By Daniel Paiz

No openers, just the headliner

Chautauqua Auditorium is a storied venue, dating back to its 1898 origins just steps away from its mountainous namesake. Yet somehow, it looks like a ransacked barn turned anew as it became a cathedral of groove for Herbie Hancock. Prior to Hancock stepping onstage, his fellow bandmates made their no frills’ entrances. James Genus sat with his bass guitar, awaiting the maestro’s steps. Terence Blanchard and Lionel Loueke stood in their respective spaces, trumpet and guitar at the ready. Jaylen Petinaud reviews his drum set and adjusts his New York Knicks cap, awaiting the arrival of the band leader.

Applause welcomes the storied musician and headliner, as he walks to his array of keyboards, thanking the crowd for having him this Tuesday evening. While it’s fairly hot outside the venue, there’s an air of coolness permeating throughout the auditorium. It’s not the giant cooling fans at the back of the venue (those help immensely while walking in front of them).

The audience is reverent and rowdy, excited to kick off the first of two nights this heralded pianist is visiting. The semester hasn’t started in Boulder, as the crowd reflects more of a mix of longtime Boulder residents with visitors from throughout the Denver metro area.

Grooving from the first note….

This five-piece band has chemistry beyond all the Nobel Prize winners down the road. Each band member starts off a song, laying down a path for the others to follow. Some songs are recognizable, such as “Maiden Voyage” and “Watermelon Man”. Others are played with or delivered slightly differently than what folks might be used to–think tracks such as “Chameleon” and “Rockit”. “Alone and I” was a standout among standouts, and it sounded like another era entering the stage for a spell.

There were solos, there were jam sessions, and there were audience members popping up and down like balloon fellas at a used car sales lot too. Frenetic and energized to soulful and halftime swinging, all tempos and energies emerged all over this woody stage and venue. There was not a note out of place, especially when Hancock broke out the star of his repertoire.

…to the last note

Hancock played the keytar like Loueke played guitar and Genus played bass: like he was born to do so. The energy this man gained from this instrument was comic book worthy. He jumped up and down. He bounced with his bandmembers on several occasions. He did all this while performing above altitude (somewhere around 5,400 feet above sea level).

The joy this man exuded is the kind of joy that preserves life and keeps it going. This is what happens when you witness someone utilize their musical understanding so that everyone in attendance can get a snippet of what he hears. It’s impressive because of how approachable it is. These tunes can wander from a musical barn in Boulder, to a philharmonic in the biggest city you can think of, to everywhere else. It still holds the essence of Jazz. The improvisation is measured yet playful, thoughtful yet free spirited.

That level of talent is meant to be experienced by any means accessible to you.