Laila Biali
I just saw my friend Laila Biali play at the Jazz Cellar in Vancouver with Brandi Disterheft on bass and Sly Juhas on drums. Specila guest was Phil Dwyer on alto and tenor and on piano for one number. Great gig. It was sold out and I could only get in for the second set despite the fact that I know the band. Laila performs mostly original tunes and was voted composer (and keyboardist) of the year at the Canadian National JAzz awards last year. Laila has begun to sing more recently and the inevitable comparison to Diana Krall is made though I think that Laila's composing skills are far more advanced even at 25 years old than Diana Krall's will ever be. Laila's voice is nice and I enjoyed the singing but holy crap can she play piano. You can definitely tell that piano is where her comfort lies and she is able to express seemingly anything she wants effortlessly through the keyboard. Laila was complaining after the gig that she is so busy that she doesn't get to practice anymore, but having last heard her play a year ago, her playing has become even more natural and expressive. I guess that gigging every night, fighting to be fresh everytime is showing favourably in playing.
The rapport that she has with Sly and Brandi is incredible. There were so many subtle nuances that have become part of their ensemble playing that it almost seems rehearsed off a written score. The players react to each other so quickly that only an educated ear would notice the brilliant ease. There was one little 3 bar section during a solo where Laila fell into 3/4 from 4/4 and it took all of a beat and a half for Sly and Brandi to follow and then return to 4/4 together as if they had planned it all along.
It was the first time I had heard Phil Dwyer play live and I was amazed at how much of a Chameleon he could be. At once Michael Bracker then the next minute Wayne Shorter..always tasteful and occassionally brilliant; he's no slouch on the piano either.
If you get to see Laila live you'll be glad you did. She's touring all over at various festivals when she's not playing club gigs in Toronto.
The rapport that she has with Sly and Brandi is incredible. There were so many subtle nuances that have become part of their ensemble playing that it almost seems rehearsed off a written score. The players react to each other so quickly that only an educated ear would notice the brilliant ease. There was one little 3 bar section during a solo where Laila fell into 3/4 from 4/4 and it took all of a beat and a half for Sly and Brandi to follow and then return to 4/4 together as if they had planned it all along.
It was the first time I had heard Phil Dwyer play live and I was amazed at how much of a Chameleon he could be. At once Michael Bracker then the next minute Wayne Shorter..always tasteful and occassionally brilliant; he's no slouch on the piano either.
If you get to see Laila live you'll be glad you did. She's touring all over at various festivals when she's not playing club gigs in Toronto.
posted by Colin Darling | 5:09 PM
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