Standing Ovation

I promised a review of the Bela Fleck, Edmar Castaneda and Antonio Sanchez concert I attended last night and I can give it in three words: “Go hear them!!”

What can you expect?

 

1)   Virtuosity: While technical mastery and virtuosity is not the sole criteria for musical expression, it is certainly indispensable. As Wynton Marsalis once said, it’s the guard at the gate that determines who’s allowed into the palace of sublime musical expression. Each of the three are masters in their respective instrument and are not shy to show it.

 

2)   Innovation: Bela Fleck on banjo and Edmar Castañeda on Colombian harp have both brought their respective instruments for beyond the borders of their original expressive styles. Bela has performed with jazz musician Chick Corea, old-time musician Doc Watson, rock musicians Jerry Garcia and Dave Matthews, Indian tabla player Zakir Hussein, classical violinist Joshua Bell, numerous African musicians in a wide variety of cultural styles (see his movie Throw Down Your Heart ).

 

Edmar has likewise played with a number of crossover musicians—Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Hiromi, Paco de Lucia, Gonzalo Rubalcabo and more, as well as mastering the folk repertoire of the original Colombian/ Venezuelan harp. 

 

3)   Connection: The chemistry between the three last night as they called and responded to each other in the heat of the moment, echoing and contrasting each other’s musical ideas, arriving at a cadence at exactly the same moment, is the stuff good live performance is made of. As Antonio Sanchez mentioned in a moving talk about music as Democracy, the ability to equally contribute, to listen to and affirm and expand each other’s point of view is a hallmark of great music and great government.

4)  Generosity: While they clearly were having fun and would have enjoyed playing if no one was in the audience, music, of course, is a shared experience and their generosity in bring joy to the audience was evident in every note. 

 

Not everything I write has to reference the terrible state of affairs over half the country has chosen, but I couldn’t help but notice that Mexican Antonio Sanchez and Colombian harpist Edmar Casteñeda could easily be on the deportation list. It would have been entirely possible for ICE to break into the concert and haul them off the stage. Think about that. 

 

Standing ovations are a dime a dozen in our country, with it’s “Rah! Rah! Everything is AWESOME!” mentality. But the one the audience gave these extraordinary musicians was as sincere as you can get and perhaps packed with a little more punch because we are all so hungry to witness virtuosic competency, exalted thought (musical and otherwise), innovative ideas responding to the genuine needs of the moment, connection between people and generosity of spirit. 

 

After Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, Leonard Bernstein gave a speech and said:

 

"But this sorrow and rage will not inflame us to seek retribution; rather they will inflame our art. …This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

 

 Of course, this is far from enough. But it’s part of turning things around and yesterday’s concert was a testimony to its power. It was intense, beautiful and reflected what happens when people are devoted to their art and to spreading joy. On we go.