OTS: Li Tieqiao\’s \’East-West Collective\’

Jazz is a difficult thing to dive head-first into – while it’s easy to appreciate the talent behind jazz, most particularly, free improv – you really do need to be on the same wavelength to enjoy it. What sounds lie rambling to ones’ ears sounds like heaven glory itself to another’s. So when I ventured south to Mako Livehouse to check out experimental saxophonist Li Tieqiao and his ‘East-West Collective’, comprised of Li Tieqiao on sax, drummer Deng Boyu, bassist Wang Xubo, and guitarist Pierre Brahin, I really had no idea what to expect. How about a groove-tastic 17 minute jam?

This I can definitely get down with. These cats certainly know how to get their jam on. Check out more, including an opening set from DLB Trio, which brings in Li Lin on piano.

Things kicked off slow and steady at the near empty Shuangjing venue, as the DLB Trio serenaded the crowd with a laid-back, piano-heavy showcase which immediately brought to mind Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas (yes that’s pretty much the extent of my jazz knowledge).

Warm, gentle, with enough looseness to keep it light, this is the kinda music that demands a glass of red wine and a fireplace. Cause frankly, a big empty stage in a big empty warehouse doesn’t cut it.

Nevertheless, by the time Li Tieqiao and Pierre Brahin showed up, I could care less where I was – this was jazz tomfoolery at its finest. And though most jam bands rely upon the drums and bass to lead the way, this was by far the other two’s sermon. Inching their way into the groove the sax and guitar slowly were all that I could focus on. Now that’s skill.