What a marvelous evening it was. World-class drummer Tommy Igoe and his Birdland All-Stars treated the George Mason University Center for the Arts audience to a joyous evening of jazz, funk, Brazilian and original music that featured new renditions of classics by David Bowie, The Police, Steely Dan, Charlie Parker and other famed artists. Every high-energy number captivated these jazz aficionados.
It was the band's third stop on a month-long, 20-city "Art of Jazz" tour. Ten brilliant musicians on brass, guitar, percussion and keyboard, from US coasts and beyond, revved up the tempo for 90 solid minutes. As they played, eleventh artist Jeremy Sutton captured the action on canvas, paper and iPad. With bold, splashy strokes, he brought the players and instruments to life in colorful montages. It was mesmerizing.