# Keberle and Catharsis met those goals during a performance at The Dark Room in St. Louis: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/02/01/keberle-and-catharsis-met-those-goals-during-a-performance-at-the-dark-room-in-st-louis-video/
- Published: 2018-02-01T11:46:02+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**When trombonist Ryan Keberle formed Catharsis, the piano-less group he’s recorded
and toured with since 2012, he posted a YouTube video in which he explained his 
reasons for forming the group: “I’m looking to have a band that allows me to play
music that connects with an audience—hopefully an audience beyond die-hard jazz 
fans. I want to connect with our listeners on an emotional level, and I’m looking
to have a band that really has that ‘working band’ sound.”**

Keberle and Catharsis certainly met those goals during a performance at The Dark
Room in St. Louis on Jan. 28. The lengthy, three-set concert featured an eclectic
mix of music that connected strongly with the audience. The program featured material
from all the Catharsis albums, including several Keberle originals as well as compositions
by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Ivan Lins, Billy Strayhorn and Art Farmer.

Backed by vocalist/guitarist Camila Meza, drummer Eric Doob, saxophonist John Ellis
and bassist Matt Clohesy (the latter two musicians subbing for trumpeter Michael
Rodriquez and bassist Jorge Roeder, respectively), Keberle kicked off the evening
with “Big Kick Blues,” an energetic, loose-limbed romp that was the first cut on
Catharsis’ 2013 album, _Music Is Emotion_ (Alternate Side).

The remainder of the opening set reflected Keberle’s affinity for South American
music, particularly the work of Argentinian bassist/composer Pedro Giraudo and Brazilian
musical legend Lins. “I Thought I Knew (For Pedro Giraudo)” from Catharsis’ 2016
disc, _Azul Infinito_ (Greenleaf), built slowly, starting with Meza’s lovely vocals
interpreting the lyrics of poet Mantsa Miro. Keberle and Ellis added rhythmic coloration
before Clohesy and Doob power-shifted the tune into a higher gear.

Two songs from the latest Catharsis album, _Find The Common, Shine A Light_ (Greenleaf),
reinforced the Latin connection. “Al Otro Lado Del Rio,” featuring lyrics by Uruguayan
singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler, was a showcase for Meza’s soaring vocals. “Become
The Water,” with powerful lyrics by Miro convincingly delivered by Meza, featured
Keberle moving from trombone to piano as Ellis took the spotlight with a scorching
soprano sax solo.

The set ended with a lovely rendition of Lins’ “Madalena,” written in tribute to
the late Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina. The Lins connection continued at the beginning
of the second set with Keberle’s tribute to Lins, “Quintessence.”

Keberle, who topped the category Rising Star–Trombone in the 2015 DownBeat Critics
Poll, then led the band through his up-tempo composition “Organic Rodeo,” from his
2007 album, _Double Quartet_ (Alternate Side).

The band continued the tribute theme by playing Strayhorn’s “Blues in Orbit,” featuring
a great drum introduction by Doob, slinky bass lines from Clohesy and dynamic solos
by Meza on vocals and guitar, Keberle on trombone and Ellis on tenor sax. “Ancient
Theory,” Keberle’s tribute to Ornette Coleman, closed out the second set.

The final set focused on what Keberle called the “protest theme” of the music of
_Find The Common, Shine A Light_. The set opened with a fine rendition of The Beatles’“
Fool On The Hill” that paired Meza’s lovely vocals with finely honed unison lines
on trombone and sax.

Next up was a version of “I’m A Stranger” by the Brooklyn-based gospel-rock group
Welcome Wagon, with Ellis contributing on soprano sax and Keberle moving to piano.
Keberle’s keyboard work segued smoothly into a version of Dylan’s protest anthem“
The Times They Are A-Changin’,” which stuck close to the song’s original framework
through the first couple verses before upping the energy level as Doob, Ellis and
Keberle (back on trombone) joined in.

The evening ended with Keberle and the band turning the page back to late 1950s 
with a swinging version of Farmer’s “Blue Port,” which was composed by the trumpeter
and recorded by Farmer and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s band.

“It’s great to be able to tour with this caliber of musicianship in the band, especially
when you have John and Matt to fill in,” Keberle said during a short interview after
the performance. “With this level of musicianship, we can really mix it up and play
a lot of different styles. Playing ‘Blue Port’ along with The Beatles and Dylan 
really injects new life into everything we play.”

Keberle and Catharsis will perform at the Black Dolphin in Kansas City on Jan. 31
and at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point’s Michelsen Hall on Feb. 2.

![Image](https://i0.wp.com/downbeat.com/images/news/_full/Web_Keberle_Catharsis.
jpg?w=640)

### _Related_