Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Jazz Orchestra@The Blue Whale 01.13.12
By George W. Harris

I took my first trip to the freshly minted Blue Whale jazz club last
month, and was so impressed by the music, sound and vibe, that I had to
go back to make sure it wasn’t a one night fling. Local pianist Vardan
Ovsepian leads a very hip chamber jazz orchestra that gives Billy
Childs a run for the money, and brought it to the cozy confines for the
MLK weekend. The weekend consisted of 2 evenings of two sets of
different material each time, no mean feat in itself. The first set on
Friday night had the romantic pianist front a sympathetic nonette that
mixed winds, stings and percussion along with a flexible jazz rhythm
section. The mood was set from the get-go as Ovsepian’s piano opened on
“Desert Rose” with a penetrating rivulet of notes that slowly caught on
with the band, creating a harmony reminiscent of Eastern European
agonies, mixed with cheerful Brazilian rhythms. Jessica Vauter’s spoken
and wordless vocals made the piece sound like a meeting between Flora
Purim and Bartok, while “After The Ship Wreck” slipped into a
tango-laced sway that included tablas and yearning old world woodwinds.

A passionate cello solo by Artyon Manukyan weaved in and out of the
galloping samba “Dark Matters,” while Zach Harmon’s castanets created a
south of the border mood to compliment’s Ovsepian’s modern jazz piano
work on the darkly classical “Beautiful Struggle” A reading of Charlie
Chaplan’s “Smile” had Vocalist Rachel Lauren sang over a Mahlerian take
of Charlie Chaplain’s “Smile” before the band closed the set with a jaw
dropping flamenco piece by guest guitarist Vahami who strutted,
strummed and caressed his strings through a series of flowing and
celestial ensemble passages that melded the best of Iberian and
Byzantine worlds. This band, and this leader, has some great ideas to
share, and for those fortunate to take in the sounds, it served as a
reminder that he’s got more to offer next time around.