The musicians had arrived throughout the afternoon to take their place at rehearsal in preparation for this long tour. Bass player Jay Anderson arriving so late that for the sound check a replacement was added just to be safe.
Looking incredibly relaxed and full of smiles for her first show, Schneider led the orchestra through 6 numbers. Opening with 'Concert in the Garden' and 'Journey Home' with lovely sax solos from Scott Robinson and Steve Wilson. 'Choro Dancado', 'Evanescence' and then the beautiful 'Hang Gliding' with again beautiful solos from Marshall Gilkes on trombone, Scott Robinson (Baritone Sax) and Ingrid Jensen (trumpet). The encore was 'My Ideal' which brought the concert all too soon to it's close.
If this sets the level for the rest of the tour then by the time she reaches Monterey in late September this will have become one of the hottest tours of the year.
John McLaughlin playing with his 4th Dimension band featuring Gary Husband on keyboards and percussion, Mark Mondesir on Drums and Dominique Di Piazza on bass is back to his jazz fusion best. Clearly enjoying this line up McLaughlin played a powerful yet varied set showing the full scale of his creative abilities. His long well constructed solos were never boring or tedious and he never let the band fade into the background - Gary Husband's playing was excellent throughout whether on keys or percussion and the back bone of Mondesir and Di Piazza is probably a good a pairing as you can get. Mondesir seems to expend no visible energy yet his playing is astonishing. McLaughlin at his best!
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