Playing with Jazz

"We'll be bringing the heavy."

What that meant was that Glows in the Dark was going to be playing in front of a projection of Ingmar Bergman's favorite of his films, 1962's "Winterlight."

What better place than Balliceaux to see my first Bergman film and with stellar musical accompaniment?

And who better to provide that score than the most cinematic jazz outfit in town?

They started strong with "Gary Glitter" as scenes of the Swedish countryside unfolded behind them.

Sometimes I could read the subtitles, mainly when saxophonist John Lilly had no part and moved over by the door, and the rest of the time I watched somber black and white figures and tried to feel their pain.

"Manhunt" took us even further into the claustrophobic story of a very unhappy looking man and then it was back to business with the epic "Beach of the War Gods."

"The next set of songs are all based on Ingmar Bergman movies," bandleader and guitarist Scott Burton announced.

Now we were getting somewhere.

I was stoked to hear "Through a Glass Darkly" because it was the first song I ever saw them do live years ago and they band's only gotten tighter since.

He introduced the next song as, "Winter Light," and appropriately, it was during that song that we saw the noted 6-minute take of a woman reading a letter that the film is known for.

But it's Bergman, so besides epic takes, there was also existentialism and crises of Christianity.

Same old same old in Sweden, it seems.

And you know when you see a line about, "Your peculiar indifference to Jesus Christ," you are definitely in a Bergman movie.

Ditto for this exchange:
Have you considered taking your own life?
I'm not sure.

Who answers that question that way? I'm not sure?

"Silence" was anything but and was followed by "Ex-Musicians," a song that found the musicians sounding like they were running out of steam toward the end, a brilliant but deliberate way to finish out the piece.

Ex-musicians, indeed.

No question, part of the entertainment was watching trombonist Bryan Hooten who was sitting in front of me, get caught up in Glows' music, too, sometimes raising his hand as if to conduct a note higher and sometimes just keeping time madly in his lap.

They finished with "Up and Down," and everyone in the audience leaned in hard, knowing that they and Bergman were racing for the finish.

And just for the record, things didn't end especially well for the Swedes.

The Marcus Tenney Trio came next playing songs from their upcoming album, which Marcus qualified by saying, "It's gonna come out soon. We just don't know when."

You see, you have to stay loose in jazz.

This set's entertainer was Reggie Pace from Glows, who was bobbing his head and grooving hard throughout the trio's set.

When I went to leave, Reggie said hi, asking me if I'd seen the Bergman movie before.

Alas, I had to admit that I hadn't, although now my interest is piqued.

But who else besides Glows in the Dark is going to show that movie for me to see?

And if they show it, they will play music and, once again, I will get too wrapped up in watching Cameron tear up his bass.

Or Scott make his guitar sound almost like a piano.

Or Reggie bend notes on his trombone.

Or John sputter and wail on his sax.

Or Scott look like a blur as his hands move so fast on the drums I can't keep up.

Yep, I've got no chance of ever fully paying attention to the interesting films Glows in the Dark shows behind their killer soundscapes.

When they bring the heavy, I like to hang on for every note.

That I'm sure of.