Saturday, August 11, trumpeter Chris Botti performed at Embarcadero Marina Park with the San Diego Symphony under the stars in their Summer Pops series, and Tuesday, August 14, the Winard Harper Sextet performed at the Saville Theatre at San Diego City College as part of their Jazz Live series simultaneously broadcast over KSDS FM. These performances represented totally different approaches to and perspectives on the concept of jazz. On the one hand, Chris Botti, who is an excellent trumpeter, mainly played a role of contributing solo trumpet to an overall lush and romantic atmosphere conjured up by the symphony arrangements. Winard Harper represented the African-American jazz tradition started by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and continued with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. His group reminded me of the late Art Blakey and the many versions of the Jazz Messengers. Winard is central to the evolution of the tradition of jazz as exemplified by these people: burning creative energy, furious self-expression, respect for the tradition but each interpreting it from his own perspective and as a more or less new arrival on the scene. 
The San Diego Symphony did an opening set without Chris Botti consisting of arrangements of Cole Porter compositions. They might as well have skipped the opening set. People were there to see Chris Botti, not listen to a bunch of lame arrangements and insipid interpretations which didn't do justice to Cole Porter, my favorite American songbook composer. Calling Nelson Riddle... When Chris came on, he played a couple of tunes to establish his credentials as a trumpeter of considerable technique with a beautiful, mellow sound before he started chatting with the audience. Once he did start chatting, he told us practically his whole life story which was actually pretty interesting. There was the bit where he got a call to play with Frank Sinatra and Frank told him, "Nice solo, kid." This led to visions of hanging with the Chairman which, after some openers, came to no avail when Frank's manager told him, "Don't ever bother Mr. Sinatra again."
Winard opened with Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." Harper is one of the best jazz drummers playing today for my money. Incidentally, the concert was free for KSDS members of which I am one, but if I had to pay I would. Winard has my respect not only for being a great drummer but also for being a bandleader, not an easy feat in today's market. Inspired by Billy Higgins and Lee Morgan, they ripped into a tune that sounded so contemporary I was sure Winard had written it himself. It turned out to be a Charlie Parker tune. Since Parker died in 1955, it had to have been written over 50 years ago, yet so vital was the inspiration that, as so much of Charlie Parker's music is, it was timeless. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the tune, and I thought I had heard all of Parker's oeuvre, as I'm a Parker aficionado, but I guess not. Pianist Sean Higgins, the token white guy of the group, contributed a number of impassioned solos as did the effervescent and uncontainable Harper. African pecussionist, Alioune Faye, elevated the role of rhythym to an even higher level.
Chris Botti had an excellent small band with him that played within the context of the larger Symphony. Chris had played with Sting and he seems to have adopted his hairdo. He even looks something like him, and appearance seemed to be a well thought out component of the entire presentation. Botti recounted how impressed he was with Miles Davis' mellow, romantic tone and he set out to emulate him rather than the more frantic beboppers. He played a number from Davis' "Kind of Blue" album, Flamenco Sketches. Chris' emphasis was on tonal beauty and creating a lush atmosphere rather than creative improvisation, and, therefore, I wouldn't place Botti, although a formidable trumpet player, in the mainstream of the jazz tradition. I wouldn't call him a smooth jazzer either because from a larger musical perspective, this was beautiful music. He didn't mention Chet Baker, but I see him as also having been influenced by him since Chet emphasized the romantic ballads and always had a chick hanging on him on his album covers. Botti has obviously traded fire and complexity for accessibility and, I'm sure, there are many people out there who are grateful for his CDs as a high class make out accompaniment.
Winard had the traditional trumpet/tenor saxophone front line played by Josh Evans and Stacy Dillars, respectively. Not yet fully fledged, these young men, nevertheless, contributed their spirit and energy to the proceedings. Bobby Timmons' "Moanin" turned out to be an amenable vehicle for the front line. The star, however, was Winard who alternately drove and sheparded the band and then unleashed meticulous, paroxysms of creative, rhythmic energy while still remaining true to the tradition. Not a pounder or a basher, Winard's solos were complex and full of finesse without being overly loud or obtrusive. He seems to combine the energy of Elvin Jones, the tastefullness of Billy Higgins and the band driving chops of Art Blakey. His career path has him committed to the jazz tradition composed of three parts improvisation, two parts technique and four parts creative self-expression.
Chris Botti's career path consists of one part hip appearance, one part presentation, two parts trumpet technique, one part personality and one part good taste in selecting beautiful arrangements. His introducer noted that he was a Columbia recording artist. Columbia has a reputation for only selecting artists they think can make money for the label. At any time they will only bet on one or two jazz trumpet players. They bet on Miles Davis, and he came through for them. Right now it seems to be Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti. To say that Botti is making and probably will make a lot of money while Harper struggles to keep a band together would be stating the obvious. 
Accessibility, romanticism and Columbia promotion will always trump purity of art form and creative improvisation, unfortunately. Some would say the jazz tradition as exemplified by Winard Harper is passe, but, au contraire, the forms of traditional jazz, the music of Parker, Ellington, Mingus, Monk et al will be played 200 years from now just as Mozart's music is played today, and it will be as fresh then as the abilities and inventiveness of future musicians can make it. But let us hope also that the likes of Chris Botti, Dianna Krall and other accessible but authentic musicians will take over from Kenny G and the smooth, jacuzzi jazz crowd. If folks want accessible as opposed to artistic then at least let them have authentic rather than kitsch.
