The Steve Nelson Quartet Hit Pittsburgh

The wind was fierce last Saturday, March 25. Throughout Pittsburgh, garbage cans tumbled over. Stray tree branches came down. Leaves in old dirty piles blew in circles, fascinating my cat. 

That evening, right as Gail Austin of Kente Arts Alliance was getting ready to introduce Steve Nelson, the lights in the New Hazlett Theater went out. Luckily, no one panicked and the back-up generator kicked in after less than a minute so the evening continued.

Vibraphonist Steve Nelson hails from these parts, Wilkinsburg specifically. Dr. Nelson Harrison -  the esteemed local trombonist, educator and historian of Pittsburgh jazz - recalled hearing about him when the vibes player was only 16 years old. "He is the representation of the Pittsburgh jazz legacy," the great doctor said.

Nelson's quartet included Rick Germanson (piano), Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass) and Charles Goold (drums). Although he has proven himself adept at playing in Dave Holland's unusual time signatures, Nelson's quartet kept it straight and swinging on Saturday, mixing originals in with some well-trod standards. But even the old familiar works still had plenty of inspiration to mine. 

Opening with "Surrey With The Fringe On Top," Nelson was already taking liberties before the opening theme was complete. Germanson blended single-note lines with groovy chords in this one while Kitagawa dug into some singing melodies on the bass. His original "Song for Tina" had some drive to it, as did "A Path That We Are Searching On," which was marked by stops and accents that helped inspire Germanson to get a bit aggressive on the piano. 

Throughout both sets - which each seemed to go beyond the originally described 45-minute length (not that anyone cared) - Nelson displayed a melodic sense that could happen at rapid or subdued tempos, which he combined with the sense of knowing when to simply let the bars of the vibes ring for a moment. His instrument is one that can become a little overbearing or maudlin in the wrong hands, but he manipulated the sustain pedal for variety, to the extent that he had to tighten the pedal during the second set, as it had come loose. Nelson also avoided any instance of the heavy vibrato that can turn the instrument into a lounge act.

Set number two started on familiar ground but not before Nelson delivered an unaccompanied interlude. The transition from that flowing opening to "Lady Be Good" recalled the same way Errol Garner often gave a number an improvised opening flourish before getting to the head. He occasionally pulled out a third mallet to add some harmony in the right hand, often while the other players soloed. For "Body And Soul," he brought out a fourth one, which he used to create a rich sound. A few tunes later, Kitagawa and Goold (on brushes) made sure that "Embraceable You" maintained a drive rather than simply becoming a sentimental reflection. 

There were instances where it felt like Germanson might have been quoting a little too often from jazz classics during his solos, but his use of insertion can't be dismissed. Kitagawa and Goold both proved to be solid rhythm section mates, with a sharp skill at holding back or pushing forward as needed. Dr. Harrison mentioned in his opening remarks about seeing live streams of this band playing in New York  and when they hit, it was clear the rapport was there with all four of them during both sets. 

Thank God the power stayed on.