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Leaderless Fly plays Jazz Standard
Leaderless jazz trio Fly
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In its nearly century long history, jazz has made considerable changes, branched off into a myriad of sub-sects, become as varied as its influences. But there are certain standbys that have little divergence. One of these is that a singular leader leads a jazz band; to deviate from this would truly break the mold. Well, consider the mold broken. Fly, playing January 21–24 at Jazz Standard, is a three piece leaderless collective dedicated to creating fantastic jazz music by sharing control and collaborating creatively.
Fly is comprised of Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Larry Grenadier (bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums). The band has released two successful albums that push the envelope on modern jazz.
“Fly is progressively bringing together many musical elements, traditions, histories and mysteries,” says Turner. “Multiplicity is presented under an unassuming hat. In other words, we are working toward saying it all without saying it all, expressing complexity by simplicity. Musically speaking, we are creating songs that can be heard on a number of levels and from a variety of different viewpoints. Sometimes it’s the saxophone carrying the melody, other times it’s the bass or drums. We spread out the frontline duties among us.”
Ballard also points out that Fly expands on the trio format. “There is a density in our songs and arrangements. With few instruments, we create a full ensemble sound.” That big sound includes a sort of banter back and forth between the three instruments, a frivolity that helps the Fly sound stay fresh.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.jazzstandard.com.