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August 31, 1999.
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DANCING ON THE ESPLANADE (excerpted from Mathew Laughlin's BostonEvents newsletter)
The Jazz Festival this weekend in other words. I randomly ran into a friend on the T. She said that she was on her way to meet some friends down there and would I like to come along? As much as I love music, I feel a much stronger connection to acoustic rock, or electronic music, or almost any other form than jazz. So, I almost said no. See, most of the jazz clubs I've been in involved people sitting in the dark, trapped behind small tables drinking smaller drinks at hefty prices while they listen quietly and attentively as a perceived master plies his trade. That's not a musical experience to me. Musical experiences involve some sort of movement or some sort of interaction. For example, those who know me well know that I'm a huge fan of dance companies also. As a result, a lot of people assume that I'm a symphony fan as well. When the subject comes up, my favorite response is, "What are you supposed to watch or do when the symphony is playing?" Put a big dance floor down by the pit, or maybe have some videos up on a big screen, or maybe just have the symphony play in the background while all the rest of us congregate in the lobby and talk to one another and I would be set.
Anyway, I'm glad that my friend was able to talk me into going. We got to the Hatch shell right when Cubanesimo was playing. Salsa music. Salsa that rocks. At least a quarter of the crowd was on their feet swaying or swiveling their hips or doing the white man's salsa. (That would be an attempt at salsa dancing with no previous instruction whatsoever and without the expected ethnic or family background to give you some clues as to what to do). There were two women dancing with one another about 50 feet in front of us. These girls were GOOD. Really good. Obviously they DID have the benefit of some form of instruction. Watching the two of them dance on that warm afternoon in the midst of a huge crowd to the most incredible music coming from the stage was one of those things that stays with you long after the experience has come to an end.
Cubanesimo stopped playing and Diana Krall came on. She's a Jazz singer. Low, sultry, silky voice and a very commanding stage presence. Her voice sounded a lot like Fiona Apple to me except that she also had an unbelievable amount of range and control. After a few songs I looked over to where the two girls had been dancing to the salsa music. They've now been joined by a guy. One of the girls starts slow dancing with him. The other one stays by herself and starts doing this really slow, really sexy jazz dance kind of thing. I look back over to the couple and once again I'm struck by the sheer beauty of the scene. A bunch of people are gathered around eating and drinking and listening to incredible music on a free and sunny day. Meanwhile, just a few feet away, two people are enjoying and sharing the experience on a completely different level. The guy is facing away from me and they are turned in such a way that all I can see of her is her arm draped around his bare back, a shock of long hair and one side of her face as she nestles under his chin and gazes up at him. Looking over, I can see that for this moment she is very deeply in love. I can also see that this is one of those experiences that will leave a very long-lasting imprint in both of their lives. For me it may be a gazebo in the rain. For others it may be a sun baked afternoon on the Esplanade. For others still it may be the balcony of a hotel far away from the other guests of the party. No matter where or when, I wouldn't trade those moments for the world. The Jazz Concert on the Esplanade. Had you been there, you could have been a part of it as well.
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