Jazz sextet comes together for the third time
Joy Pavelski
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Arts
People not familiar with jazz should be ready to stick to their seats for the Hillsdale College faculty sextet's third performance tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Markel Auditorium.
The sextet will play a historical overview of jazz featuring, in the second half, music so wild it has prompted audience members to leave the room when played in other venues.
"We're doing a historical romp through different styles of jazz," said Professor of Biology Bob Miller, who will play several different saxophones during the concert.
"It's not exactly your grandfather's jazz," said Director of Jazz Ensembles Chris McCourry, who directs the sextet. "When you have a faculty group that rehearses regularly, you want to break ground with however you can manage. [Blues musician] Sun Ra used to say, come out on the very first tune and play the craziest tune you can imagine. After that, half of the audience gets up and leaves. Sun Ra used to call that cleansing the house."
The concert will not only feature experimental jazz, however. The sextet will play many different kinds of jazz music, including audience favorites, and begin with more classic styles of jazz. McCourry said listeners will be familiar with several of the songs.
The sextet features McCourry on trumpet, Adjunct Instructor Ron DiSalvio on piano, Music Teacher Eric Jones playing drums, Miller and Adjunct Instructor Jonathon Gewirtz on saxophones and senior Aaron Johnson playing bass. They have played together for about three years.
"The group is starting to gel as an individual sound," McCourry said. "We've been working all semester on this music."
When McCourry first came to Hillsdale about ten years ago, he said, the college did not have a jazz program. Since then, the department has been revitalized with added professors and an inflow of students studying and enjoying a wide range of music.
While band members said they are a bit apprehensive about how a Hillsdale audience will receive some of the music, they also said they are excited to perform sounds unusual for the campus.
McCourry wrote a piece for Eric Jones entitled "Mr. Jump," which will premier during the show.
Featured in the second half of the program will be music from Wayne Shorter, an artist who broke into the mainstream by studying with Miles Davis. Much of the music in the second half displays free jazz, which tends to bend normal forms of music such as harmony and beat.
"Jazz is one of those truly American art forms, the only musical art form that's truly American and also a dying art form in America," Miller said. "A lot of Americans don't understand it at all. Exposing people to it is our goal."
The sextet will play a historical overview of jazz featuring, in the second half, music so wild it has prompted audience members to leave the room when played in other venues.
"We're doing a historical romp through different styles of jazz," said Professor of Biology Bob Miller, who will play several different saxophones during the concert.
"It's not exactly your grandfather's jazz," said Director of Jazz Ensembles Chris McCourry, who directs the sextet. "When you have a faculty group that rehearses regularly, you want to break ground with however you can manage. [Blues musician] Sun Ra used to say, come out on the very first tune and play the craziest tune you can imagine. After that, half of the audience gets up and leaves. Sun Ra used to call that cleansing the house."
The concert will not only feature experimental jazz, however. The sextet will play many different kinds of jazz music, including audience favorites, and begin with more classic styles of jazz. McCourry said listeners will be familiar with several of the songs.
The sextet features McCourry on trumpet, Adjunct Instructor Ron DiSalvio on piano, Music Teacher Eric Jones playing drums, Miller and Adjunct Instructor Jonathon Gewirtz on saxophones and senior Aaron Johnson playing bass. They have played together for about three years.
"The group is starting to gel as an individual sound," McCourry said. "We've been working all semester on this music."
When McCourry first came to Hillsdale about ten years ago, he said, the college did not have a jazz program. Since then, the department has been revitalized with added professors and an inflow of students studying and enjoying a wide range of music.
While band members said they are a bit apprehensive about how a Hillsdale audience will receive some of the music, they also said they are excited to perform sounds unusual for the campus.
McCourry wrote a piece for Eric Jones entitled "Mr. Jump," which will premier during the show.
Featured in the second half of the program will be music from Wayne Shorter, an artist who broke into the mainstream by studying with Miles Davis. Much of the music in the second half displays free jazz, which tends to bend normal forms of music such as harmony and beat.
"Jazz is one of those truly American art forms, the only musical art form that's truly American and also a dying art form in America," Miller said. "A lot of Americans don't understand it at all. Exposing people to it is our goal."
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