The Headhunters performed to an enthusiastic crowd at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle on September 17. It was the first of two nights there that served as entwined celebrations of the band's Live from Brooklyn Bowl album, their 50th anniversary, and an opportunity to show off material from their forthcoming release The Stunt Man, out October 11.
The Headhunters do not simply trade on nostalgia, though no one would fault them if they did. There is undoubtedly a lucrative lifestyle to be had playing clubs and festivals, rehashing their beloved '70s work with Herbie Hancock. That is not what this band is up to.
They acknowledge their own history, but with a renewed connection to New Orleans, the cradle of jazz, they incorporate that city's legacy in a thoroughly modern jazz-funk fusion. Even when dipping into their deep well of songs, the arrangements are fresh and current.
Original member Bill Summers (percussion) and his longtime partner Mike Clark (drums) led the ensemble, joined by Kyle Roussel (keys), Donald Harrison (alto sax), and Chris Severin (seven-string bass). This lineup combines the band's legacy members with established New Orleans musicians.
The set opened with "Four String Drive," the Mike Clark/Paul Jackson piece that has served (mostly) as the band's show-opener for the last several years. The song starts with a "dad joke" of a false ending to the song, with Clark exclaiming, "Thank you, good night!" Listeners to the band's live albums and other recordings will recognize the shtick. It's tired but harmless, indicative of the ethos of fun that the band extols in a lot of their banter with the crowd throughout the show.
"Four String Drive" is a great introduction, with each member getting the chance to display their chops. They all did, but keyboardist Roussel — that man had something to say, all night.
Later on in the show, Summers referred to Roussel as "the future." Listeners are lucky he's not just the future, but that he is here now. Severin did his part as well, firing off about the tastiest bass solo one could ask for, locked in with relentless syncopation support from Clark.
"ESP" was a reworking of Wayne Shorter's modal jazz piece through the band's funk-fusion lens. It was the first of track from The Stunt Man to appear in the set. As to be expected on a Shorter track, Harrison's horn work stood out, showcasing the band's ability to bridge different jazz eras and keep fresh a tune that has gotten a lot of play from many bandstands. It was also the first opportunity for Summers to really shine, with a solo percussion and vocal moment straight from Congo Square.
The new composition "The Stunt Man" featured Clark's drumming at a low simmer, providing another foundation for Roussel and Severin to build on. This is the rare band of virtuosos who give everyone the chance to shine in an empathetic, generous manner.
"Butterfly," from the second Headhunters-backed Hancock album Thrust, one of jazz's first platinum-selling albums, followed. For this observer, it was the hands-down highlight of the night. Roussel's keyboard work incorporated 150 years of Western music within each solo. Sweeping, modern classical runs juxtaposed seamlessly with stride, boogie, blues and funk. Never too many notes. Nothing short of a revelation.
The grace and confidence to tackle the work of a legend like Hancock, while keeping the music vibrant and alive, may be the greatest strength of jazz, where tradition meets innovation.
During "Watermelon Man," Summers delivered an extended solo on the shekere, the West African percussion instrument, which highlighted the diasporic influences central to the Headhunters' sound. This performance underscored Summers' importance in shaping the band's distinctive style - and substance - since their earliest work with Hancock. Arrangement and interpretations like this is what make the Headhunters so different from a nostalgia act. The material becomes a point of departure, not a rehash of past glories.
The set closed with the Meters' "Hey Pocky Way." This rendition further showcased the New Orleans influences brought by the newer band members, with "Big Chief" Donald Harrison taking on vocal duties, while Clark and Summers added their characteristic fusion elements.
The sound in Jazz Alley was superlative. Crystal clear, with all the instruments separated and well-represented in the mix. There were moments where the band intentionally played with silence, playing minimal percussion hits or vocalizations and there was no auditory hum or noise from the sound system.
Throughout the performance, the Headhunters balanced their historical heft with an evolutionary relevance, merging African rhythms, New Orleans funk, and contemporary jazz styling.
October will be a busy month for the band, as they celebrate the release of The Stunt Man and head to Europe for the next leg of their tour.
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