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| Wynton Marsalis at Snow Concert Hall in Canberra |
Snow Concert
Hall, Canberra. 17th & 18th August. 2023.
Performance on
17th August reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.
Consisting
of 15 of the finest soloists, ensemble players and arrangers in jazz music
today, Jazz At
Lincoln Center Orchestra has been resident orchestra at New York’s Lincoln
Center since 1988.
In addition
to Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, the orchestra currently touring Australia
consists of Ryan Kisor, Kenny Rampton, and Marcus Printup on trumpet, Vincent
Gardner, Chris Crenshaw and Elliott Mason on trombone, Sherman Irby, Ted Nash,
Victor Goines, Nicole Glover and Paul Nedzela
on saxophones and clarinets, Dan Nimmer on Piano, Carlos Henriquez on Bass and
Obed Calvaire on drums.
With a
collection of virtuosi like this on offer, the expectation among the capacity
audience for the first of two sold out concerts in Canberra preceding the
National tour by the orchestra, was palpable.
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| Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra performing in Snow Concert Hall, Canberra. |
As most were drawn to the shiny new $20,000,000 Snow Concert Hall by the opportunity to experience the multi-Grammy Award- winning jazz legend, Wynton Marsalis, in action, those expecting a grand entrance by the master were surprised to discover, when the band members took their seats on stage, that Marsalis was already among them, sitting with the trumpets in the back row.
Even though
he is not only the Musical Director of the band, as well as the Managing and
Artist Directors, Marsalis is adamant that this band is an ensemble of equals.
So in this band he plays fourth trumpet.
Another
surprise was that each instrument in the band was miked. Therefore when
Marsalis, who was also compering the evening, spoke into his hand-held microphone
from his position seated in the back row of the orchestra, it took a little
while to connect the dis-embodied voice with the person.
The concert
commenced with a dazzling rapid-fire arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Grand
Central Getaway”. By tossing off the complexities of the arrangement with
apparent ease, the band signalled their authority and set the
tone for what was to follow.
Sherman Irby
contributed a fiery sax solo, Marsalis offered a muted trumpet solo, and
pianist, Dan Nimmer displayed his virtuosity in the first of a succession of
sublime piano solos sprinkled through the program. As thrilling as the performance was, it took
most of this number to adjust the amplified sound balance to the correct level.
A succession
of jazz masterpieces by the likes of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Dave
Brubeck followed. A composition by band member, Sherman Irby, who also contributed
several arrangements, was included along with arrangements by several other
members of the ensemble. All of which provided the opportunity to highlight the
virtuosity of each member of the ensemble in feature solos.
Particularly
memorable was Vincent Gardner’s arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s “Light Blue”
which featured a captivatingly discordant flute introduction by Sherman Irby
and Ted Nash, and a superb baritone saxophone solo by Paul Nedzela.
The only
female member of the ensemble, saxophonist, Nicole Glover, was highlighted in
Kenny Dorham’s “Dorham’s Epitaph” which also provided the opportunity for
drummer, Obed Calvaire to exhibit his mastery.
Chris
Crenshaw contributed an arresting trombone solo in a piece by Duke Ellington
and Wynton Marsalis had his moment in the Chick Corea composition, “Tones for
Joan’s Bones”, which also featured an excellent saxophone solo by Ted Nash.
Bassist,
Carlos Henriquez contributed a masterful solo during the Charles Mingus
composition “Song with Orange”, while everyone had fun with Dave Brubeck’s catchy,
“Blue Rondo A La Turk”.
Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra has a huge repertoire, so no doubt the compositions
offered at each of its Australian concerts will vary. This fact was evidenced
during this very first concert when Marsalis inadvertently announced a
different number to the one the musicians had set up. The resultant good-natured
music scramble which followed was typical of the laid-back camaraderie among
the musicians, who smiled and nodded whenever a colleague offered a virtuoso variation.
In addition
to its concert commitments, musical education is an important focus of the Jazz
At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Several hundred Canberra music students took
advantage of the opportunity to undertake workshops and attend a rehearsal of the
orchestra on the day prior to its inaugural concert in Canberra. Similar
opportunities are being offered in each city the orchestra visits. These
provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone interested in jazz history.
Images by Peter Hislop
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
