Extreme warmth, flood warnings, and a rescheduled date didn’t cease followers from gathering on the Capital One Metropolis Parks SummerStage in Central Park on August 2 to see London-born drummer Yussef Dayes and his band, the Yussef Dayes Expertise, for a night that was all about rhythm and vibrations. Dayes took on double duties, performing together with his namesake group and with saxophonist Venna’s group earlier within the day. The teams have been joined by Thai drummer Salin and French multi-instrumentalist FKJ rounding out a various lineup of explorative gamers.
The date, initially scheduled for Thursday July 31, was rescheduled amidst city-wide cancellations within the face of flood warnings and up to date waves of extreme warmth. The date change didn’t cease followers from packing out the ticketed present in advantage of the Metropolis Parks Basis, who hosts the annual sequence that’s filled with free applications.
The present was stopped twice to deal with viewers members who collapsed — first throughout saxophonist Venna’s set early within the day. “We’d like some assist,” Venna beckoned to safety, earlier than personnel rushed to the viewers to help the attendee. “Look out for one another on the market,” he reminded the viewers.
Nonetheless, attendees have been in good spirits as they witnessed cultural connection and virtuosic depth unfold onstage. Dayes appeared alongside Venna, who is about to launch new music in September, collaborating in a laid-back set of soulful funk fusion. FKJ took to the stage quickly after and utilized live-sampling, piano taking part in, and vocals in his efficiency. Throughout FKJ’s set, Dayes was noticed by the port-o-potties at the back of the venue area, signing autographs and taking footage with followers earlier than heading backstage. “We made it,” he advised the AmNews, in reference to the weather-related challenges.
Because the solar set, Dayes’ drums have been moved as much as the entrance and middle of the stage. The lights went blue, and the tone was set for ‘The Expertise’s’ headlining efficiency. Dayes’ band consisted of Venna, bassist Rocco Palladino (son of legendary bassist Pino Palladino) and keyboardist Elijah Fox, who have been joined later within the evening by particular company Jacob McGibbon on guitar and FKJ on piano. The group carried out picks from Dayes’ 2023 debut solo album “Black Classical Music” which explores the pantheon of types that developed from the African diaspora, together with jazz, funk, soul, salsa, and reggae.
The drummer, who’s of Jamaican descent, examined the bounds of rhythm, exploring the seemingly infinite potentialities of the drums and at occasions even manipulating the tonal qualities of the instrument in uncommon methods, like by putting his fingers on completely different components of the pores and skin to vary the drum’s pitch. The musicians, all grasp improvisers, expanded Dayes’ compositional landscapes into universes of sound that reimagine the wealthy historical past of Black music. Tunes like “Afro-Cubanism,” “Birds of Paradise,” and “Black Classical Music” function transport whereas Dayes and his band’ served as transporters, taking viewers members on a groove-filled journey by way of time and area.
The music appears to be like forward as a lot because it appears to be like backwards, honoring historical past whereas exploring new music potentialities –– proving once more that custom and innovation co-exist harmoniously.
For information on upcoming SummerStage programming, go to cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage.
