He doesn’t ask for money, he doesn’t wear a costume, have psychedelic lighting, dry ice, or even a smoke machine. He didn’t pump up the audience with a long speech of how “grateful” he was to be the Platteau in Portland, OR. What he did was undress and expose experimental jazz cello in a single concert. If you missed twenty-year-old Martin Watkinson Tuesday night, you definitely missed what improvisational solo jazz cello music is all about.
Watkinson’s electric talent on the cello matched his electric beats and soothing rhythms. Did I mention his whole performance was improv? Don’t let this fool you into thinking he’s not an organized, prepared performer. His band, Parallax, uses Watkinson’s tranquil cello strumming to accompany the colonial, clear, and clean vocals on their album Songs of the Swan.
He comes off timid and soft just moments before he takes the stage. However, as soon as his foot records the first beats on one of four electric pedals, your mind is lost in the vibrating syncopations. There was no spotlight, but there definitely should have been. The brightly florescent lights did Watkinson no justice at all.
His tall, easy frame and blond mop-top sit contently on a piano bench as he plays on and on for twenty minutes that seemed far too short. It is easy to tell Watkinson grew up in a serenely natural environment. He hails from Moscow, Idaho. As an only child, he was constantly encouraged to pursue and engage in music as much as he could. In fact, Martin has lived in France, England, and even New Zealand. It is evident that his music reflects his beautiful urbane experiences growing up. Watkinson wants to share with his audience his own passion for life, people, and music. You can see it on stage, in his somewhat painful facial expressions. Regardless of the intense emotion evoked in his face his cello speaks hopeful, encouraging notes that ring on and on in your head.
Only a small audience of about thirty people attended his performance. It’s whatever though, the more music for my ears, the better. Because most of the audience were artists and musicians themselves, it was easier to appreciate Watkinson’s performance. There was a comfortable and easy air in which everyone there wanted to extract all they could from the laughing of Watkinson’s cello strings.
Songs of the Swan puts him in the background, with three other members sharing the spotlight. However, his performance on Tuesday gave him all the light he deserved, if not more. Watkinson used his hand to tap a beat on the top of the cello at the start of one piece. He then rhythmically plucked between three strings over the steady hand drumming. This commotion was hardly disorder at all. It was a perfect symphony harmonized in one man, from one cello.
Don’t fret if you missed this performance. Martin Watkinson is currently on tour around Portland, specifically on the Lewis & Clark College of Arts and Sciences campus. Not to mention, he is constantly writing songs and is about to drop another album with his band Parallax.
The tone and melody of Martin Watkinson will make you want to cry and laugh the very moment you see him perform. You’ll want to whisper and shout, sleep and dance. It’s hard to come back to reality from the dreamy, distant world he takes you to. You’ll want to cry because he stopped playing… no joke. More importantly, his performance gives you hope that there still exists musicians who feel what they play and who want you to feel something from music. The most rewarding music has this effect and Martin Watkinson most definitely fits into this category.
