Jazzmeia Horn heartily kicks off the KRTU FM 91.7 50th anniversary concert with “Tip,” an original composition. Her count off led straight into the breezy tune. It is immediately made evident how much fun Horn has on stage, bringing an infectious energy that coats the entire theater. Her “doops” and “bops” breathe soulful life into the tune as the piano “tip toes” up and down the melody.
Following a tale of her grandfather’s stories that taught her to set aside the animosity of others, Horn introduces “Happy Livin’.” The piano sets the tune in motion with slow notes accompanied by Horn’s euphonious lyrics. The drums then kick to life and the tone evolves into a loud, bold anthem of freedom. As Horn belts catchy riffs, it becomes clear that she truly lives up to her name. Horn can only be described as a master of jazz and swing.
For the next song, “Submit to the Unknown,” Horn shares her music with the audience, tasking them with a call and response. She repeats the phrase “I challenge you,” daring the crowd to let go and put their faith in a higher power. The song becomes a canticle of belief as the audience repeats “bless the most high,” becoming louder with each reiteration. Onlookers cannot help but be inspired by Horn’s bold confidence. The song reaches a slamming peak as instrumentation takes over before lulling back into a sense of calm to allow Horn to take back the melody. She scats away, incorporating a yodel that displays her masterful skill and experimentation of her craft.
The theme of faith continues on past the end of the music, as an audience member shouts “Hallelujah!” and Horn echoes the sentiment. The crowd is still buzzing with energy as Horn reflects on the difficulties of raising her daughters and a particular song that got her through it — “Destiny.”
Horn begins unaccompanied by any instrumentation, using snaps and “do-dos” that swing high and low perfectly encapsulated by her angelic voice. She mimics the chorus in her mind that got her through an especially tough day, scatting before the bass takes center stage with an otherworldly solo that draws a “Go Mr. Bass Man, go!” from the crowd as he walks up and down the neck.
Horn then switches to a more lively tune with “When I Say,” perfectly encapsulating the sassiness of her two daughters. She jumps straight into the tune, scat-singing over the quick, swinging melody as the piano races and the bass jumps up and down scales. The band comes together in perfect unison, as the hi-hats time precisely with the bass and accent notes of the piano.
“Voicemail Blues” is what Horn says would play if one were to reach her voicemail. She comes in with a loud and clear tone before calling on the crowd once again to participate in the music. This time, however, she scats, increasing in difficulty as the audience struggles to keep up with her musical prowess. Horn smiles in amusement at the participants, and her palpable enjoyment puts the crowd at ease as they continue to scat along. She switches to call and response with Clemens instead, as he responds to her phrases with cheeky riffs that resound within the room as he evolves into a fast-paced ride of a solo. The rest of the band and Horn join back in to finish the song, but the musicality can barely be heard over the acclamation for the drums.
As the concert wraps up, the crowd stands and delivers a thunderous applause that echoes the boundless performance that they just witnessed. Horn, along with her band, join together to deliver one final bow as the evening comes to an end, a resounding success.
