Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Mundell Lowe & Jim Ferguson: A Purity of Expression

One of the greatest things about jazz as an art-form is that you can never tell where, or when something truly magical might happen.

I've developed an intense appreciation for the work of guitarist Mundell Lowe over the last few years. Lowe has the kind of c.v. to die for: Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Billie Holliday represent the tip of his iceberg. He continues to grow as a musician even though he turned 90 a few months back.

All of that stuff makes for good "copy" as they say — but it's not what keeps me coming back to his gigs.

Lowe has achieved a purity of essence in his playing that is nothing short of astonishing. He has an intimate relationship to practically every tune in the massive Great American Songbook — as well as a tangible understanding of the bebop language--yet his sound has evolved into a super-modern aesthetic. You don't hear any traces of the extraneous in Lowe's improvisations--it's all purely musical.

When I saw he was doing this late afternoon gig with Nashville bassist/vocalist Jim Ferguson-- I really didn't know what to expect. Ferguson is an unfamiliar name to me--and the fact that he plays string bass and sings, gave me some scary premonitions of a Dickie Smothers kind of affair.

I should have known that Mundy is far too hip for that.

Ferguson is a major talent, a sublime bassist who's note selection and spontaneous line creation were in lock-step synchronicity with Lowe's languid swing--and his voice is a spectacular instrument--a high tenor reminiscent of an in-tune and more powerful Chet Baker.

Opening with "Gone With The Wind," Ferguson's clear voice hovered above the clean lines, warm tones and exquisitely paced chords of the guitarist. At first, one had to struggle to hear his bass--that was somewhat mitigated when he turned his amp on--although I could have used a lot more Ferguson in the mix in general.

On "Rockin' Chair," Ferguson's note selection and the quality of his time blended so well with Lowe that it seemed like one huge instrument was being played. When it came time for his solo--it was the epitome of story-telling--so much so, that you could hear him wrapping it up well before he actually did.

Lowe began "Haunted Heart," with a gentle Latin groove, supporting Ferguson's supple vibrato that never strained at any note. The guitarist distilled his solo down to the most essential elements--and when he brushed a few simple chords in--it was like being swept away.

I don't know how Ferguson is able to play complex, shifting improvisations on the bass while singing above it--he must have some serious left/right brain control, the point is he does both with a maddeningly casual sense of ease and expertise.

The bassist unveiled some pithy originals with wry lyrics like "Walking The Dog," and "Not Just Another Pretty Bass," which was clever enough to set off laughter in the crowd and his delivery of the Mose Allison classic, "I Don't Worry About A Thing (Because Nothing's Gonna Be Alright)" was killing, all the way.

Then there were the breathtaking moments, such as the duo's give-and-take exploration of "Darn That Dream," where the melody seemed to come from everywhere.

This isn't the kind of music I normally gravitate to-- I'm much more prone to explore free-jazz--but great music is great music, regardless of labels and genres, and I would love to hear these two again.

Another gem from Chuck Perrin.

Photo by Dr. LeRoy Henry

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Melissa Etheridge, The Imaginary Amazon

Events April 1-April 3, 2024
Next Article

Angry Pete’s goes from pop-up to drive-thru

Detroit Pizza sidles into the husk of a shuttered Taco Bell

One of the greatest things about jazz as an art-form is that you can never tell where, or when something truly magical might happen.

I've developed an intense appreciation for the work of guitarist Mundell Lowe over the last few years. Lowe has the kind of c.v. to die for: Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Billie Holliday represent the tip of his iceberg. He continues to grow as a musician even though he turned 90 a few months back.

All of that stuff makes for good "copy" as they say — but it's not what keeps me coming back to his gigs.

Lowe has achieved a purity of essence in his playing that is nothing short of astonishing. He has an intimate relationship to practically every tune in the massive Great American Songbook — as well as a tangible understanding of the bebop language--yet his sound has evolved into a super-modern aesthetic. You don't hear any traces of the extraneous in Lowe's improvisations--it's all purely musical.

When I saw he was doing this late afternoon gig with Nashville bassist/vocalist Jim Ferguson-- I really didn't know what to expect. Ferguson is an unfamiliar name to me--and the fact that he plays string bass and sings, gave me some scary premonitions of a Dickie Smothers kind of affair.

I should have known that Mundy is far too hip for that.

Ferguson is a major talent, a sublime bassist who's note selection and spontaneous line creation were in lock-step synchronicity with Lowe's languid swing--and his voice is a spectacular instrument--a high tenor reminiscent of an in-tune and more powerful Chet Baker.

Opening with "Gone With The Wind," Ferguson's clear voice hovered above the clean lines, warm tones and exquisitely paced chords of the guitarist. At first, one had to struggle to hear his bass--that was somewhat mitigated when he turned his amp on--although I could have used a lot more Ferguson in the mix in general.

On "Rockin' Chair," Ferguson's note selection and the quality of his time blended so well with Lowe that it seemed like one huge instrument was being played. When it came time for his solo--it was the epitome of story-telling--so much so, that you could hear him wrapping it up well before he actually did.

Lowe began "Haunted Heart," with a gentle Latin groove, supporting Ferguson's supple vibrato that never strained at any note. The guitarist distilled his solo down to the most essential elements--and when he brushed a few simple chords in--it was like being swept away.

I don't know how Ferguson is able to play complex, shifting improvisations on the bass while singing above it--he must have some serious left/right brain control, the point is he does both with a maddeningly casual sense of ease and expertise.

The bassist unveiled some pithy originals with wry lyrics like "Walking The Dog," and "Not Just Another Pretty Bass," which was clever enough to set off laughter in the crowd and his delivery of the Mose Allison classic, "I Don't Worry About A Thing (Because Nothing's Gonna Be Alright)" was killing, all the way.

Then there were the breathtaking moments, such as the duo's give-and-take exploration of "Darn That Dream," where the melody seemed to come from everywhere.

This isn't the kind of music I normally gravitate to-- I'm much more prone to explore free-jazz--but great music is great music, regardless of labels and genres, and I would love to hear these two again.

Another gem from Chuck Perrin.

Photo by Dr. LeRoy Henry

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.