The 14th gig on our A to Z musical adventure was ……
And it was to the Porgy & Bess Jazz and Music Club we headed to watch and listen to Takuya Kuroda and his band play two sets in Vienna.
On a scale of 1 to 10, my knowledge of Jazz is, at best, teetering around the starting number here. So in advance, I offer sincere apologies to any Jazz aficionados reading this who may be slightly disappointed by some of the comments here.
The venue itself offers a beautiful basement room for sitting and listening to jazz. Small tables and chairs abound which provide an intimate setting, with the raised stage offering a clear view for all to enjoy the performance. Drinks were brought to the table by attentive staff throughout the evening. All in all, a very mature version of going to a gig. Some of us had to stand though due to the sell-out nature of the gig.
Takuya Kuroda is a Japanese jazz trumpeter and arranger and is obviously a well known figure in the world of Jazz, travelling the world to perform for audiences, though it had been 10 years and an album or two since his last visit to the club.
The band included a brilliant tenor sax player in Craig Hill, Takahiro Izumikawa on keyboards, Reuben Cainer on bass and David Frazier sitting triumphantly on the drum stool.
As for the music played on the night, from my perspective there were some virtuoso performances from Takuya, Craig and Takahiro in particular and the better informed audience offered appreciate applause throughout. What appears to be the free form nature of jazz makes me wonder how each member knows when to flit in and out of a song. Maybe it’s just a touch of class.
What was also striking was how Takuya gave ample solo time to his band members, not trying to savour the limelight for himself. Again, maybe that’s how the jazz scene works.
The nearest comparison I can think of is going back almost 50 years to nights at the Apollo in Glasgow to watch Yes.
Yes that Yes! Jon Anderson. Steve Howe. Chris Squire. Rick Wakeman and Alan White. Guitar solo. Bass solo. Keyboards solo. Drum solo. They were all part of the ‘Yes show’. While last night Takuya stepped to the side of the stage to give his band members a clear stage, I think Jon Anderson probably nipped out to Lauders next door and had a pint or three!
A surprisingly good night extending the breadth of eclectic music to our own tour of gigs this year.
Porgy & Bess Jazz and Music Club
Date 19 March 2024
Riemergasse 11, A-1010 Wien
The „heart“ of P&B stages different performances almost every night. It offers seating accomodations for 200 visitors and standing room for 150.
….Porgy & Bess has consistently been the best place to present music in Europe. The sound, treatment of musicians and audience are always the best. It lives up to the great musical tradition that Vienna has represented for centuries now.“ (Dave Liebman)
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