HOME |
DINING |
MOVIES |
LIVE SHOWS |
ARTS |
UPCOMING EVENTS
ARCHIVES |
ABOUT |
ADVERTISE |
CONTACT |
DISTRIBUTION
entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
<<
Great Guitar Gathering
|
Main
|
Band of Horses
>>
|
|
|
by rick grant
rickgrant01@comcast.net
The 19th annual Great American Jazz Series at UNF kicked off with the featured artist The Yellowjackets appearing with the critically acclaimed Jazz Ensemble I, directed by J.P.Scott. It had been a number of years since I covered the GAJS, so it was my distinct honor and privilege to be invited to chronicle this premiere jazz event in the Fine Arts Center.
|
|
My main impression of the evening’s performances was how the standards of musicianship at UNF have skyrocketed exponentially over the years. And that is because UNF is attracting higher caliber students who come to UNF based on its reputation as one of the top music schools in the country. When Jazz Ensemble II, directed by Dennis Marks, performed as the opening act, I was blown away by the high quality artistry. E- II sounded more like E-I of yesteryear.
The E-II students played a four song repertoire of complex modern charts featuring intricate horn voicings. E-II opened with a lively piece written by Dr. Bill Prince titled Street Chase. Dr. Prince has been an influential member of the UNF jazz faculty since the early days, when Rich Matteson and Bunky Green upgraded the UNF jazz program to compete with the best music schools in the country. Dennis Marks announced that Dr. Prince is retiring. Unquestionably, he will be missed and difficult to replace.
After a short break to make some minor changes to the stage, the mighty Ensemble II took with stage along with the members of the Yellowjackets featuring guest artist Eric Marienthal. After the show, Ensemble I director J.P Scott told me that the members of the Yellowjackets were really easy to work with and communicated with the students well. “We had a great time with them, and we want them to come back. My students loved working with them and benefited greatly from their workshops,” J.P. said.
In the 25 years since the Yellowjackets were formed, they have reached the pinnacle of the jazz genre. The group celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, 2006 with the release of Twenty-Five, a combination CD/DVD package that captured two milestone performances during the group’s European tour in the fall of 2005.
The Yellowjackets debuted on the end of the jazz-fusion boom in 1981 with its original brand of traditional and fusion sound. Touring extensively and recording numerous albums, the band has come full circle as titans of jazz--in demand at universities as well as commercial gigs. Like so many other groups, the Jackets have had its share of personnel changes. The original members included keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Richy Lawson, who were assembled to play on Robben Ford’s 1977 instrumental release. The members then changed their name from the Robben Ford Group to the Yellowjackets and released their first album in 1981.
Now established as icons, the Jacket members who appeared with E-1 were Russell Ferrante on piano, Jimmy Haslip on bass, and drummer Marcus Baylor, with Eric Marienthal on saxophone. Rarely do I have the opportunity to hear exemplary big band jazz. It’s just not around anymore. So, when this super-brass-group cranked up, it was awe-inspiring. Eric played solos with various members of E-I, inspiring the students to excel, playing beyond their comfort zones.
The big brassy sound of E-I’s creative charts with the members of the Yellowjackets was exciting and harkened back to the big band era. However, the arrangements were modern and daring, with plenty of room for individual soloists to step out front and strut their stuff. For the E-I performance, the Jackets were very accomodating, letting the big band wail, sticking to the charts with Eric out front playing brief solos. I was ecstatic at the high quality of this big brass monster. All the members were playing in top notch form with perfect counterpoint. Finally, the Yellowjackets returned after the intermission to play as a quartet. I noticed that Eric’s solos were much more advanced than he played with E-I, which was indicative of his gracious nature not to upstage the students. The band with Eric Marienthal forged ahead with a memorable jam, incorporating their memorable material from their 25 years of making significant music.
|
|
