Jazz Ensemble presents Jazz Mania with Glenn Wilson
- Saturday, April 16, 2011
- Old Cabell Hall
- 8:00 p.m.
- $10 Adults / $5 Students / Free for UVa students (if reserved in advance)
John D’earth and Glenn Wilson have performed together for years. They played and recorded with Bruce Hornsby, inaugurating the award-winning songwriter’s introduction of horns into his band, in the early nineties, and they played and recorded with the Great American Music Ensemble which for many years offered a concert series at the Kennedy Center under the auspices of the eminent jazz critic Martin Williams. Glenn also appeared on a PBS special featuring D’earth’s band and compositions. They have recorded together with legendary drummer Bob Moses and have done many live performances with each others’ bands. Their reunion promises to ignite some fiery musical interplay as D’earth is planning to step out of his usual role as Jazz Ensemble conductor and do some serious playing with Wilson in this concert.
“Glenn is one of the best and freest straight-ahead modern jazz players I know,” says D’earth. “His command of his instrument and his creativity with harmony and melody are simply staggering. He always swings and plays with an accessible, lyrical warmth, but he is never derivative or mechanical. He is one of my favorite musicians. I don’t usually feature my own playing too much in Jazz Ensemble concerts but I’m going to have to do some playing with Glenn that night. I can’t pass up the opportunity to interact with him!”
D’earth will also be interacting with an unusually high number of fourth year students, one of whom has joined him on some professional gigs over his time at UVA.
“I can’t say enough about our drummer, Jack Kilby,” D’earth says. “He is committed, proactive, and plays with fantastic sensitivity and knowledge of the music. He has always exhorted his fellow musicians to give their all and he has rehearsed the Jazz Ensemble many times for me when I’ve been called away. Having him play with my own professional bands has always been pure pleasure! I wish I could say something about each of our many outgoing members but I have to mention our lead alto saxophonist and “straw-boss” Danna Thomas. This young woman has grown so much, and given so much to the Jazz Ensemble, over her four years here. We will miss her vibrant playing and her leadership. I must also mention lead trombonist Cameron Williams whose commitment to jazz and to musical excellence has been a mainstay of this organization for four years.”
D’earth makes a point of featuring his student musicians and putting them in challenging situations that spur their growth and allow them to shine. His recent five-movement piece, Green Chemistry, did exactly that and garnered an enthusiastic response from the nearly sold-out crowd at Cabell Hall. For the Jazz Mania concert with Glenn Wilson, on April 16th, he will be reprising one part of that work, State O’ the Nation, along with two other original compositions, Beyond Belief, and Prestidigitation, based on the Miles Davis composition So What. Glenn Wilson has contributed four arrangements that have been written to feature him and he will also be featured on chestnuts like Lee Morgan’s The Joker and Billy Strayhorn’s beautiful ballad, A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.
UVA Jazz Ensemble, directed by John D’earth, presents Jazz Mania, with guest artist baritone saxophonist Glenn Wilson.
Saturday, April 16th, 8pm
Old Cabell Hall
$10 / $5 for students and free for UVa Students who reserve in advance.
www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu / 434.924.3376.