DIVINE ORDER
A Review of Peter Baron's Backyard Improv #75
written by Raine Jordan
The Scene
I took some poetic license, and entitled The Backyard Improv #75, Divine Order because that’s what it felt like to me. The inspiration to review the concert comes solely from my personal experience of the performance. I had never heard these five musicians play together before. Although I've heard most of them play with other musicians. But not this configuraton of musicians, not at this time, not in this way. So, it was new and fresh. And frankly it turned out to be a rather unexpected phenomenon. The Backyard Yard Improv (BYI) is a live improvisatonal jazz concert series, that takes place in the backyards of some of the most lovely homes throughout the bay area, mostly in the east bay. Each show features a select cast of prolific local musicians from the greater San Francisco Bay area. They don’t just jam, it’s a carefully curated show that is purely improvisatonal, even the musicians don’t know who they are playing with, or what songs they will be prompted to create. It’s totally improvised, immersive and thematic. So, to get the full experience, you really need to be there in-person. Rightfully so, the show attracts an appreciatve and generous community of music enthusiasts.. It’s a welcoming and friendly live music scene with an iconic backyard vibe. I’ve had the good fortune of attending many of The Backyard Improv shows over the last couple of years. If you’ve never been, you can ask for an invite on Peter Baron’s Jazz Network, Facebook page. If you can’t come to the show in-person, you can now watch the show live on Ron Garrett.’s Alert the Globe, an internatonal live-streaming platform for music events. How crazy good is that?
The Show
This is where “Divine Order” happens. The show took place in Walnut Creek, CA. The backyard was a beautiful fit for live music. The yard had an organic feel and a creative, expansive, layout. The house-hosts were amazingly thoughtful. The pavilion in the yard served as a kind of stage for the musicians and offered shade on what was a sunny, warm, late afternoon. As it got a bit darker the lights on the roof of the pavilion lit up. One of The Backyard Improv signs was digitally displayed on a large outdoor tv screen. As the sun went down the sign became brighter and more visible. The change in the lightng brought new ambiance and drama to the venue. Not to mention, I love being outdoors when the day turns to night, especially while listening to live music. More importantly, let me introduce the stars of the show; the five incredibly talented musicians. The cast of The Backyard Improv, in alphabetical order: Paul Branin, electric guitar & tenor saxophone, Pamela Charlles Arthur (Pamma Jamma), keyboards and the Hammond B3, Ranzel Merritt, lead tenor saxophone, Christopher Ruiz, drums, Stacy Starkweather, electric upright bass and bass guitar. And of course, Peter Baron, the creator of The Backyard Improv and Master of Ceremony. As mentioned, the songs are created on the spot in real time, without rehearsal, or any idea of what will transpire. But lo and behold, there is order. Peter Baron plays his part, by whimsically and often poignantly expressing whatever spontaneously comes up for him as inspirational material for each song. He often starts with an impromptu song title. He may call on a musician to start the song or play the lead. He may describe a sound or genre(s) he’d like to hear, tell a story, express a sentiment. Whatever comes up are prompts for the musicians to collaboratively begin improvising a song. I noticed, that during this particular show, Peter’s prompts seemed extra fluid and clever. The song titles came easily. His direction and communication seemed to be understood almost instantaneously by the musicians. The musicians got into the zone with a level of confidence and collaboration that usually takes a bit of warmup time. Considering they never played together before, their connection with one another had an instinctive sense of ease. Right from the start, the songs were exceptionally nuanced and resonant. Intuition and timing were perceptible.
There were 12 songs that were created during the show. I kid you not, they were all incredibly special. I mean it was like a world-class performance, an unexpected phenomenon (like the rapture). After the show, I asked Peter Baron, with my nicest voice, if he would make me a CD of the show. I wanted all the songs. I have a CEC, belt-driven CD Transport at home in my audio system and I wanted to be able to listen to the songs again and hear them as close to live as possible.. They deserved that. A funny story is that when Peter gave me the CD, I asked him if they were in order. Peter said, “well, yea, all the songs are there”. “No”, I said, “I mean are they in the order they were played at the show?” "Oh!", he said. So, we had a little conversation about how the order of the songs mattered. In fact, I said, "they are part of the “divine order” of the show". If you were there you would get what I meant. From the first song to the last, there was an extraordinary collaboration of individual talent and styles, a synergy of energies and dynamics. It was divinely ordered. Hence the title of this review, and the only Backyard Improv that has a title aside from a number. So here they are, the divine order of the songs: (1) Dial in the Funk (2) The Song to Put on (3) He’s Got it (4) A Surprised Life (5) Short Song (6) "A" OK (7) You & Me (8)Go At It (9) She Likes That (10) Reasonably Funky (11) 66 Seconds of Cool (12)Trading. I will be discussing 1 or 2 songs, that I feel highlight the genius and the beauty of the musician’s performance. I’d love to write about them all, but it would be far better to listen to them.
The Songs
(3) He’s Got it (8.14)
Tenor Saxophonist, Ranzel Merritt, played lead saxophone at the show, but at Peter Baron’s request, he would wait until the 3rd song to start playing. I’m not sure of his reason for having him wait, but I can often miss the obvious. My guess would be, anticipation, impact? Maybe, Peter will let me know in the comment section below. Paul Branin played both guitar and saxophone that evening so maybe that was it? So, there were two songs that played before Ranzel came on. The first, (1) Dial in the Funk and the second, (2) The Song to Put on. They were both phenomenal, and they were crowd pleasers. So, the bar was set pretty high. The audience was already in their groove after just two songs. When Ranzel Merritt stepped in with his saxophone and began to improvise the 3rd song, which Peter Baron entilted, "He's Got It", the audience fell silent. In the first moments that he played, he unintentionaly managed to shift the energy of the entire crowd, and the band. Ranzel Merritt has such a uniquely distinctive sound and style of playing that It required everyone to expand their musical IQ, including me. When Ranzel Merritt plays his sax, it’s like every jazz-master saxophonist from the past, and the future is playing through him. I sense a freedom in his playing that transcends norms and precepts.. His sound is timeless and original. It is a mix of standard, straight-ahead jazz and avant-garde. It is both melodic and abstract. And even that is an over-simplification. He’s an incredibly versatile and diverse saxophonist. Yet, he never abandons his signature sound. Ranzel’s solo lasted for about 2 mins before Paul Branin came in with a very fluid melodic guitar improvisation. It was the perfect complement to Ranzel’s slightly dissonant but beautiful beginning. Paul Branin’s solo evolved into an incredible 4 minute improvisation. It was quite an imaginative serenade. Paul Brannin is a very talented modernish jazz guitarist with a tone and style of his own. But for a reference, he can sound a little like John Scofield, Pat Metheny and a touch of George Benson. Basically, Paul Branin is a bit of a musical genuis (remember he also plays the saxophone). Drummer, Christopher Ruiz, bassist, Stacy Starkweather and keyboardist, Pamma Jamma, were skillfully playing a supporting role during the solos. Around the 4-5 minute mark Pamma Jamma comes in on the Hammond B3 with a very expressive funky, jazzy, slightly bluesy improvisation. If you know the Hammond organ, you know how expressive it is. It can create unusual weather patterns around the world (lol). You have to know how to play it because it can be a wild child. And Pamma Jamma knows exactly what she’s doing. Her playing is powerful and intentional. She added so much jubilation and spirit to the song. She was perfect. The song needed a little levity. A little unbridled joy. And. right on the heels of her winding down, the very seasoned and talented bassist, Stacy Starkweather seamlessly started plucking the strings of his upright electric bass. He was magically blending all those beautiful deep resonant low tones into the song. Stacy’s solo was a perfect complement to everything that went before him, Ranzel’s saxophone, Paul’s guitar, Pamela’s organ. He brought balance and grounding to the song. His solo was compositionally and sonically beautiful. I wanted him to play longer. All along, the very gifted drummer Christopher Ruiz, held down the beat, the rhythm, the momentum that drove the song forward. Steadfast and precise, Chris Ruiz can play with the best. His versatility is his superpower. He knows how to be powerful, raw, energetic but he is also a master at subtle nuances. I love the way he created a plethora of rythmic phrasing throughout the song. I thought he brought exactly what was needed to bring the song home. The last minutes of the song close with Ranzel Merritt coming back in and reminding us of the very unmistakable melody he started us with, and all the other musicans join in for a dynamic triumphant finale. What a song!
(4) A Surprised Life (4:23 )
“A Surprised Life,” is an up-tempo bluesy song with an eclectic and energetic style. Paul Branin leads the song and plays his guitar like he was born for the blues. Paul is obviously a fluid and versatile guitarist. His tone is expressive and melodic, and his twang is plucky, resonant, and playful. The way he blazed through this song tells me that he is a curious and inventive musician who can move beyond genres with his eyes closed. Ranzel Merritt joins Paul Branin toward the start of the song and perfectly matches his tone and style with his own bluesy, punchy, rhythmic drive. Around the 2-minute mark in the song, Pamma Jamma comes in like a beautiful blues queen on her Hammond B3. Oh man, Pamma Jamma starts to play that organ like it’s moving and swirling around the stage. She added so much flavor and richness to this song. Her sound is emotionally powerful and immersive. And I admire the way she collaborates with the other musicians in this song, and in every song throughout the show. Her timing and responses are always right on. She strives to elevate each song and she communicates with heart. She’s fast and super responsive on the keys but she’s also not afraid to linger on delicate notes or get quiet. I love the way she plays back and forth between the Hammond and the keys. It’s an expressive and musical dynamic. Did I mention her stage presence is off the charts? Pamma Jamma is a bad mamma jamma! Bassist, Stacy Starkweather and drummer Christopher Ruiz hold down the rhythm section with a similar energetic, melodic finesse and tempo. Sometimes the rhythm section doesn't get the same showmanship opportunities that the guitar, and horn does. But both of them did have the spot light quite a few times throughtout the show. I''ve seen drummer, Chris Ruiz, play many times. He's a super-talented artist. What's incredibly surprising is that Chris has one hand. I recall the first time I heard him play. I wanted to know who he was. I thought he was such an energetic and nuanced player. He has this beautiful quiet energy but a powerful, organic, drumming syle. I kept watching him. It was only towards the end of the show that I noticed that a 1/4 of his arm and his hand were missing right below his elbow. But right above his elbow, the drum stick was strapped to his upper arm. Amazing. Stacy Starkweather, the bassist is new to me. I heard him play the upright electric bass at another venue and I was impressed as heck. He likes to go between the electric upright bass and the bass guitar when he plays It gives him a great deal of versatility. The upright electric bass is an amplfied version of the acoustic upright. But I'd say, it has longer lasting sound because it's amplified which is preferable to me. I can hear it better, and I love to hear those extended low tones and notes. I like a liitle ampliciation on the upright bass. And Stacy plays so beautifully. The upright was perfect for this show, especially with these particular musicians. A Surprised Liife, is a darling song! It felt charming, imaginative, and congruous. And each of the musicans improvised ingeniously.
(7) You and Me (6:40)
I will only briefly comment on (7) "You and Me", because I'm clealry overdoing it.This song starts with a long, heart-felt, passionate, abstract solo by saxophonist Ranzel Merritt, and it ends with the sweetest corresponding melodic guitar solo by Paul Branin. It’s another favorite of mine. It’s wildly romantic. And has amazing yet subtle inner dynamics which include Pamma Jamma on keys, and Stacy Starkweather on upright bass and Christopher Ruiz on drums. This song will melt your heart. It's Yang (Ranzel's sax) and Yin (Pauls' guitar) instead of the normal Yin and Yang. I loved it. Listen with a good pair of headphones.
All 12 of the songs in this performance are truly special. I only scratched the surface of the talent and musicianship that every artist brought to this show. It takes a tremendous love for music and its craft to create songs of this caliber, especially improvisationally. Bravo to the musicians for evolving their talent and walking the way of the artist for many, many years. And thanks to Peter Baron for his talent and dedication to making the Backyard Improv performances as outstanding and special as they are.
You can find most of the songs and videos from this show and many others from shows through out the years, on Peter Baron's All Improv Channel on YouTube.
