Last night at the Rechabite, jazz-prodigy duo Domi & JD Beck finished up the last set of the tour for their first album. It was a full house, packed to the rafters with jazzheads shouting out “je t’aime Domi!” and “we love you!”. If you expected something smooth and transcendental like their album NOT TiGHT sounds on wax, you would have been blown away by their explosive, alchemical percussion and piano playing. It’s no surprise that these two are rising stars who have already had artists like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Snoop Dog, and Mac Demarco feature on their debut.
After seven, the various types of jazzheads filed into the Rechabite hall to see these new favourites. There was long hair, buzzcuts, corduroy caps, and more than a few pairs of glasses that were laser-focused on the stage. As the place packed in, DJ wetpuddlss played an electronic dance mix– one that worked like elevator music on the cerebral crowd, but not one that failed to fuel the anticipation either. She set the table just so Domi & JD Beck could crash the party.
When Domi & JD Beck finally took the stage, Domi was brilliantly blonde in a pink Powerpuff Girls raincoat while JD Beck was enshrouded by dark hair and navy blue– their charming contrast is one small part of what makes this duo so dynamic. JD Beck complained about his three hours of sleep, while Domi cracked cheap jokes and pumped up the room– “NOT TiGHT” like your mom! The two have fun on stage, even when they’re not playing. If you think it’s tough to make a serious jazz lover laugh during a frenetic show like this, just know that even the opening notes from Led Zeppelin‘s “Kashmir” or an Usher song will get them cheering and grinning.
First they jammed on “WHATUP”, then moved into some MF Doom covers. Hearing a jazz rendition of “All Caps” and “Meat Grinder” wasn’t at all what I expected to hear, but it was more than a highlight, it was magic. And Domi & JD Beck are best known for their improv– it is jazz after all– so this means they give themselves two hours for a forty five minute album. After one song, JD Beck leaned over to say “l’d rather die than play this next one”, so they switched to an Aphex Twin cover instead. Whether playing or not, they always knew when to pivot. Beck’s snare drum skin burst mid song, so he beat out a new rhythm on the rim. Then when Beck was tightening the lugs on a new skin, Domi fluttered effortlessly along the piano keys with captivating style.
These moments for inspiration must be built into their shows. Without Thundercat coming along on tour, the two had to sing his part on “BOWLiNG” (with many apologies and much hand wringing) but hearing the two harmonise while playing perfectly was a true treat. After that they flipped their tracklist and made their way through their album in earnest.
They elegantly played “MOON”– the song they co wrote with jazz legend Herbie Hancock then– beat out a spacey version of Weather Report’s “Havana”, then played their hits. The crowd had been waiting all night to hear “SMiLE” and “SNiFF” and they didn’t disappoint.
Finally, worn out by many early morning flights and late night shows, JD Beck called out the last song of the evening: a cover of “Endangered Species” by Wayne Shorter. It was the perfect tune to end on, and yet there was more. After leaving the stage with the cheers of the crowd following them, they crept back on for one more song. If there’s anything that a jazzhead wants from jazz, it’s to be surprised, and Domi & JD Beck did just that without missing a beat.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Header photo credit: Mark Francesca
