By: Rudy Lu
Ambrose, Shoudy & Hearn sounds like a legal team but its not, its a band of talented Jazz musicians. If last week was crowd comforting with a mix of standards and Pop music; this week presented a mild challenge to the audience. Deep album cuts and some beautiful avant garde music with a smatterng of originals were played in the afternoon.
The afternoon’s repetoire consisted of originals, Pat Metheny, Ornette Coleman, Yusef Latef, Fred Hersch, Wayne Shorter and Kenny Wheeler.
Opening with Hearn’s “Drew’s Blues” , a pleasant blues shuffle set the pace, muscular drumming, bass playing, exploratory guitar and flute. Followed by “Phases”, an avant garde composition by bass player Dave Holland.
Ed’s Blues is Wyatt Ambrose’s tribute to a guitar teacher and mentor. Lots of guitar picking by Wyatt with accompanying soprano sax.
Wyatt announced with hesitancy that the group would play Pat Metheny’s “Bright Size Life”. That intricate composition was deftly handled by the combo, It sounded blusier to this listener’s ear and the addition of saxophone was as if Michael Brecker was playing,
An Ornett Coleman/ Yusef Lateef medley of “Kathelin Gray” with “Magnolia Triangle” melded the avant garde with the exotic.
Wayne Shorter’s “Tom Thumb” showed the band has a funky muscular side. More Scofield with “A Shorter Form” and a mellow Shorter “Black Nile ” ended the covers. The set closed with Hearn;s original “Funkdt If I Know”.
The series will continue on 7/2 with vocalist Shirl Zorn and her band. For details go to: