Anton Schwartz
Live, April 17th, 1999
Jazz DeOpus, Portland, Oregon
by S. H. Watkins, Sr.
We first found out about Anton Schwartz when we reviewed his debut release When Music Calls in our Dec. 1998 Issue. Recently we had the opportunity to hear him live when he visited Portland, the home of JazzUSA.
The mood was lively. We arrived at 7:20 to attend the 8:00 set and Jazz DeOpus was already filling up, so we ordered something to eat and a bottle of wine and sat back to enjoy the show. At 8:00 Anton Schwartz came on, introduced the members of the ensemble and began to play.
After covering ‘Too Much Pepper’, ‘Tidepool’ and a few other tunes from his release When music calls album, Schwartz then treated us to a couple of great new tunes as well. Anton’s performance was every bit as vibrant and melodious as the album, capturing the attention of the crowd and holding them in his spell. Although he did not bring his regular troupe with him, he was ably accompanied by a trio of local musicians, most notably keyboardist Darryl Grant whose improvisational stylings added even more punch to the already popping tunes.
If you ever get the chance, be sure to go and see Anton Schwartz, whomever he is playing with. For schedule information visit the Anton Schwartz Website.