Music
Thursday, 12 November 2009 05:11
Written by Jenn Chan Lyman

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Shanghai's favorite personality brings swing to Xin Hua Lu

photo by Jenn Chan Lyman

Recently my favorite night has been Wednesday night. That’s when I go to Cotton’s on Xin Hua Lu and relax with a glass of Santa Rita in the perfectly moody but not depressing atmosphere and listen to some - you guessed it - jazz. I am here again tonight, with the only difference being that my Santa Rita is red instead of white due to the sudden and extreme change from summer straight to winter. That's Shanghai for you. The night begins at 9pm and the third and last set ends around 12:30am.

The quartet "Theo Croker 4 Swing" has been bringing A Swinging Affair At Cotton’s for the past three Wednesdays. It is quite a special little get-up they have going on here, with the musicians on the floor right beside the patrons, sitting on the same plush red chairs that is so Cotton’s, and playing as if they were in their own living rooms. The other remarkable characteristic of A Swinging Affair At Cotton’s is that trumpeter and band leader Theo Croker has managed to gather together four of the town’s most talented performers. Andres "The Chieftain" Boiarsky, fierce and light as a feather on the tenor sax, Lawrence "The Ku" Ku, sometimes whimsical, sometimes pensive on a Godin (nylon-stringed guitar), and Curtis "The Ostillator" Ostle, steady and lyrical on the upright bass. Then there’s Croker, who’s been all around town lately perfecting his art. Croker’s geared up for three gigs today, the first being a private function at M1NT, and after Cotton’s he’ll be playing at LoGo with a DJ.

The light is low and the atmosphere is warm within Cotton’s red walls tonight. I love how the instruments are right up in your face. The quartet is positioned in front of the fireplace in the main room. Boiarsky and Croker are mobile on their horns, both in terms of skill as well as literally. They get up close and personal with the patrons, bringing their swing to every corner of the room. Tonight’s set begins with “Alone Together”, followed by “Stablemates’” by Benny Golson. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the modus operandi of this quartet is swing, so expect your feet to start tapping and your hips to shake uncontrollably. Okay, maybe not, but at the very least your head will be bopping so much you may have trouble holding your wine glass steady.

The acoustics at Cotton’s are surprisingly amazing for a place not built for live performances. Ostle the Ostillator agrees: “Acoustically everything sounds great [at Cotton’s], particularly the double bass." I ask him what it's like to play without a drummer and he responds, "I have to work harder when there’s no drummer because the time responsibility is on everyone, but mainly on me. It gives me more freedom to play what I want and it’s a work-out, really. There’s freedom, and yet I have to be more rhythmically concise because there’s no drummer to save my ass. Playing with such great musicians in this kind of atmosphere inspires me to play better as well.”

The song that really gets to me tonight is less of a butt-shaker and more of a heart-wrencher. “In A Sentimental Mood” by Duke Ellington. Each instrument gives their own perspective to a central storyline. The passionate way the horns sing make me stop and focus. When you allow yourself to really listen, you’ll hear the most unexpected things going on in the background as the horns are soloing, be it The Ku on the guitar bringing a piano-like quality to his strumming, or The Ostillator adding vignettes here and there on his bass. At times the rhythm section is so dead on, you wonder how they are able to connect so well having barely practiced together.

You can tell that the musicians enjoy performing here by the way they play. The Ku likes playing at Cotton’s because of “the intimate environment, nice acoustics, and the chance to play [his] nylon string guitar." He continues, "You really have to tune into everyone else a lot more because there’s no drums. Usually I have to lock into the drummer, so this is nice because it forces me to get in sync with everyone.” I see what he means, as I’ve been able to hear the Ku a lot more in this quartet than in other formations.

Croker adds, “I love the intimacy here and the chance to play acoustic. When you’re playing with microphones, the audience sometimes feels like the music is blaring at them and they end up talking louder. With acoustic, people listen more. Sound goes from my soul through my horn to their ears.”

The second set begins without warning as Theo launches into a new yarn with his horn. One moment the four of them are standing there hanging out and the next they’re all playing. The absence of a stage enables a kind of organic feeling. Cotton, the lady herself, mentions the same when I ask her what she loves about these past few Wednesday nights. “It’s been a very good atmosphere. The music that they play and the customers interact, and I really like that. People mingle with each other, rather than just doing their own thing. The music binds everyone together.”

Boiarsky seems to agree: “This music is all about the spirit, it’s about the right ambiance. If the place is warm and has a special spirit like [Cotton’s], the music flows naturally and effortlessly.” You wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s effortless based on how much passion this guy puts in when he’s playing his horn. One of my favorite segments has been when Boiarsky and Croker go head to head, pushing each other to take their instruments further.

Alright, enough of this writing and quoting business. I’m gonna to set aside my laptop now and enjoy the next two sets. Catch the last night of A Swinging Affair at Cotton’s next Wednesday, November 18th. No cover and the promise of a good time. How could you refuse?

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