A Reflection on Vuma Levin's - Antique Spoons - South African National Arts Jazz Festival Performance 2020
by Callandra Youngleson 07/30/20
With the first echoing notes and chords that Vuma plays, we are brought to the present, a resounding blend of the warm tone of his guitar, of the darkness of the dissonant chords he chooses, of the strength of the bar chords, of the warmth and sense of home in his melodies that sit just a little to the side of center, and echo into the blue shadow of the stage as the musicians hold the space. The chord movements sound like his music, immediately, as if we dropped a pin on a vinyl and heard his voice. The common tone as he moves between chords speaking to the thread that exists through all change, through all the years, through all the events that we go through, through all the life. Jazz, but beyond the genre, meeting at its edges remnants of rock, of protest music, of independent music, whilst still being so strongly rooted in South African traditional music styles, unclassifiable, but familiar. How resplendent to hold the audience’s ear, so gently, so fully with his thoughts playing out as musical ideas, well timed, so gently imagined and so detailed.
Starting in history with Thabo Mbeki’s 1996 “I Am an African” speech marking the passing of the post - Apartheid new constitution in South Africa; rooted in history, but so strongly a part of where we still are now, ‘boats against the tide’ which speaks for all of us born to this country, resounding throughout all of us, calling us all home. The band hits, full, voluptuous, united, Life and death on the other side of the dream, "Part 1: The Maze”: I always marvel at how Vuma’s melodies recall the sense of South Africa so strongly with traditional cyclical melodies that overlap and meet, over odd times that feel so comfortable when handled with care. They blend into more open jazz concepts freely flowing between them blending the old and the new, the traditional with elements from Europe brought home from Vuma’s time in Amsterdam, so much a part of his being and spirit. He blends everything together. This band coalesces and flows so naturally together, like one being that moves as a unit. This music is so detailed, so intricate, so beautifully balanced and nuanced, yet it feels so easily played, like an extension of the people who play it, a shared conversation. These are some of the elite jazz musicians in South Africa, each individually brilliant musicians and people shedding light on the new waves of South African jazz. Romy Brauteseth (bass), Sisonke Xonti (sax), Bokani Dyer (piano) and Peter Auret (drums) meet Vuma at this common place and talk of history and of present, uniting in a community of expression and story-telling. The skill in each hand, a wonder, as we listen to Bokani’s open and playful soloing that dances boldly over the changes like gouache paint not scared of its canvas, surfing the waves, Romy’s steady and mellifluous bass lines carry the music strongly, boldly, Peter’s colorful, free, bold strokes on the drums pushing the ocean of sound forward soaring, roaring, building, flying. The musicians are playing, they feel free to play, something that is a dream for each person that enters the field of jazz. The theme soars into the solos, so freely, unobtrusively, voicing in together with the build and madness, so clean.
More dialect, this time a loop, Vuma smiles, the joy of playing his music surrounded by those present, there with him, a joy that is unspeakable, especially in these times where we can feel so isolated, to speak together. Fresh Life and death on the other side of the dream, "Part 2: Rebirth” enters flying, fleeting, complex, bright, brilliant, dancing, cycles meeting each other, cheeky melodies, brave, leading into a lightly rock and Brazilian music influenced mesh of sounds, so many sounds coming together, so satisfyingly blended into one person. This band dances like so few can, meeting each other in a shared pocket. Dancing between an ostinato bass line held down by Romy, and Brazilian inspired drumming by Peter, Vuma’s modern sound snakes its way over the vamp, with Bokani filling in the space with stuttering chords that add to the tension and energy of the piece, disjunct lines and then melodies that meet hold the listener’s ear pulling us through. Groove, so much groove, so much pocket, so much trust, to sit in together and to expand and explore the territory of the musical landscape. The balance of the familiar and the unfamiliar and the cutting edge. Complete musical confidence from each musician, in their own voice and sound, in their contribution, no holding back, playing boldly. This is the goal, for all our influences, all our hours of practise to come together with others to make a statement as powerful and free as this one. One person pulls the fabric and the others respond - Sisonke rides in with common tone lines that soar through the harmony warm and pliable pulling us to the end of the solo toward to the climax of the music breaking into the theme at a crest of the wave so many fabrics and textures linking together, changing mood fully into a traditional African music celebratory almost church-like jubilation. Sisonke lets loose joyfully over this cyclic dance, now moving home, still rooted in the original loop, all parts so strongly part of one thing.
This music has come with me through so many years, I remember the first time I heard Life and death on the other side of the dream, "Part 3: A Necessary Pain”. I was at the Crypt jazz club in Cape Town watching Vuma play. Listening to this feels like coming home. The meeting of the upright bass and piano on this melody is one of my favorite things about Vuma’s arrangement, warm and bright at the same time, encapsulating a feeling that can’t be described in words, so beautifully and sensitively phrased, as if one brain, one person were playing it. The main melody, beautiful, reflective, fresh, played so warmly by Sisonke, this piece bringing in more of the Radiohead type rock influence, mixed in with jazz influences, but finding its own voice. Sisonke’s sensitive, warm solo, plays with the melody like putty, pulling it, further away, closer to the melody, bending the notes at will, exploring it freely and joyfully, giving it space, zooming in and out of it, just enough, never too much, so delicately balanced, never overwhelming the listener with too much soloing, the harmony, always pulls on my heart. The balance of the lines in these compositions is genius, everything has its own place, its own frequency home, so much ear candy to hang on, disjunct modern lines and shrieks balanced with legato soaring melodies, genius compositional balance and arranging balance. And silence.
A definite continuation on earlier work and themes Antique Spoons speaks to Vuma later on, we can trace the musical character in the sound, so unified, his influences deeply maturing. Reflective, almost see-saw like melodies of duality balancing against each other, and then meeting each other in the middle speaking to the duality in ourselves. In “Part 1: Antique Spoon”, the musicians so well get the balance, get the meaning behind all of it, standing behind the story, no self, the music speaking for itself free to say what it needs to. Romy’s fluid and thoughtful lines solo over an open and spacious chordal section supported by the surrounding musicians. You can hear her conversation, circling back on some ideas, flowing through scales of long-winded sentences, always forward moving, free, leaning on bits of what the band gives her and then floating on her way, deep, rooted, so well balanced. Vuma flies in from the end of the solo continuing the conversation, commenting on it, leaving space seeping in and out of the fabric. Waves at sea, this reminds me of the greats, of watching Brad Mehldau live and feeling like I was watching the ocean, so free, so vast, so deep, your feet sunken into the sand just beneath the water. Why do we listen to music? -because it expresses so much of how we feel that we can’t articulate, with dynamics, and movement, and time changes, and layering, and peaks and crests, and intersection, because it’s so much more than any one of us alone. No showing off, runs and notes are chosen for their fit in the emotion and energy, it feels almost like the music floats above the musicians. What a performance.
Antique Spoons: "Part 3 - The Giant in the Park” - sound art, colorful, enchanting, haunting, resonants from Vuma’s guitar meeting Romy’s themes, piano soars with the theme over the haunted landscape, a warm and full piano theme played by Bokani with such depth and fullness, as if it comes from the bottom of his soul, taking everything with it, nothing left behind, met with support from the others on stage. Everyone voices in on the theme, giving it this beautiful loose but united color, pregnant with anticipation, soaring, full, pathos-filled, so incredibly beautiful and emotional. Resplendent in color shimmering in the sun. You would never know how complex this music is and how challenging it is to play correctly so that it sounds easy, effortless, the magic stands in place due to the incredible capabilities of these musicians. The balance of frequencies is astounding, the low rattles of Romy’s bass, the bright mid-high of Bokani’s playful soloing on top of the texture, with the rest of the band holding the spaces in between, never congested or full, so clear and well balanced. Bokani’s modal and scalar interpolations freely skate over the music playfully, freely, brightly, like a dolphin jumping in deep waters, brilliant and resplendent. Again glorious, odd, disjunct lines that offset each other in the most satisfying final theme, like a puzzle finding its way to completion, everything so well balanced it feels so comforting, even in its sweet oddity.
Antique Spoons: "Part 5 - Airport Terminal” - it’s incredible how much Vuma’s music sounds like him, it has his character, his intellect, his way of thinking of things deeply, oddly, reflexively, emotionally, fully. Have a conversation with him and you will know, there is so much thought and depth behind every musical phrase and sentence and there is also a lot of warmth and care for the things he holds close. The odd-ball nature of these melodies feels so exciting yet balanced like how a chef would balance flavors, offsetting harsh notes with beautiful harmonies, to soften them, but still let them shine. Offsetting fluid beautiful themes with shrieky odd sections. These musicians play boldly, always dancing, even if it sometimes feels like the dancer is throwing themselves recklessly around the stage, they dance in the most beautiful free way that you can’t help but watch. Strong pulls and tugs, overlaying of odd accents, with a constant forward flow and velocity always swiftly forward through change, through history, through exploration. Such respect for the music, such respect for each other, for each voice that is part of this expression. Each person has time. Peter’s steadiness underlying the whole time, he, like the wind, holds everything together, so steady, so ready to push and pull with everyone in the group. He is always sensitive to what color is needed, what intensity, what push or pull or silence, right there to hold the energy up and support it! Interesting things to listen to around every corner, new twists and turns, bursting with fresh ideas, and the audience is thrown all over the place but it never feels out of place, one relinquishes control to this glorious work. Epic and brave! Guts! So bold and colorful!
ZAR History Volume 2: "Part 2 - End of the Rainbow” - based on a 1940s Marabi song transcription that Vuma did as a part of his Masters thesis, this song contemplates some of the failings of post-Apartheid South Africa. Starting out with a dancing Marabi drum groove, this music dances lightly and brightly, then breaks into a modern and odd time section that whirls and leans back into the first theme, a melody that tickles your brain with its color. Shorter phrases offset by longer themes, different time feels overlapping with disjunct harmonies, opening up into a more modern, darker open feeling piano solo - washy cymbals from Peter, Bokani solos, Vuma solos, they pass the baton to each other, pulls of the original melody and feel thrown in. Romy’s dancing bass lines shine through at points, the melodies, conversations passed between players, exploring a range of modes, colors, interpretations of the harmony underneath, awash with resonance from Peter and the band. You would never imagine that soloing over an odd time would sound and feel so natural and so easy. The trading gets faster between the soloists, dancing in 5, fluid lines, disjunct lines all come together to create a brilliant viscous liquid of music never missing a beat, so fresh and so inspired. Then, very simply coming back to a theme we recognise from the beginning always bookending with layered cyclical textural pieces that fit together neatly.
ZAR History Volume 2: "Part 3 - After Her” - This is one of my all time favorites. I have listened to this song through many years, it crosses genre boundaries and sits on the great edges of rock, jazz, and finds its own sweet spot. Vuma smiles as he plays the rock inspired distorted chords - strumming! Sisonke starts the brilliant intervallic melody that pairs with the chunking guitar so well. Lyrical, without words being needed. Arco double bass by Romy - perfect counterpart, Bokani comes in with chunky arpeggios, almost like a string arrangement but odd and colorful and ripe. The dancing pizzicato bass lines so beautifully complementing the long lines of the second part of the theme, with satisfying drum hits and connections. Pop influences, jazz influences, so much information to chew on and taste. So much great balance of melodic material against chord chunks and ostinato bass patterns - opening up into a fluid and floating solo by Sisonke, spacious, so purely, so beautifully outlining the changes - reflecting the mood changes of each minor, each major, bass notes dancing between, everything having its own place. Peter washes over the drums, Vuma fills in with reverberant chords. The texture fills and naturally grows, so fluid and effortless, Sisonke’s brilliant mastery of his instrument. Chatter, musical chatter, space for the conversation, building to its climax, he builds with artistry, range, activity, shrieks, intensity, the band supports him, not a note out of place, all so well chosen, Vuma cues the out section, again an odd time, never felt so right! 7 dances with such weight and natural groove towards the concert’s close. A wealth of incredible musicianship and artistry left on stage lucky to the ears and hearts that received it.
A brilliant representation of artistry, reverence for the music and thoughtful playing and coming together of brilliant musicians. Please support these amazing musicians and their music - you can follow them on social media, download and buy their albums individually. There is such brilliant, vibrant music coming out of South Africa and Vuma Levin’s music is a true testament to this.
Vuma Levin - Guitar
Sisonke Xonti - Sax
Bokani Dyer - Piano
Romy Brauteseth - Bass
Peter Auret - Drums
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