At 82, Gladys Knight still reigns

The Rochester International Jazz Festival was packed on its second-to-last day. Folks seemed to be relishing the day, knowing the festivities would soon be over. The streets were filled with people gunning for one last taste of the music.

The first show of my evening was the Orrin Evans Trio, hosted at the lavish Max of Eastman Place. Since seating was for dining only, I leaned against a wall with the photographers and others.

Evans began his set by asking the announcer, Nathan, to return to the stage. “I do my research,” he said ominously into the microphone. Evans had learned that Nathan was a poet in his spare time. With this information at his disposal, he called on the announcer for an impromptu spoken-word performance. 

Despite being caught off guard, the unofficial guest managed to execute a piece entirely from memory, creating a wonderful ambiance in the room. This set the tone for the rest of the performance.

With no vocals in the trio’s set, Evans harnessed his piano into a voice all its own. On stage, he is a perfect portrait of a jazz piano master, and his style is an innovative continuation of techniques pioneered by past greats. The influence of jazz titan Thelonious Monk, for example, is present in Evans’ work. As his fingers ran up and down the keys, he took the audience on a roller coaster ride. Dissonant chords and stuttering arpeggios were interlaced with dreamy melodies, lulling the audience back and forth into complete tonal whiplash. Evans holds an omnipresent tension in his playing, even when he resolves a phrase, always keeping you on your toes. When he plays, you never know what’s coming next.

Evans was backed by the equally talented Matthew Parrish on bass and Bryon Landham on the kit, a duo that had grown up together. This sharpens the trio’s dynamic. They’ve been playing as a whole for over 30 years, and the musical intuition they share is astounding. 

Landham’s drumming was sparse when supporting his bandmates, and at the same time, it added so much to the group’s texture. Wielding sticks, mallets, and brushes all in different combinations, I vividly recall thinking to myself at one point in the show, “I didn’t know a hi-hat could make that sound.” He scratched his cymbals with the tips of his sticks to create haunting metallic creaks over solos. Parrish, too, filled just the right space in the band. Parrish’s hands flew up and down the neck, letting loose deep rumbling notes. Together, the rhythm section was the Atlas to Evans’s sky. 

After the Evans trio finished their set, I wound down with a chicken sandwich from one of the many great food trucks at the festival. Then, I made my way through the lobby of historic Kodak Hall and ascended into the nosebleeds for an hour with a bona fide Motown legend.

Gladys Knight is a name that needs no introduction. She’s been music royalty for half a century, earning nicknames like “The Empress of Soul,” a spot in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, several Grammys, and countless other accolades. While best known for her work in the family group Gladys Knight and the Pips, her decades-long career is storied to say the least. She’s inspired generations with her music. Walking on stage accompanied by her backup singers, she was played in by a monstrous backing band, complete with two drumsets, two keyboardists, bass, and guitar. 

Knight celebrated her 82nd birthday last month, and she’s still got it. The voice of timeless classics like “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” remains intact, and for an octogenarian, Knight has moves! She was shaking her hips and strutting around the stage all the same, as she had countless times before. 

Knight seems to be a magnet for up-and-coming musical talent as well. Her backing band was stacked, with a luscious wall of sound that coated my ears. Guitar, keys, bass, every musician on stage had at least one showstopping moment. And, always one to share the spotlight, Knight gave each of her backups ample time to shine bright themselves. Each one dazzled the crowd with breathtaking solos of their own. Even in her mythical status, you could tell Knight was proud to share the stage with such talent.

The night was just as much a celebration of Knight’s music as it was a performance. Adoring fans filled the room to the brim, all shouting, “I love you, Gladys,” with a passion that only a lifetime filled with her music could bring. The applause continued even after the curtains closed–another performance in the books for an elder stateswoman of soul music.

After Knight’s performance finished up, I legged it across the festival grounds just in time to grab a front row seat for Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans at Temple Theater. The group specializes in Dixieland and trad jazz. When they aren’t touring, they can be found filling the streets of New Orleans with the music that was born there. They’ve brought their show around the world and have even played the Kennedy Center.

As they approached the stage, Doreen Ketchens and the group carried themselves very casually. Their energy was approachable. The bassist opted to sit on his amp as he played, and the band as a whole seemed more relaxed on stage than I was in my seat. As Ketchens stepped up to the mic, she greeted the audience with a modest wave, greeted us kindly, and thanked us graciously for being there. 

After a quick introduction to the band, they started off with a peppy rendition of “This Train.” Ketchen’s clarinet immediately grabbed my attention as she let loose her first solo of the night. She effortlessly flew up and down the octave in a mesmerizing fashion, intermixing it with earthy growls that floored me. Each member of the band followed suit. They were so comfortable with their instruments that the blazing pace they kept seemed like a morning walk. Simultaneously, each person played as if their lives depended on it, and the guttural sound each one brought to the show had me glued to the edge of my seat. 

Another highlight of the band is Ketchen’s singing. It isn’t intended to be a great spectacle soaring over the instrumentals, but it is every bit just as good. She sings straight from the heart, with a gentle tone that just makes you smile. Even in the music’s most aggressive moments, she tastefully dances through the notes with an energetic jaunt. Everything the band does emanates from the countless hours they’ve put into their craft back in New Orleans.

The only thing that precedes the group’s chops is their humility. As a real New Orleans street band, Ketchens and the gang don’t always have the privilege of playing to people who care to hear them. They were all so grateful that we came out. Even in the middle of a tune, Ketchens refused to let applause go unthanked, resorting to placing her hand to her chest to show her appreciation when singing. That’s what really won me over. At the end of their set, they received a standing ovation for their undeniable work ethic and a fantastic performance.

To cap off my night, I returned to Max of Eastman Place for the last bit of Evans’ second set. It ended beautifully, and the feeling in the air was divine.

For the Beacon’s Jazz Fest coverage, click here.

Brodie Martin is a recent graduate of Nazareth University and a member of the Oasis Project’s third cohort.

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