2008 Woodie Awards
'Greasy' tunes light Minsky
Jazz ensemble let loose in their last show of the year
Lisa Haberzettl
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Style
When asked what jazz is, Louis Armstrong once said, "Man, if you got to ask, you'll never know." To the untrained or uninterested ear, jazz songs may all blend together into one long improvised solo. The trained ear, on the other hand, will become indignant when someone confuses a Duke Ellington for a Charlie Parker.
Of course, none of this matters if you couldn't get in to the University of Maine Jazz Ensemble concert held last Thursday in Minsky Recital Hall. This was perhaps one of the only shows on campus when it helped to "know someone." Door attendants explained five minutes before the concert was set to begin that the house was, so far as they could tell, full and they let people who knew a performer or paid for their tickets in first.
The stage in Minsky was set for intimacy. A forest green curtain hung behind the band, which sat on a green oriental rug. To either side were potted ornamental trees.
Having missed "Take the A Train" by Billy Strayhorn and "Don't Git Sassy" by Thad Jones, I came in to conductor Jack Burt introducing "Harlem Airshaft" by Duke Ellington. "It's hipper than 'In the Mood,'" Burt said, referring to the famous big band piece popularized by Glenn Miller.
Next was "Splanky" by Neal Hefti, who is probably most known for composing the old Batman television show theme song.
"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" by Barris, Koehler and Moll featured Mesa Schubeck on vocals. An optimistic song, Burt explained it has been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Incubus.
"Moanin'" by Charles Mingus featured the kind of bass line you'd feel for the rest of the night and into the early hours of the next day.
"It's kind of greasy," Burt said, meaning that the song was composed of a plethora of improvisations.
The first set closed out with "Hunting Wabbits," by Gordon Goodwin. Written during World War II for Warner Brothers' cartoons, you could almost tell exactly where Bugs Bunny eluded Elmer Fudd. In true cartoon fashion, the mass of aural disorder ends with the small ting of a triangle.
Of course, none of this matters if you couldn't get in to the University of Maine Jazz Ensemble concert held last Thursday in Minsky Recital Hall. This was perhaps one of the only shows on campus when it helped to "know someone." Door attendants explained five minutes before the concert was set to begin that the house was, so far as they could tell, full and they let people who knew a performer or paid for their tickets in first.
The stage in Minsky was set for intimacy. A forest green curtain hung behind the band, which sat on a green oriental rug. To either side were potted ornamental trees.
Having missed "Take the A Train" by Billy Strayhorn and "Don't Git Sassy" by Thad Jones, I came in to conductor Jack Burt introducing "Harlem Airshaft" by Duke Ellington. "It's hipper than 'In the Mood,'" Burt said, referring to the famous big band piece popularized by Glenn Miller.
Next was "Splanky" by Neal Hefti, who is probably most known for composing the old Batman television show theme song.
"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" by Barris, Koehler and Moll featured Mesa Schubeck on vocals. An optimistic song, Burt explained it has been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Incubus.
"Moanin'" by Charles Mingus featured the kind of bass line you'd feel for the rest of the night and into the early hours of the next day.
"It's kind of greasy," Burt said, meaning that the song was composed of a plethora of improvisations.
The first set closed out with "Hunting Wabbits," by Gordon Goodwin. Written during World War II for Warner Brothers' cartoons, you could almost tell exactly where Bugs Bunny eluded Elmer Fudd. In true cartoon fashion, the mass of aural disorder ends with the small ting of a triangle.
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