Jim Snidero returns to a favorite place to play, heading a quartet

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The predecessor to the Jazz Kitchen was aptly named in the case of alto saxophonist Jim Snidero: The Place to Start was where he appeared with organist Brother Jack McDuff 43 years ago, he told the audience at his latest return visit Sunday night.

Steve Allee, Peter Washington, Jim Snidero, and Jason Tiemann in action Sunday evening.

It was indeed close to the start of his durable career, shortly after he established himself in New York. Being in McDuff's band vaulted him to familiarity among jazz fans when he was starting out. "I was 12," he added drolly.

Now in his mid-60s, Snidero has had a number of illustrious associations over the years, and is well-represented in recordings. His latest, "Bird Feathers," lies behind his current tour, which takes him around the Midwest with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Jason Tiemann. Indianapolis stalwart pianist Steve Allee completed the group at the Jazz Kitchen stop.

The tribute focus to Charlie "Bird" Parker was well-represented inSunday's set here by "Confirmation" and "Ornithology." Both are famous contrafacts (original tunes modeled upon popular songs). 

Allee balanced chords and melody in his solo in "Ornithology." Tiemann's solo was crisply articulated, very much engaged with the groove but not buried in it. 

Washington, a colleague of Snidero's on recordings going back 30 years, was impressive in honoring the melody of "Embraceable You" while exploring various implications suggested by the original. In accompaniment throughout the set, he straightforwardly represented the "walking" tradition of his instrument while being essential to each tune's momentum and hints of novelty.

As for the alto saxophonist, the flow and centeredness of his tone were consistent throughout the set. I first encountered his playing on a  1980s recording by the Toshiko Akiyoshi big band, where he took a definitive solo in her "Blue Dream": without any sign of strain, his solo embraced both the free-floating and knuckling-down aspects of Akiyoshi's extended composition. 

It was rewarding to hear how steadily he has maintained excellence across the emotional and technical spectrum in a quartet setting. One of his originals in this set, "One by One," he introduced as a memorial piece reflecting on the inevitable loss of friends any aging person experiences. 

The tune has a parallel line in the piano that served the composer's purpose well. Allee's solo moved into almost angry territory, which I felt approached the piece's boundaries. But then again, don't the deaths of loved ones sometimes generate rage within us? So on reflection, Allee's showcase fell thoroughly within the intended significance of "One by One."

The set ended with a spirited romp through "Del Sasser," a Sam Jones composition that was a lively feature for the Cannonball Adderley Quintet several decades ago. The enraptured audience response inspired an encore, once again saluting the bebop icon and all-time alto-sax master. The classic "Bird" blues "Parker's Mood" filled the monumental function memorably. "Bird lives," as the saying goes.


[Photo by Rob Ambrose]




 

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