2008 Woodie Awards
UMaine Jazz ensemble holds a fall concert
Kegan Zema
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: Style
Last Thursday, the UMaine Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Jack Burt, held their annual fall concert in Hauck Auditorium. The band took the stage as the crowd piled in, kicking out the jams. Their full ensemble sound immediately captivated the audience and commanded the attention of the nearly full house.
After their opening number "Big Dipper" by Thad Jones, the band played "23 North by 82 West." This Latin tune began with a trombone feature and gradually slid into a mixed meter mash-up between the different parts of the band. This challenging and amazingly catchy tune established early the kind of talent the band possessed.
Later, the band played "Bach 2 Part Invention in D Minor." The melody of this piece was taken note-for-note from a Bach learning exercise and then spiced up with some jazz flavor.
Pianist Angel Crowley first played the original piece, and then the band did their adaptation. The result was an amazing example of what adding a little swing and jazz chords can do to a song.
Soloist Ashley Drew stood out playing the transformed melody on jazz flute, but the overall effect was achieved using the whole band. Following in suit, the band played a jazz adaptation of the theme from "Beauty and the Beast" which proved to be eclectic. "Sophisticated Lady" from jazz great Duke Ellington was transposed by David Berger from an older concert of Ellington's and featured baritone saxophonist Heather Gallant belting out some great lines. The band closed their set with the Count Basie tune "Shiny Stockings," proclaimed by director Jack Burt to be "just the kind of music one would hear if they really were walking down the street with some shiny stockings."
After a brief intermission, the ensemble got right down to business. Every song featured a whole new mood,eEach transition was seamless and all songs, no matter the energy, were played with intensity. The ballad "My Foolish Heart" by Victor Young was ethereal, showcasing slow jazz at its finest, a complete 180 degrees from "Time Out," the blazing swing tune by Don Menza, which featured soloist Alex Cardamone on trumpet.
After their opening number "Big Dipper" by Thad Jones, the band played "23 North by 82 West." This Latin tune began with a trombone feature and gradually slid into a mixed meter mash-up between the different parts of the band. This challenging and amazingly catchy tune established early the kind of talent the band possessed.
Later, the band played "Bach 2 Part Invention in D Minor." The melody of this piece was taken note-for-note from a Bach learning exercise and then spiced up with some jazz flavor.
Pianist Angel Crowley first played the original piece, and then the band did their adaptation. The result was an amazing example of what adding a little swing and jazz chords can do to a song.
Soloist Ashley Drew stood out playing the transformed melody on jazz flute, but the overall effect was achieved using the whole band. Following in suit, the band played a jazz adaptation of the theme from "Beauty and the Beast" which proved to be eclectic. "Sophisticated Lady" from jazz great Duke Ellington was transposed by David Berger from an older concert of Ellington's and featured baritone saxophonist Heather Gallant belting out some great lines. The band closed their set with the Count Basie tune "Shiny Stockings," proclaimed by director Jack Burt to be "just the kind of music one would hear if they really were walking down the street with some shiny stockings."
After a brief intermission, the ensemble got right down to business. Every song featured a whole new mood,eEach transition was seamless and all songs, no matter the energy, were played with intensity. The ballad "My Foolish Heart" by Victor Young was ethereal, showcasing slow jazz at its finest, a complete 180 degrees from "Time Out," the blazing swing tune by Don Menza, which featured soloist Alex Cardamone on trumpet.
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