A review of Saturday's gig, via Chuck Obuchowski of the Hartford Courant:
Moran created a very different sonic environment for the next selection, an as-yet-untitled composition he co-wrote with one of his acknowledged musical mentors, Andrew Hill. The pianist began unaccompanied, establishing a serene mood with carefully chosen single-note patterns. When Mateen and Waits joined him, they were instantly attuned to Moran's gentle musical wavelength. Solos emerged and disappeared seamlessly into the trio flow. Mateen's Marco acoustic-electric bass was especially effective here, offering both the woody resonance of an upright bass with the added flexibility of volume and tone that an electric stringed instrument provides.
The Bandwagon's set offered captivating slices of jazz history, from the stride piano-meets-barrelhouse boogie of a Jaki Byard medley to a deeply spiritual take on "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
The 14-piece Artists Collective Youth Jazz Orchestra opened the Hartford Jazz Society event with a half-hour dedication to McLean. They presented heartfelt renditions of McLean's "Dig," "Blues Inn" and "Appointment in Ghana."
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