A classic jazz quartet often includes drums, bass, piano and saxophone. A truly classic jazz quartet is the opening attraction as the Ford Theatres Ignite! series launches with Jack DeJohnette on drums, Joe Lovano on saxophone, Esperanza Spalding on bass and vocals and Leo Genovese on piano. They are being billed as The Spring Quartet and they play one show on Saturday, April 27th.
As individual artists, each of these musicians is top of their field. When put together, you have fireworks.
Before becoming a bandleader, DeJohnette played with Charles Lloyd, Bill Evans, Betty Carter and Miles Davis (he was the main drummer on Bitches Brew). More recently he’s played with Jason Moran, Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin. He was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2012.
Grammy winner Joe Lovano plays multiple instruments in addition to the saxophone. He’s played with John Scofield, Bill Frisell and collaborated regularly with the late Paul Motian.
Both DeJohnette and Lovano have played with Esperanza Spalding. She was part of Lovano’s US Five formed in 2008. She appeared on DeJohnette’s Sound Travels in 2012. But she’s best known as the first jazz artist to be named Best New Artist at the 2011 Grammy Awards. She is the first jazz artist to win that award. And she’s received three more to boot. Her most recent album was last year’s 12 Little Spells.
It only makes sense that, of course, Genovese has also recorded with her. In fact, they toured regularly beginning in 2005 and he played on her first three records. Of his third album, Seeds, Nate Chinen of the New York Times said, “it has the momentous urgency of a debut…”
A quick look shows that the Spring Quartet appears to have started playing together in 2014.
They have a brief tour that also includes stop on April 24th at Miner Auditorium in San Francisco, then the LA engagement. They will conclude their tour with stops in Boulder, Chicago, Detroit and Kalamazoo.
