Keep (it) Swinging: Rick Margitza: Guest Player with the Ivan Paduart Trio

Rick Margitza te gast bij het Ivan Paduart Trio ( Nederlands) Rick Margitza guest player with the Ivan Paduart Trio (English)

Concert in Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen ( The Netherlands)
RICK MARGITZA: GUEST PLAYER WITH THE IVAN PADUART TRIO
Hans Koert

Tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza performed with the Ivan Paduart Trio in a concert at the Porgy en Bess Jazz Club in Terneuzen, in the south west part of The Netherlands, on the 7th of February, 2010.
It was a pity that the name of Rick Margitza, who played with great names like Maynard Ferguson, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis didn't guarantee a full house: half of the seats of the club were empty. And Ivan Paduart, Philippe Aerts and Mimi Venderame too, belong to the best in Belgian jazz.

Rick Margitza ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) (photo courtesy: Hans Koert)
Rick Margitza played for a short time in Miles Davis last quintet, where he replaced Kenny Garrett at the 1989 European tour and is to be heard in one tune ( Hannibal) of Davis' Amandla album).

Comic about the Moutin Reunion Quartet featuring Rick Margitza and Baptiste Trotignon (Drawings: Francois Moutin)
He is now a sought after tenor saxophone player and a member of the Moutin Reunion Quartet - a quartet of the French Moutin twins Francois ( on bass) and Louis on drums. He replaced Sylvain Boef on saxophone in May 2003 and toured with the group along the US east coast venues, where they recorded the album Red Moon. I really like that album Red Moon. I wrote about this album, which was released in a hard cover comic book, titled Louis & Francois Moutin with drawings by Francois Moutin ( BD Jazz 029)

Ivan Paduart ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) (photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Ivan Paduart started his career at the age of 17, discovered by Michel Herr, then the piano player of Toots Thielemans, at a master class. Soon after that event he played with established jazz musicians and both Mimi as Philippe are colleagues from this very beginning. His first recordings, like Aftertouch, are from 1990, in which he already played with Mimi Verderame and two years later he is to be heard at the European Jazz contest with Philippe Aerts. I heard Ivan for the first time five years ago at the Porgy en Bess Jazz Club in a concert by Richard Rousselet and JeanFrancois Prince who, I remember well, impressed in an Electric Miles performance at the guitar.

Philippe Aerts ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Both Philippe Aerts and Mimi Verderame are skilled musicians and play together for ages, which makes it a solid rhythm section. Two weeks ago Mimi performed with Rony Verbiest in this club and both Mimi as Philippe are the regular members of Philip Catherine rhythm section.

Rick Margitza ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The Trio + one started its first set with a Margitza composition, Street of Dreams and continued with compositions by Ivan Paduart, Disconnected and First Rays. Both tunes Rick and Ivan recorded on their 2001 album Still. The first set finished with the Paduart composition Can't Wait. The audience had to wait until the second set to hear Rick Margitza at his best.

Mimi Verderame ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The second set, Ivan had promised to play six sets, started with the tunes Blue Landscape and Igor, dedicated to Ivan's 13 years old son, both compositions by Ivan Paduaert. Rick surprised at the end of the set with the tune Love Dance. In a lengthy opening solo, using altissimo-register notes, Rick learned that he has listened well to Coltrane and trumpet player Maynard Ferguson in whose band he played during the 1980s. The tune developed into an inspiring duet between him and the rhythm section. It showed both Rick as Mimi at their best - it was a pity that it was the one but last tune of the concert, as the audience loved to hear more. Fact was that Margitza had to be in time in Brussels to catch the train to Paris in times, so ..............

Philippe Aerts and Mimi Verderame ( Porgy en Bess - Terneuzen - February 2010) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

At the end of the concert Hans Zuiderbaan, chairman of Porgy en Jazz, announced some upcoming concerts, all posted at the Porgy en Bess website and hinted that the club has booked some bands for the new concert season already. Wouldn't it be great to invite the Moutin Reunion Quartet next season? It would be a great opportunity to let Rick Margitza finish the job....................

Some photo impressions from the concert

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl

Live-performances, like today with Rick Margitza and Ivan Paduart and his men, should offer you Jazz at his best ..... Jazz .... two sets, in which things happen - not just two sets filled with sounds, but musicians and audience communicating through music - The Keep Swinging blog tries to share this feeling, this fascination, in its reviews. If you don't want to miss any contribution, please register, and I'll send you its weekly news letter.