The International Festival of Arts and Ideas: The Highs and Lows

I am lucky enough to live in New Haven so for the two weeks each summer that The International Festival of Arts and Ideas takes over downtown, I have a (figurative) front row seat to the action. I try to go to as many events as possible but miss out on the weekday action due to the whole workaday world. In no particular order, here are my picks for the musical highs and lows of the festival with many more highs than lows (but the low was Marianas Trench low.)

HIGHS:Vijay Iyer – The New York based pianist, and Yale alum, and his band (alto sax, bass, drums) meld jazz with world music, relying heavily on Indian (sub-continent not American) influences. His compositions are not traditional bop or swing but they certainly are fully composed with strong tonal centers. At the same time, they weren’t at all constraining; this was no head, chorus, solos, repeat the head and out. As an example of the fluidity of the pieces, at one point, Iyer shifted the feel with his left hand to a steady upbeat, leading to an unmistakable reggae/dub feel against a bass ostinato that had been established earlier in the piece. Very difficult to categorize, which made the set even more engaging.

Orchestra Baobab – For those of you unfamiliar with this Senegalese group that plays Afro-Cuban mixed with West African high-life, go to I-Tunes right now, do not pass go, and download everything you can get your mouse on. It was quite a coup to get them at the festival to begin with, especially to play a small venue instead of the main outdoor stage on the green. Unfortunately, for some of us who weren’t on the ball, the show sold out and no matter the begging and pleading (and even some tears) the volunteers at the door were unmoved and we were left out on the street. They sounded great from there!

Pistolera / Grupo Fantasma – The threat of rain moved this show from the green to Woolsey Hall. Despite the fact that Woolsey sounds muddy when the symphony plays there (you can imagine what it sounded like when there were amplifiers, drums and a PA system) it was a great evening of music. The Brooklyn based Pistolera play ranchero and nortena as if they are rock and roll songs; high energy, high volume and a steady rock beat. The fact that they are a four piece where three of the members are women is a pretty revolutionary idea in Mexican music where usually it’s big fat guys wearing sombreros playing the tunes. Grupo Fantasma, hailing from Austin Texas, is an eleven piece band that is equal parts Willie Bobo and James Brown. Funky horn lines over a timbale fronted percussion section; I can’t imagine that there has ever been that much dancing in the aisles at Woolsey Hall. I only wish that the show had been on the green where the sound would have been better and the crowd would have been bigger.

Denyce Graves – Absolutely exquisite. Her sensitivity and control is simply astonishing. I have been lucky enough to see her twice; once as Carmen and once as Margaret Garner and she never ceases to amaze me. Her Delilah was gorgeous and the choice of Danse Macabre by Saint-Saen was perfect. During her set of American pieces and her encores, she showed everyone that opera stars are gracious and fun with a sense of humor.

LOWS: East Village Opera Company – There is only one “Low” listed here because I try to find something redeeming (I really do, despite what others might say!) There was nothing redeeming about this company, other than they are proficient players. The company bills itself as a melding of opera and rock. It fails on both counts. Lame, over the top arrangements, had none of the raw energy of great rock and roll. With the male singer the songs were like second-rate Queen and with the female singer, it came off as third-rate Celine Dion (which is amazing since Celine Dion is a second rate Cher.) I am certainly not an opera traditionalist. Aretha singing Nessum Dorma? Go for it! Non-traditional casting and settings? I’m all for it. There has to be a point to it, though. If all you’re doing is trying to make a niche for yourself and have nothing to add artistically then why bother? There were several bits of inadvertent humor, though, such as when they went into an extended quote of Eminem’s Lose Yourself. On a positive note, we went for Margaritas after the show and those were quite good.