Many of New York's top avant-garde jazz musicians gathered at Tonic to share the stage with Mark Dresser before the bassist returned to his native California. Mark Helias teamed up with Dresser for a bass duet. Andrew Cyrille and Marty Erlich took the stage to form a trio. John Zorn played an angressive duet. And in groups of one or two, a parade of the avant-garde--Gerry Hemingway, Diane Moser, Susie Ibarra, Earl Howard, Anthony Coleman, and others--climbed onto the bandstand and paid their respects by playing a tune with the guest of honor. Through four hours of nearly non-stop music, Dresser never flagged.

Mark Dresser came to New York almost twenty years ago. He quickly established himself as a key player on the avant-garde jazz scene, performing in a long-running trio with Anthony Braxton, working as a sideman for John Zorn, and scoring silent films with Dave Douglas. After accepting a faculty appointment in his native San Diego this year, Dresser will return to the West Coast.

The tribute concert to Dresser covered the range of recent avant-garde jazz, from songs that seemed like a logical step beyond bebop to wailing cello and bass duets that would leave all but the most enthusiastic follower of the genre confused. As with any night of pure improvisation, some performances were stronger than others. The highlights of the evening, though, were when Dresser and his fellow bassists showed the full range of their instruments, which more often lumber than dance. In the hands of Dresser, the bass buzzed and popped and harmonized and slid from a low rumble to graceful treble.

Photos of the event can be found at Downtown Music.

Originally posted at A Frolic of My Own.