Tribute worthy of jazz great

Miles Davis was the "Picasso of Jazz," reinventing himself and his sound endlessly in his musical quest. He was an artist that defied (and despised) categorization, yet he was the forerunner and innovator of many distinct and important musical movements. In a Feb. 20 tribute to Miles Davis, Distinguished Professor of Music David Baker and members of IU jazz faculty showcased Davis' influence on modern jazz. The show was part of the Jazz Fables series at Bear's Place (1316 E. Third St.) every Thursday night.\nPlaying such standards as "Someday My Prince Will Come," and "Bye Bye Blackbird," recorded by Miles Davis, as well as original Davis compositions as "Nardis," and "So What," Baker, who is also the chair of the Jazz Studies department, led the faculty and event organizer David Miller through an evening of wonderfully arranged and magnificently played jazz in tribute to arguably the most important jazz artist of all time.\nThe band kicked off its first set with "Bye Bye Blackbird," which lasted over twenty minutes. The song peaked as Pat Harbison on trumpet, Tom Walsh on saxophone, Miller on trumpet and Baker on cello traded "fours" with drummer Steve Houghton. Bruce Bransby added his superb bass playing, while Luke Gillespie chimed in with an excellent piano performance.\nMidway through the first set, the band played "Nardis," a tune written but never recorded by Davis. This was certainly the highlight of the evening. The soulful and somber song allowed each player to put his own stamp on the piece. \nBaker put in his best solo for the night, mixing harmonics and chords into his fluid, rapid-fire cello playing. After a good solo from Walsh, pianist Gillespie went mad on his instrument, adding a Latin feel to the song and deftly maneuvering the music into off-kilter and unexplored territory.\nWhen the band eased into "So What," one of Davis' best-known songs, it seemed they were winding down for the evening. But Walsh played a sax solo that completely recharged the energy in the band and was by far his best solo of the night. After each player, particularly Harbison, took extended but incredible solos, Gillespie wound the song down with an atonal solo which led to a closing solo by Bransby.\n"Freddie Freeloader" came next, followed by the closing number, "If I Were A Bell." A sweet Harbison solo started the song off, and each musician got into the song, making the last one count. While Baker seemed to steal the show in the first set, Harbison certainly put in his bid for the second, giving listeners a chance to hear some amazing solos.\nOverall, the show was top-notch, everything you'd expect from the IU Jazz Faculty and Jazz Fables and much more.\nBe sure to check out this Thursday's concert from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Jazz Fables presents Koven J. Smith directing the Monster Zero Orchestra at Bear's Place. Cover for the show is $5.