Connecticut saxophonist Jimmy Greene lost his young daughter in the Newtown school massacre. With the anniversary of that atrocity just behind us, one can hardly imagine how Greene managed to face the world after such a tragedy. Greene took his profound grief and focused it on music-making, paying tribute to his daughter with his 2014 record “Beautiful Life.”
There’s heartbreak, restraint, wisdom, love and joy in this music. Greene’s tone is warm and rich, capable of flashing bright and expressive as well. And his playing is fluid and gentle, rippling out in concentric swoops and gentle arcing climbs. Greene could have made a record that was deeply mournful, but he didn’t. I doubt whether any music has the power to heal such a wound, but Greene’s playing seems a testament to the overwhelming force of love, faith and the mind-boggling resilience of the human spirit.
The Jimmy Greene Quartet performs at The Side Door, 85 Lyme St., Old Lyme, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 6 and 7, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. 860-434-0886 or thesidedoorjazz.com.
