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Rene Marie joins Convergence for high energy sets at Dazzle
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Convergence
After Convergence wrapped up their first set at Dazzle last Thursday, members of the band trickled out of the showroom and into the bar. They weren’t exhausted, but it was clear that they had been working hard. Undoubtedly, their brief respite flew by and by 9 they were back on stage, at it again for fresh pairs of ears and a few repeat customers who just couldn’t get enough.
For those familiar with the Denver jazz scene, the name Convergence instantly evinces adamant encomium. Few groups can boast of the individual talent present in this band. Members of Convergence have achieved great personal success as leaders, sidemen and composers, but the group’s success transcends singular accomplishments. Like other great ensembles, Convergence has been playing together long enough to have realized that the key to great jazz is synergy.
All it took to set the mood was Paul Romaine’s incomparable shuffle. The band quickly dug in to the meaty blues and after a few choruses of Mark Patterson’s boisterous trombone the youngest member of the group, Gabe Mervine followed with a Lee Morgan-esque solo that could be summed up in one word-pimpin’. After another instrumental, an original composition by pianist Eric Gunnison, Convergence welcomed Rene Marie to the stage.
Marie’s story is interesting. It has all of the elements that accompany triumph over adversity and even before she started singing, elements of her strong and confidant personality poured out of her. She briefly bantered with the band and counted off, How Can I Keep From Singing, an infectiously positive world-beat number filled with lyrical piano accompaniment and wispy horn lines floating around Marie’s words.
Throughout the course of the night, Marie interacted intimately not only with the band, but also with the audience. During her salacious original, Rimshot, a saucy Marie focused her attention on Romaine’s drums and played with the audience’s sense of humor on the double entendre. Later, during another blues, Marie got close to bassist Mark Simon during his solo. Gradually her soft hum meshed with the running bass line culminating into an improvised call and response. And when she traded lines with saxophonist John Gunther, their conversation trailed off after which Gunther punctuated his last notes by comically creeping off stage.
The most delightful aspect of this impressive night of music cannot be ascribed to one definite moment. Rather what was most enjoyable was witnessing the small adjustments made by each musician during the unexpected twists and turns that accompanied the rehearsed material-the spontaneity. And sometimes it is easy to forget that it is difficult to reach such a level, to keep everything together while simultaneously letting go and trusting the other musicians on stage and ultimately allowing the music to take its own direction.
For a complete list of upcoming Dazzle performances check out their performance calendar
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