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At first, I wondered where
the musical commonality was between Terri Lyne Carrington and Patsy
Moore, who will perform together Sunday at La Va Lee in Studio City.
Carrington is the immensely talented jazz-rooted drummer who has worked
with such greats as Wayne Shorter and James Moody; Moore is an acoustic
folk-pop singer-songwriter in the Joni Mitchell-Joan Armatrading tradition.
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Well, for starters, the
women are just a year apart in age—Carrington is 32, Moore, 33—and, as the latter says, "We're socially informed by the
same things."
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"Some of Patsy's
music reminds me of things I've written," said Carrington in the
duo interview. "She can tell my influences, I can tell hers."
In fact, each names Mitchell, Armatrading, and Shorter as artists that
have influenced them.
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The La Va Lee engagement
unites the pair, who first met when the songwriter invited the drummer
to guest on her debut 1990 Warner Brothers album, Regarding the Human
Condition.
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Over the years, friendship
and musical camaraderie have kept the two in touch. Carrington—from Medford, Massachusetts—moved to LA from Manhattan in 1988.
Moore—born in Antigua, West Indies and raised near Durham, North
Carolina—had been residing in Nashville, Tennessee until last
summer, when she came to Southern California. Recently, they decided
to do some performing.
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At La Va Lee, Carrington—whose 1989 Verve debut, Real Life Story, was Grammy-nominated—will lead off with her brand of jazz, followed by Moore's songs.
Carrington, guitarist Toshi Yanagi, and bassist Les King will play throughout,
while guitarist John Yzkanin will also work with Moore.
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Carrington is currently
part of the house band for VIBE, the talk-variety show hosted by comedian
Sinbad and airing weeknights at 11 p.m. on KCOP-TV (Ch. 13). In addition,
singer Dianne Reeves' That Day..., which Carrington played on
and produced, has just been released.
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She describes her songs
as "groove-oriented but, by no means, funk or straight-ahead. Some
of the melodies are almost avant-garde...like Ornette's," she
said, referring to the groundbreaking saxman, Ornette Coleman. "Others
are sweeter, and there's one with a New Orleans-ish groove. I like all
types of music."
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Moore, who plays acoustic
guitar and sings in a warm, open voice, will offer songs that tell provocative
stories in a wide range of rhythms.
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"Like my first album
title, they're mostly declarations about the human condition" said
Moore. (Her follow-up album was the flower child's guide to
love and fashion.)
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For example, Defenseless
is about "shedding your albatross—whatever it is—and embracing life without fear."
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The friendship-collaboration
has enhanced both artists.
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"Just having a conversation
about music, with Terri, stretches me," Moore said. "I listen
differently now."
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Carrington agreed. "My
listening level has been heightened as well. She'll hear something in
a song that I'd never have zeroed in on. It's interesting."
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| Preeminent jazz critic Zan Stewart resides in Southern California. | ||||