WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—On Oct. 2, as part of the Armenian Library and Museum of America’s (ALMA) ongoing “Jazz Nights @ ALMA” concert series, the Armen Donelian Trio played a versatile set of original compositions with David Clark (bass) and George Schuller (drums) in the museum’s Contemporary Art Gallery. Donelian has previously played with jazz legends Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Paquito D’Rivera, and Billy Harper.
Christie Hardiman, ALMA’s public relations and membership outreach coordinator, introduced the musicians, after which bandlander Armen Donelian said, “We’re going to play some originals from our CD and some standards tonight. This first song is called, ‘Waiting for Flora.’”
The trio opened up soft and melodic with improvised piano solos that drifted fancy free like an autumn breeze. Their second song and the namesake of their album, “Oasis,” was played with more melancholy and with a slightly wounded and wandering edge.
“To continue, we’d like to play a song that always seems to evoke feelings from the other side of the border. I call this song ‘Mexico,’” he noted. The rhythms fluttered on high with a papagayo elegance and the trio finished by playing “Sunrise, Sunset” also from their album.
For upcoming concert dates in the “Jazz Nights @ ALMA” concert series, visit www.almainc.org/calendar_jazz.html.
Andy Turpin
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