Music review: Bojan Z's jazz is fine but where's the pop?

As part of Franco-Phil's recent thrust towards Gallic and Pinoy cooperative ventures, Alliance Francaise de Manille partnered with L'Oreal to bring to Manila acclaimed French pianist Bojan Z for a concert at the Ayala Museum last February 28. 

 

Per Franco-Phil's press release, Bojan Z is purportedly one of the finest, most acclaimed and multi-awarded ivory ticklers of his generation. 

 

Having heard him live, I grant that he's certainly an impressive player, armed with formidable technique and an extensive vocabulary that spans blues roots to avante garde pantonalities. But we draw the line at calling him one of the finest pianists of his generation.  

Don't get me wrong. The concert was ayt, as in, okay. Just not mind-blowing.

  

Bojan Z began his concert by banging out a percussion rhythm on the grand piano's lid and top, which was interesting. That served as a launch-off point for a funky, modern kind of danceable jazz tune rife with pedal points and bitonal structures. At various points, he reached inside the piano and slapped out bass notes directly on the strings as a bassist sometimes does on his/her own instrument. That was mildly amusing, albeit not a nourishing musical statement in and of itself.

 

The whole tune was an original piece of music by Bojan Z, and points were certainly earned for originality. Perhaps music would best have been served with stronger melodic themes instead? When will jazz musicians come up with hummable themes? Perhaps if we all covered some Taylor Swift?

 

Some of Bojan Z's tune were more avante garde yet – played on an electronic keyboard of his own design, called a xenophone, and through a couple of effects boxes (I recognized one as a digital delay). It was perhaps appropriate that this music was played on an instrument called a xenophone, as it made this writer feel vaguely xenophobic. 

 

While his improvisation set the spirit soaring, again the themes left me feeling flat. Taylor Swift, anyone? Jazz music dropped the ball when it turned its back on pop music.

  

Oh, and lest the purists get up in arms over these remarks, allow it to be said that I've been a jazz musician myself for two decades, and I've bled for the music more than most. I think Ive earned the right to sigh wistfully over his beloved genre's little foibles and faux pas.

 

Let us also recall that Miles Davis himself gave us some of his best, most enduring music on tunes like "Human Nature" and "My Funny Valentine", which were pop music tunes of their day. Part of Jazz's special magic is its alchemy that spins insipid pop into gold. If we had Messr Z's address, we would definitely send him some of Ms. Swift's albums.

 

His jazz technique is formidable, to be sure, and his solos scorch the stratosphere, plus his fingers never falter. We just have a taste for melodic themes that we can go home with humming.

 

As Frank Zappa once remarked, "jazz is great, it just smells funny." A good shot of Taylor Swift might perk up the aroma. – KDM, GMA News  Photos courtesy of Alliance Française de Manille