2008 Woodie Awards
REVIEW: Visiting musician and Jazz Ensemble burst with dynamic sound
Yong Kim, Assistant Scene Editor
|
The Music Building band room was packed on Friday, Nov. 9 with musicians, students and members of the Spokane community. Everyone was waiting for the jazz clinic to begin.
As Grammy award-winning musician Terence Blanchard strolled nonchalantly into the room, the audience's conversation came to a low murmur. His casual attire of a smoky-gray sweater, blue jeans, white sneakers and shaded glasses evoked a chill, calm and collected feel - the definition of cool.
A bandleader, composer, arranger, film score writer and jazz trumpeter, Blanchard is internationally recognized for being one of the most prolific jazz musicians to ever compose for motion pictures. Blanchard has composed for popular movies like "The Inside Man," "Malcom X," "Barbershop," "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "Jungle Fever." Blanchard has also had nominations for the Golden Globes, Emmys and the Grand Prix du Disque - France's music award equivalent to the Grammy. (See "Q&A with Terence Blanchard")
Blanchard is also a six-time Grammy nominee and won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group in 2005.
"I was so surprised he was able to come to Whitworth," professor of music Daniel Keberle said.
He considers Blanchard to be one of the top-five trumpet players in the world.
Blanchard said he decided to come to Whitworth simply because many students showed interest in his music.
"Art and music doesn't exist in (just) one part of the planet," Blanchard said. "By the mere fact someone asked means they're interested. If they are interested in music, I'm gonna check them out."
Blanchard said the core of any music should appeal to the honesty of human emotions, helping the person find out more about themselves.
For the jazz concert Saturday, Nov. 10, people started to fill Cowles Memorial Auditorium as the sound of curiosity, anxiousness and excitement grew to a near roar. As the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble entered the stage, the lights dimmed and applause broke out. They adjusted their music stands and tuned their brass and woodwind instruments.
In the silence of anticipation, a simple line of smooth melodic tunes played as trumpets accompanied the flutter of music notes for the opener "Blue's for L.K."
As junior drummer Dru Heller came into the next song "Oracle," with a forceful, fast-paced tempo, emotion and enthusiasm were visible in his facial expressions.
Another musical piece, "When Sunny Gets Blue," opened with senior trumpeter Jared Hall playing fluid notes that almost sounded as if the sounds were oozing out of his instrument. As the rest of the ensemble played, the music evoked a melancholy mood and painted a picture of a rainy day in Louisiana.
Blanchard finally joined the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble with lively, feel-good openers "Sugar" and "Fuller Love," making it so the audience couldn't help but tap their feet and snap their fingers. In "Fuller Love," Blanchard made audience members feel every note he blew into his trumpet, standing on his toes as he hit the high notes and rocked back to his heel on low ones.
Hall, who also accompanied Blanchard in the trumpet duet "A Night in Tunisia," said hearing Blanchard play energetically alongside him rubbed off on him.
"Hearing him being creative influences me and with the band. He told us to just relax and play," Hall said.
It was a rush and a lot of fun, senior baritone-saxophonist Matt Walsh said. Blanchard brought new perspective on jazz in such a friendly way to the Jazz Ensemble, he said.
The concert's closers "Cherokee" and "Caravan" exhibited Blanchard's melodramatic side of playing in both body movement and notes that brought audiences to laughter which ended in a roller-coaster fanfare that exhibited Blanchard's flare for improvisation, a key component in Jazz music.
He's a master with the horn - he composes as he plays half a second before he produces the sound, Hall said
Blanchard's philosophy in his approach to music was conveyed with dynamic range of emotion and energy.
Contact Yong Kim at yong.kim@whitworthian.com.
For this reason, The Whitworthian asks readers to be responsible and respectful in any comments posted. The responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not the whitworthian.com. Readers are also encouraged to report questionable comments by e-mailing editor@whitworthian.com.
Be the first to comment on this story