Performing at Tallinn’s Nordea Concert Hall, one of Jazzkaar’s major headlining artists David Sanborn delivered a fantastic performance with his Electric Band. The six time Grammy award winning saxophonist alongside keyboardist Ricky Peterson, bassist Andre Berry, guitarist Nick Moroch and drummer Chris Coleman blew Tallinn away in a performance that combined the five artists’ unique talents and distinct styles. Posing as one of the most awaited acts of this year’s festival program, the saxophonist and his lively band definitely met up to the expectations of the full hall of spectators who couldn’t help but cheer them on until Ricky Peterson insisted that they had to take their leave.
David Sanborn has had an illustrious career since it began in the 1970s, and in addition to his multiple awards and timeless album Taking Off (1975) the artist has always embraced many styles of music in his work. While the saxophone is predominantly associated with jazz, Sanborn is known to mix the versatile genre of jazz with instrumental pop and R&B, resulting in the dynamic, unpredictable and remarkable fusion of styles and rhythms that were demonstrated on Nordea’s stage that Monday evening. While Sanborn was the leading force of the group, with wildly twisting melodies and exquisite sultry notes blaring from his sax, the band of equally talented musicians added a lot of different flavors into the mix. Kicking off the evening was keyboardist Ricky Peterson who commanded the stage straight away, instructing the audience to clap along with him as the group took the stage. While playing two keyboards and an organ, and simultaneously jumping and throwing himself into his frantic rhythms, Peterson added an expressive touch of gospel music to the act.
Throughout the performance, each artist to the delight of the audience took the time to show off their masterful skills in different solo segments. The guitarist Nick Murdoch gave off a psychedelic vibe with his complex classic rock shredding, his fingers moving effortlessly as they jumped and twitched over his guitar. Adding to this fantastic string solo was the solo of bassist Andre Berry, who in a performance of the band’s song “Run for Cover” swelled the arena with funky bass riffs as he danced across all corners of the stage. An awed audience watched eagerly as the Berry’s hands disappeared in the immaculate flurry of movements they made across the bass guitar. Last to mention, though definitely not the least was drummer Chris Coleman’s fierce drumming skills which, in a mesmerizing solo piece, boomed an intricate head-banging pattern of knocks and beats that moved the entire audience.
Together the five musicians played with an ease and grace that stemmed from experience, skill and love for music. Their act was peppered with laughter and pauses for pink drinks as they would always stand aside and watch intently when it was someone else’s turn to rock the show, enjoying themselves as they watched and took in the music along with the audience.
David Sanborn
Monday, April 20th 2015 at 19:00 at Nordea Concert Hall
David Sanborn – saxophone
Ricky Peterson – keys
Nick Moroch – guitar
Andre Berry – bass
Chris Coleman – drums