LIVE: Roswell Rudd & Heather Masse @ the Falcon, 4/17/15

Review and photographs by Rudy Lu

They were an odd couple…

The crystal clear conservatory trained voice of Heather Masse paired with the growling trombone of Roswell Rudd made for unique yet exceptionally musical twin leads at a recent performance at the Falcon in Marlboro.

The vivacious Masse (better known as the bassist-vocalist of the Canadian Americana trio, the Wailin’ Jennys) and the 79-year-old veteran Rudd (dressed as casual as could be in his pajamas) led a drummer-less, keyboard-less quartet that was rounded out with bassist Mark Helias and guitarist Rolf Sturm.

The music had a decidedly ’20s-’30s vintage feel to it, but also featured compositions from more contemporary periods of jazz.

Included were slow sambas, a cover of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” and a New Orleans-influenced version of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo,” as well as the more obscure Herbie Nichols composition, “Open House.”

But the tune that really brought down the house was an original that somehow sounded familiar “Funky Little Sweet Thing,” celebrating the birth of Masse’s son.