JAZZMEIA HORN
Those who have already fallen for the impressive vocalist won’t be shocked to learn that her whirlwind through “Willow Weep for Me” was the show-stopper it was intended to be. She’d just come out of a voice/piano duet on “The Peacocks” with enough intimacy that it seemed natural for her to provide a “bless you” to an audience member who’d sneezed (take that, Keith Jarrett). And when she and her trio rolled into “Willow” with a three-note scream/scat exclamation, you knew it was pregnant with contemporary resonance, not just boo-hoo heartache. She lit the fuse, the band handled the liftoff, and suddenly, jazz was a one-woman Amen Corner. “No more pain, no more blood, no more tears, no more brothers shot down in the street.” The lyrics became a mantra, the mantra became a battle cry, and the standing ovation was fully deserved.
