Dennis Lambert

デニス・ランバート

C*Laps, Roppongi
April 13, 2019

Dennis Lambert デニス・ランバート—piano
Swinky スウィンキー—vocal
Viorica Lozov ビオリカ—vocal
Blacky Kuroda 黒田(Blacky)慎一郎—drums
Mark Tourian マーク・トゥリアン—bass
Jim Butler ジム・バトラー—saxophone, clarinet
Gustavo Anacleto グスターボ・アナクレート—saxophone, flute
Patriq Moody パトリック・ムーディ—trumpet
Wakako Sakai 酒井和嘉子—erhu

The entertaining and engaging release party was just that—a party. One that happened to include fantastic music and the band got right to it. After kicking off with some flying bop, the band welcomed Swinky on stage for “All or Nothing at All.” Her sultry vocals soared and the band dug into a great take-out that meshed vocals with the band’s chops.“Autumn Leaves” never fails to be a crowd-pleaser and in French, it’s even sadder. The melancholy, strong vocals from Viorica pulled everyone in the band into a deeper blue, spring though it was. That heartfelt ballad shifted to the bounding bluesiness of “Red Top.” Everyone stage took loud, swinging turns that flew along, a great dose of fun for everyone on and off stage.“

The Look of Love” and “Samba de Verao” took the band into spaces where everyone could kick back into great solos, with lovely relaxed takes on these classic songs. Kicking off the second set, Sakai and Lambert made the ‘erhu,’ a Chinese instrument of long tradition, sound fresh and scintillating, with gorgeous, lyrical sounds. The piano-erhu combination was surprisingly vibrant and fluid.“

Motorgenic” was a tune with a dash of Latin clave, dedicated to Lambert’s brother. The tune, like the next one, “From This Moment On,” let everyone swing and solo. Solos from Butler, Anacleto and Moody punched up the vibe and Lambert and Tourian’s solos kept it flowing. As the evening progressed, and progress it did, the band loosened up and played more freely and more funkily. They were there to deliver, and definitely did.

Though the evening was a CD release party for his latest work, “From This Moment On,” what was nicest about the evening was the birthday vibe. The crowd was into having a good time and the band really loosened up to give Lambert the birthday of a lifetime! It’s rare to see people dancing at a jazz show, but there was just enough space for everyone to get out of their chairs. Even though the music was, strictly speaking, for listening, the dancing was a way of saying thanks, through the body, for music that sank down deep. Happy Birthday, Dennis, but then again you already know how to have one.

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