With the appearance of the original album, I had some problems with it. To me it was somehow too sterile, electronically weighed down with the use of synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines and a lot of overdubs. Over the years, I liked it then getting better, a good sign. Maybe I have also learned a simple, became more tolerant, more open.
The what Marcus Miller and his band is made at this concert in 2009 in Lyon it definitely simply awesome. Miller draws formally all the stops. Fingerstyle, slapping, Harmonics, chords, arpeggios, almost bass-like walking bass lines. Sometimes he lets his bass like a guitar sound (incl. Distortion), sometimes he uses it as a percussion instrument. He elicits from his Fender Signature Jazz Bass with the help of his Pedalboards dub sounds, engages for soft singing sounds in between times for fretless bass, playing every now and then the bass clarinet (of which I previously did not know at what a huge instrument this is). His fellow musicians, which are not inferior to him in terms of virtuosity and enthusiasm, he leaves enough space here, everyone gets the chance to let off steam by taking a leisurely solo. Especially the then only 21-year-old Alex Han on alto and soprano sax and trumpet player Christian Scott is given space to develop. Nevertheless, this is not a collection of egocentric self-performers but a homogeneous band that derives Miller on nonchalant, light-footed, 'playful' and unpretentious way. You can feel how much fun the band at this appearance. For these people, music is not work, but just as essential as breathing, eating and drinking.
They played the entire album Tutu, plus each a piece of "The Man With The Horn", "Amandla", "You're Under Arrest" (the Michel Jackson-number 'Human Nature') and the Miles Davis classic "So What" (from "Kind Of Blue"). The sound quality of together more than 130 minute CD-season is for a live recording more than neat. The DVD provides an opportunity to visually enjoy the concert also again and also contains a documentation in the Miller about his relationship and says his work with Miles Davis. The only thing I would have still wished would have been a little less formal and place a little more exuberant audience accordingly. But that would have the sound quality certainly influenced negatively. One can just not have it all.
