March 31, 2000
NEWS
5
Jazz Ensemble gets into the swings of things
by victoria zgura
Dr. John Gudmundson, Direc
tor of Jazz Studies, took the Brevard
College Jazz Ensemble to Asheville
to play in the UNCA Jazz Festival,
held February 20 in Lipinsky Audi
torium. Together with the Daniel
High School Jazz Band, directed by
Greg Day, and the USC Jazz Band,
directed by Roger Pemberton who
was joined by some older musician
acquaintances, the Brevard Jazz En
semble helped to provide an afternoon
with an array of jazz music.
Brevard’s eighteen member big
band played a set entitled “Mostly
Mingus,” which featured tunes writ
ten by Charles Mingus, a famous jazz
bassist of the avant guarde style. The
set included the songs “Nostalgia in
Times Square,” Duke Ellington’s
“Sound of Love” and “Moaning”.
Aside from Mingus tunes they also
played “Now’s The Time” by Charlie
Parker and “You Go To My Head”
by Gillespie and Coots. Of the whole
set, “Moaning” got the best response
from the audience and fellow musi
cians.
Danielle Walker, a senior saxo
phone player, was the featured solo
ist of the piece playing barritone sax,
which is the instrument the piece was
written for. Said Walker of her per
formance:
“I don’t remember much of
what I did, but based on the reactions
of people I feel like I did a pretty good
job. I don’t want to brag, I just did
what I needed to do.”
Mingus wrote a lot of pieces for
other instruments besides the bass
that he played. The tune “Moaning”
is currently featured in a movie en
titled “The Whole Nine Yards”, star
ing Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry and
Patricia Arquette.
Tim Haden is an Artist in Resi
dence and the Director of Jazz Studies
at UNCA, as well as the director of the
festival. He was offered the position
of running the festival when he came to
Asheville five years ago. The festival
was started three years ago with many
intentions: The UNCA music depart
ment felt there was a demand for live
jazz, that the public had an interest in
Courtesy of Pertelote Files
Dr. John Gudmundson directs the BC
Jazz Ensemble and helps bring music
alive for his students and the public.
hearing good old music from the past,
and it is also a way for UNCA to re
cruit. According to Haden, there is a
big demand for brass players at UNCA,
and this is one way to see who is out
there.
Any band is welcome to play in
the festival. Usually, Haden calls and
invites bands to play. He lives in
Greenville and associates with people
at USC through graduate work, so
most of the people he deals with are
from South Carolina. This is why
two of the three bands present this
year were from South Carolina. Other
Opera
and Music Theatre
Sat., April 1
at 8 p.m.
Paul Porter Center
Main Hall
bands who have presented at the festi
val in the past include the University of
Tennessee, Furman University and
Mars Hill, as well as big name bands
from the region. There is
no audition, but if a band
wants to solicit and they
have a tight gig they are
more than welcome to play
(provided there is room).
Haden found many
benefits in the concert.
“The students benefit
from the exposure. They get to see what
and who else is out there. Older people
who listened to this stuff when they
were young get a kick out of hearing it,
it makes them feel good. And I feel
like the city gets something out of it, more
culture,” said Haden.
“Compared to what’s being played
on Top 40 these days, which is all about
A-i-B = C, how much can I get? I feel
like jazz is pragmatic, democratic, indi
vidualistic. It’s all American.”
When asked about the rebirth of
swing bands such as Cherrie Poppin’
Daddies and the Brian Setzter Orches
tra, Haden replied that he feels like it
is good to reinterpret the past, but
also good to move on. “College is
the place to expand your imagination,
to express yourself freely”.
Because of a musical past to
gether Tim' Haden and John
Gudmundson are long time friends
who share a philosophy on music.
“His approach is the art of the
big band, and that’s why I like John
Gudmundson. The stuff that he does
is esoteric and demanding material.
That challenges the students to be
imaginative.” Brevard has attended
the festival every year since it started.
The festival is still growing.
Haden is toying with the idea of hav
ing an all high school jazz festival,
and an all college festival. He feels that
to combine the two is positive in order
to show high schools what playing in a
college band is like, and that musicians
need to know who else is playing in their
field at their level. They are also trying
.. .jazz is pragmatiCy democratic,
individualistic. It^s all American
- Tim Haden
to figure out how long it should be. This
year it was three bands in one day, but
should it be four bands over four days?
As the festival is only three years old
they have plenty of time to play around
and find the perfect setting.
Haden felt that this was “one of
the best small ones (festivals) we’ve
ever had”
He felt there was a good mix
ture with a high school band, a small
college band, and a big college band..
Everybody involved from Brevard felt
the day was fun and constructive.
Said Jose Acosta, soprano sax
player among other instruments, “1 had
fun and it was a good time. The band
played alright, this was our second or
third year there. It was good to hear
other groups too. The band from USC
played some pretty neat stuff’. It looks
like Haden’s purpose has been accom
plished.
The jazz festival came ten days
before the Brevard Jazz Concert on
February 29, where the same tunes
were played plus music from the jazz
combo. Gudmundson said he felt
that UNCA was a good warm up for
the concert in the Porter Center, and
his sentiments were shared by other
members of the band.
“It’s never perfect,” he said,
“but then why do we do live music?
I’m always proud of them.”
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