees for what should be one of the most celebrated ensembles in Atlanta music.
The afternoon opened with the jazz half of Fusion (aka the Gerald Freeman Jazz Ensemble) playing a spirited rendition of the Vincent Youmans staple “Tea For Two.” Trumpeter Anthony G. Bailey was quick to emerge as the ensemble’s most commanding soloist, with a tone that was smooth and graceful while still carrying enough wind to support an ongoing series of technically demanding phrases.
Concurrent to Bailey’s aggressively chill trumpet was pianist Gerald Freeman, whose prodigious chops took him beyond the realm of the piano and onto a MalletKAT digital vibraphone. The inclusion of the instrument gave the jazz pieces a mid-1960s West Coast atmosphere — the style championed by Henry Mancini, Martin Denny and countless ultra-lounge pioneers. The seamless mid-song instrument switches would be impressive enough, but Freeman brings an infectious sense of groove to his mallet work that plays nicely off the drum set and indicates a level of versatility that often eludes less adept multi-instrumentalists.
Rounding out the jazz quartet were percussionist Paul Vogler and upright bassist Steve Brown, both turning in their usual high-caliber performances. For its part, the jazz aspect of Fusion was a well-oiled machine, kicking out one stellar rendition after another. Other standout selections included Marcos Valle’s “Summer Samba” and a nod to Scott Joplin with “Maple Leaf Rag.”
The format for a Fusion performance typically sees the opposing halves begin with traditional works in their given genres before gradually merging into a single unit for more experimental pieces. This time, Fusion’s classical end — the Aida Chamber Ensemble — stepped forward with avant-garde works from the very outset with a set that included Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 2 from American Four Seasons.
Glass is always a polarizing choice, as his work is potentially aggravating for those who haven’t acquired a taste for his hypnotically repetitive style. Glass’ second violin concerto contains all the hallmarks of his work: brooding ostinato bass lines, a web of cycling arpeggios and vague assertions of melody that seem to be consciously clipped short at intentionally galling moments. In the hands of the Aida players, such brash musical assertions feel well-balanced, with the players choosing to emphasize the rich, dulcet lower register where the real meat of Glass’ compositional style is to be found.
The Aida ensemble ventured into more familiar territory with a string arrangement of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. Reducing the piece to the instrumental confines of a string ensemble served to emphasize the music’s dense harmonic structure, giving the piece an overall sense of low-hanging thickness, one that served to complement the sweltering heat of the concert hall.
The classical side’s most fascinating contribution came in the form of “Sankofa,” a largely improvisatory piece for solo violin composed and performed by Tramaine Jones. The term “sankofa” refers to a symbol used by the Akan people of Ghana that represents gaining wisdom from the knowledge of history. To that end, Jones employs a series of electronic effects pedals normally associated with the electric guitar to create looping violin phrases upon which to improvise.
The effect carries with it the hypnotic quality similar to the earlier Philip Glass composition but with an electronic element reminiscent of the soundscapes of Robert Fripp. From an improvisation standpoint, this allowed Jones to develop some truly striking lines that began with a sense of classical ambience before throwing in jarring jabs of blues and jazz, as if combining the urban with the bucolic.
The ultimate “fusion” of the afternoon eventually saw both halves merging for a series of experimental works, the most notable of which was an arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Summer” from The Four Seasons, this time beginning in the traditional classical format before erupting into a full-fledged jazz rendition, with all members of both halves of the orchestra clearly enjoying themselves. The concept of adapting The Four Seasons to jazz isn’t new — famed clarinetist Eddie Daniels has been there before — but the Fusion group certainly played it with a vigor and enthusiasm all their own.
The brainchild of pianists Karin R. Banks and Gerald Freeman, Fusion has been blending genres for over a decade, finding common and fertile ground in the integration of styles often deemed mutually exclusive by musical purists. It is truly a shame that in that time they haven’t attained a more committed following. Other Atlanta chamber ensembles regularly play to a recurring throng of devotees and it’s high time Fusion joined their ranks.
