MUSIC REVIEW: All that jazz–USU’s swingin’ hepcats
Slowly they swagger toward the stage – a little loose, like the music they play. Their instruments shimmer and shine in the stage light and the audience anticipation is high (a good crowd for a Thursday night). Up steps Todd Fallis: “one, a two, a one, two, three, four,”- the night’s begun.
Wednesday night’s opening jazz concert was filled with fun and familiarity. Starting it off with a Pemberton arrangement of the Duke’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” the jazz ensemble, led by Fallis, set the tone for what turned out to be an electric evening.
Some highlights for the ensemble were “Home at Last,” by W. Becker and D. Fagen (arranged by Steely Dan) and “Soft as Velvet” a piece by the lesser-known Sammy Nestico. Both Bill Hepworth on guitar and Dave Edwards on the alto sax pulled off some swing solos in the two numbers.
But although the jazz ensemble kicked off the evening, the orchestra took the audience home. “Moten Swing,” a piece arranged by Ernie Wilkins, a member of the legendary Count Basie’s band, got the crowd into a fast-paced groove that intensified during the second number, “Line for Lyons,” when the director, newcomer Jon Gudmundson, stepped out with his own bari sax solo.
Bringing back some sentimentality, the orchestra moved into its only ballad of the night, “Tone Poem,” by Don Dimick, where piano player Matt Thompson stepped up with a few soothing sounds. But just like the storm’s eye, “Tone Poem” lasted just long enough to bring a false sense of security when “Acha,” a six-minute cha cha piece by Bob Mintzer slammed the audience with energy.
The two highlights of the night also happened to come at the end (the performance was climactic to a fault). During “This Could be the start of Something Big,” by Steve Allen, Gudmundson showed faith in the band when he stepped aside to make room for trombonists Roger Karren and Andrew Watkins who wowed the crowd with their toe-tappin’ duo. When bari sax player Brandon Cressall stepped in for his opening solo in “Moanin'” – a number by jazz great Charles Mingus, the audience didn’t know what hit them.
The evening’s soloists, though not always as fluid as potential would allow (a few cracks on the high notes, a few blots on the low), did an excellent job bringing in the spirit of jazz; and even though the Count and the Duke are past their prime, their soul lived on in the sweet music.
If the automatic (and intense) standing ovation is an indication, the audience loved most of it. Mckay Culligan, a senior majoring in music education, enjoyed the concert and felt it was very good.
“On a scale of one to 10, I’d say the players are probably around an eight, and the performance was definitely a nine,” Culligan said.
Not quite in danger of perfection, the performance was a fine preview of the concerts to come (like the one Oct. 19). So, for all those who have never been to jazz, remember that the opportunities are available (including a “jazz stampede” this Saturday night), and remember to attend because as jazz ensemble pianist Tamsyn Anderson said, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, baby.”
Comments can be mailed to Matt Wright at mattgo@cc.usu.edu.