Photo courtesy of Kosi
Date: November 7, 2014
Venue: The Shrine (Harlem, NY)
Review by Dawoud Kringle
With a full moon in Scorpio overlooking a cold autumn night in Harlem, singer-songwriter Kosi brought her music to the Shrine in a two set event that combined a video release with her 29th birthday celebration.
They began with the safety of a standard: “Lullaby of Birdland”. This was straight up jazz. Each musician took their time invoking the jazz essence of the song. Kosi wove her singing style into the well established genre, paying homage to the tradition without making concessions to it. Their second song was an original; a ballad the band did in a passionate bluesy manner
They continued with another original, “Once I Loved”. This was a jazz song with a real blues/ R&B/Soul feel. Kosi’s approach to it was confidently masterful, as if telling a story she knew and lived. She let the audience know she was in charge of the music.
Next, they took the music into Latin jazz land, exploring the original “Your Angel” with a light rhumba feel. The song took a sad turn toward the end, shattering the light, happy feel it had started with. After this, they went into another original; “Angel.” This manifested as an R&B ballad.
Another original, “I Wrote You a Song” was offered to the set. This song was done in such a way that the pain of a love affair was experienced as visceral sensation, and not mere entertainment or display of artistic skill. This is Kosi’s greatest skill as a singer and performer. Aron played a particularly passionate solo on this, deftly invoking the same feeling Kosi established.
At this point they took a break and premiered Kosi’s video of her song “I Already Know.” The video, produced, written, and directed by Kosi (featuring Ian ) showed another dimension of her talent. Both the song and imagery on the video eloquently showed the mindset of a woman who wrestles with the idea of the futility of beginning a love affair that she is convinced is destined to end in heartbreak. The acting, script, editing, and production were all very good for a limited budget. In fact, considering the budget and technical limitations Kosi had to work with, the video turned out brilliantly.
One must ask oneself what she could do with a real budget and resources. The answer is clear; we will need to keep our eyes on what she will accomplish in the future.
They returned for a second set and began with “No Love Dying” by Gregory Porter. Here, she brought her own interpretation of Porter’s composition, neither losing the essence of the song, nor slavishly imitating it (despite Porter being a major influence.)
They continued with a splendid rendition of an original; “Valerie”. The song dripped with emotion and inescapable sadness as Kosi invoked the memory of a lost love. Christopher took a beautiful bass solo.
Duke Ellington‘s classic “Caravan” followed. Kosi approached this in her own inimitable way, as the band brought a subtle insinuation of funk (without actually doing so) into the jazz vibe. Isaiah took a marvelous solo after the first verse. His skills. When Aron soloed, the band went into pure jazz.
They concluded with “Once and Future”, another original. This was done as a blues, and carried within it a sense of determination to sustain and support the love between “her” and her “one and only man.” Everyone in the group took highly charged and eloquent solos.
Photo courtesy of Kosi
This writer has seen Kosi live several times, and this was a particularly good performance. Aron Marchak normally plays with Kosi on her solo performances. Here, the burden of holding down all instrumentation was lifted, and he made use of that freedom with wonderful solos and chordal backing. Drummer Isaiah Pierce brought solid grooves, and a real lyricism to the drums, at times seamlessly switching styles without loosing any continuity with the song. Christopher Hall on bass showed a different side of his artistry than when I heard him with Mem Nadhar last year. This night, he delved deep into the emotional content of the music, and more than proves himself a multifaceted musician. And Kosi’s vocals were always powerful and confident. Her genius in not only interpreting a song but bringing it to life was consistently on point.
Tonight was a milestone in Kosi’s career. She is single-handedly carving her name into the pages of a musical tradition that has extraordinarily high standards, and every step of the way proving she is equal to the best that preceded her.
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