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| Chris Bakrige at piano; Henri Matisse at his art. The Matisse Project. |
The Matisse Project:
Extraordinary Performance
at the Buttonwood Tree
The Buttonwood Tree features jazz groups quite often, and I have not seen them all. But Sunday night's performance by The Matisse Project left me ecstatic.
Christopher Bakriges' inspired compositions, reflecting some of Henri Matisse's papercut collages, spiraled to tonal heights and dove to lilting solemnity, with images of the Matisse works projected on a screen.
Mr. Bakriges' fingers enlivened the Buttonwood Tree's Steinway piano most of the night. While at his side, virtuoso violinist Zach Brock created breathtaking and wild-flying passages, then swerved into smooth and deep tones. Appearing as a special guest, Farmington oboist and English hornist Peter Wortmann added to the mix with his robust solo improvs.
It was a night to remember. My hope is that the trio will return to Middletown, where Mr. Bakriges and his family lived during the 1990s while he was completing a master's degree in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan.
Thank you, Caritas!
ReplyDeleteIt was truly a memorable and moving performance, better than I even expected. We are so blessed to have such amazingly talented, kind and generous people like these three musicians, who come to Main Street, Middletown, to a very small, intimate room like The Buttonwood Tree. It's an oasis amidst the chaos, a hidden gem and Middletown's Living Room ... all rolled into one and the musicians know it's importance, more than most.
I predict one day every show will sell out, and most of the room reserved for Buttonwood Members. The musicians come from all over the world, and only a voice such as yours can truly express with precision, intelligence and passion, the value of their gifts to us through their performances. THANK YOU :)