David Gold Quartet Pays Tribute to Wayne Shorter

by Rick Winterson

The newly formed Gold Quartet came to town Saturday evening. The occasion was the Quartet’s jazz concert that paid tribute to saxophonist and prolific jazz composer Wayne Shorter, who died recently. The quartet consists of Gillian De Lear on drums, Scott Davidson playing guitar, David Gold on stand-up bass, and Chris Pitts, who performed on both tenor and soprano saxes – just as Wayne Shorter did during his 70-year career. All four Gold Quartet musicians are talented, skilled soloists.

Wayne Shorter’s Tribute Concert was held in The Assemblage Gallery, a meeting and performance space at the rear of the Envoy Hotel that fronts on Sleeper Street. A few years ago, The Assemblage Gallery space was donated to the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) by the Envoy. It has rapidly become a center for South Boston activities. The Assemblage looks out on the Barking Crab across a picturesque walkway and lies in the shadow of the Evelyn Moakley Bridge. Madeleine from FPAC was on hand to set out wine and a buffet for the Concert’s audience.

The Tribute Concert, which was free of charge, played only Wayne Shorter’s music. From 7 until 9:30 p.m., the Gold Quartet’s program brought back Shorter’s decades of creativity

– both his playing and his countless jazz compositions. Two musical sets were punctuated by a brief intermission; the audience was highly responsive. In other words, they all loved it (!) and were (very) generous with their applause. Reporting on jazz concerts can be tricky. The Gold Quartet smoothly passed solos from one member to another, and each soloist improvised – a characteristic of modern jazz by small groups of players. Often, Wayne Shorter’s music first asked a question (Why, Oh Why?) and then the musician told a story with his or her playing. This is difficult to put into words, when it’s really just notes and rhythms that make up modern jazz. And all jazz playing is, to an extent, improvised – it’s never the same from one performance to another.

We’ll use adjectives. Gillian De Lear was an authoritative drummer. Her sound ranged from a metallic whisper on her cymbals to an earthquake beat during her solos. Scott Davidson’s guitar playing was thoughtful and precise. Each and every one of his plucked strings was perfectly placed. David Gold’s bass provided a firm foundation to the improvised playing. He closed out the Quartet’s encore with a distinct “stride” beat. Chris Pitts expertly played both tenor and soprano saxes. He blew his firmer notes and rills strongly, while delivering each ballad sequence softly to the audience. Every solo was rewarded with immediately enthusiastic applause.

So, who was Wayne Shorter? He left us in Los Angeles at the age of 89 on March 2, less than three months ago. But who was he?

Well, Wayne Shorter was probably the most accomplished and original saxophonist of our time. He was a pioneer in the evolution of jazz music, especially jazz that was performed by small groups – trios, quartets, quintets – in more or less intimate surroundings such as The Assemblage. He came from a musical family in New Jersey His achievements extend back to the 1950s, when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He quickly became the main composer for the Jazz Messengers as well as their lead saxophonist. In the 1960s, Shorter teamed up with jazz legend Miles Davis’s Quintet. Because the Quintet was more versatile than the rhythm-based performances of the Jazz Messengers, Shorter’s playing and especially his composing really took off. In addition to this, he began playing on the soprano saxophone (shades of Sidney Bechet in France). Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and John Coltrane were all strong influences on Wayne Shorter’s composing and playing. And his trademark soprano sax performances earned him a dozen awards.

Wayne Shorter then founded his own group, Weather Report, which played “Fusion Jazz”. Simply stated, Fusion Jazz combines rock, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues with classic jazz music. This gave Shorter the leeway to become even more original in his own compositions. He was active well into the 21st Century with a group called Mega Nova formed in 2016. Even after encountering his final health issues, he composed a jazz opera called “Iphigenia”, which premiered in November, 2021.

Construction at the Heights

Construction workers have a bird’s-eye view of the Dorchester Heights Monument while working on Columbia Road.

Mother’s Day in Marine Park

Sunday, May 14, was Mother’s Day. This is a traditional American holiday first observed in 1907, 116 years, ago in West Virginia. A woman named Anna Jarvis was its founder; Mother’s Day is now observed globally in more than 40 other nations. The photo shows a South Boston family in the grassy pedestrian walkway into Flynn Marine Park. However, South Boston Online has to admit that we don’t which one is the mother.

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2003 Sr Babe Ruth Tryouts-Volunteer Coaches Needed!

South Boston Sr Babe Ruth Baseball tryouts will be held on Tuesday May 23rd and Tuesday May 30th at 6pm at King Field in Moakley Park. The team plays a 15 game regular season schedule in the South Shore Sr Babe Ruth League throughout June and July with playoffs that follow.

Players 16-18 years old as well as those that have turned 19 on or after January 1 of 2023 are eligible to play. There are several openings on the roster this year.

The team is also in desperate need of a couple of coaches to volunteer for this season. Even those who may only be able to only make home games or help out on certain days of the week would still be greatly appreciated. Coaching experience is preferred but not necessary.

Any player who is interested in trying out and would like to pre-register for the team or any volunteers interested in coaching can send an email to wconnor16@gmail.com.