arts for art's vision festival at the judson memorial church - NYC, jun 9

• photography by Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas

The Vision Festival is the Arts for Art’s annual celebration of the free jazz movement, which promotes the ideals of freedom, justice, and excellence.
Over the course of one week (from June 5 through 12), unavoidable musicians and artists who actuate within this bold and particular current performed at the Judson Church in Washington Square.
This year, Vision awarded the veteran avant-jazz bassist, Henry Grimes, with the lifetime achievement for his outstanding career.

The evening of June 9th (the only day we were able to attend) started with the Douglas Dunn Dancers expressing themselves lightly and freely at the sound of Bill Cole’s UnTempered Trio. Bill Cole and Ras Moshe assured the serpentine oriental melodies that, juxtaposed or not, often deviated to more emancipated explorations, while Lisette Santiago was in charge of the mesmeric percussion.

One of the greatest moments of the evening was the performance of the alto saxophonist, Jemeel Moondoc, who gathered a magnificent quintet to perform tunes from his new album entitled “Cosmic Nickelodeon” (Relative Pitch), recorded in duo with the bassist Hilliard Greene, who was also present tonight. 
The rest of the line-up included: Moondoc’s longtime collaborator Nathan Breedlove on trumpet, the incredible Matthew Shipp on piano, and Newman Taylor Baker on drums.
The band opened with an epic march full of dazzling harmonic intensifications and drum ruffs, paying homage to the American cornetist, composer, and conductor, Butch Morris. Shipp was particularly notable, using his right hand for rapid attacks and his left to extract those extremely low notes that make your hairs stand on end.
The yearning and passion of this first eruption led to the title tune, which revolved around a melodic idea that kept being repeated here and there by the musicians. It featured an illuminated bow work by Greene. 
Their performance ended with a soulful exercise supported by a potent groove and balance, in which we could feel the steady rhythm section and admire Moondoc/Breedlove’s complements and fills.

The event continued with “Kende Dreams”, an homage to the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok by the unflinching trombonist Steve Swell, who was joined by Rob Brown on alto saxophone, Connie Crothers on piano, Larry Roland on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums.
Angrily positive, the performance started with a punch. The infectious dialogue by the reedists, Crother’s atonal approach (throwing in occasional erudite lines), and Taylor’s syncopated drum solo, were all motives to enjoy.
The last tune they played was a relentless, almost mechanical piece. A one-note bass groove associated to the powerfully built percussion that formed the backbone for Brown and Swell’s energetic improvisations.

Hamid Drake’s stalwart quartet let the emotions run high with a one hour non-stop performance. Besides the gifted drummer, on stage were the experienced 81-year-old Kidd Jordan on saxophone, Cooper-Moore on piano, and Michael Bisio on double bass.
Their experience and extraordinary sense of unity could be appreciated throughout the breathtaking concert, which relied on wild improvisational creativity, incendiary dynamics and languages, and super articulated, if sometimes completely refracted, rhythms. You can think of an intoxicating odyssey whose noisy prayers and agitated passages are gradually transformed into calm and breathable atmospheres, essential to regroup forces and continue exulting inspiration. 
Drake and Bisio formed a cohesive and tireless rhythm section, persisting in fast paces, while Cooper-Moore and Jordan embarked on a sort of musical game where they rejoiced and sang and invoked Coltrane, “Caravan”, and “Round Midnight”.

Glory to the art of free improvisation!