DMA Jazz Under The Stars...disappoints me for the first time...

I do not want to “trash” artists on my blog. I’ve been asked to write reviews of music and have declined due to the lack of musicality of the work…or I just didn’t like it. However, now and again, I find gems. Like now, I’m listening to, for review, pianist David Leonhardt who has taken a swing approach to Bach, which I think is pretty good. I tell you about that one later. But last night...

Anybody who knows me knows that I begin my summer by attending the Jazz Under the Stars event at the Dallas Museum of Art. I’ve been attending this event for well over 10 years. Now, I drag my wife along with me every Thursday night. Last night was the first time I ever walked out on an artist because the music was so not good.

First, I tend not to like to walk in on sound checks. But considering the circumstances of this event, I can abide. Tonight's featured artist, Margo Rey is on set. She plays this genre of music she calls “Organica”. Think Basia meets Sade playing bossa novas….but with much less musicality, style or soul. She began her first set with a bluesy ballad that was so boring I can’t remember the name of it. The next song was a slow to mid-tempo version of Besame Mucho which she sung in some loose jazz operatic voice style…and it went south from there; including a type Latin version of “You Belong to Me” by Michael McDonald. I found myself more interested in my Toastmasters magazine that I accidently picked up and brought with me. After the first set, I spent time playing Words with Friends on my wife’s IPhone, hoping the second set would go better. It didn’t. She began the second set with “There’s No Sunshine”. Yes, you are reading that right…”THERE’S NO Sunshine”. I think had Bill Withers been there…he would have asked her to stop. No Soul.

Music is such a subjective thing. Some you like. Some you don’t. And some you’re indifferent too. She records and other people buy her work. In fact, she mentioned that a song from new record went from number 7 to number 4 on the dance charts.

Though I won’t suggest that I’ve seen every show that DMA has put on in the last 10 years (they’ve been putting this series on for about 25) I have questioned several of their choices…I think they just missed with this one. Or, she just didn’t have a good show.


Last week, I met Danilo Perez and John Patitucci. That was cool...





And of course...I'll be back next week!