Author: musicalsoup

REVIEW: The Houston Patton Quartet at the Blue Llama

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The Blue Llama is one of the most iconic jazz venues in Ann Arbor, bringing in top-tier performers from all around the world. Hosting the Friday late-night performance on March 29th was Detroit saxophonist Houston Patton and his Quartet.

Patton’s quartet features Detroit musicians Liam Charron (piano), Dylan Sherman (bass), and Stephen Oduro (drums), a powerhouse group led with sensitivity, joy and momentum.  This young quartet performs with a level of experience beyond their years, showcasing remarkable agility, technicality, and charisma. Their set featured the quartet members’ original music, with songs written by Patton and Charron.

I appreciate young musicians’ priority for creating and performing new music—especially their own. The jazz canon is filled with great Standards that are well to learn, but to create innovation and excitement lies within what’s new, and currently being created. Patton’s style emulates that of a modern musician with a deep understanding of the canon, and what to do to improve it.

Patton played a variety of his own tunes (as I am writing this the names are escaping me), which ignited an electric energy in the room. I adored each of the different tunes that were picked, each with fleshed-out and thoughtful contemporary musical ideas. The band was locked in and present with one another, playing with sensitivity to Patton’s choices and leadership.

Patton’s playing is close to that of a firecracker—colorful, unexpected, and wildly exciting. Patton’s beaming personality made for a strong bandleader and comfortable host. He has an ease with the audience, allowing joy to effortlessly resonate through the intimate Blue Llama lounge.

The one tune that was not that of Patton’s was the great Detroit saxophonist, Kenny Garrett’s “Wooden Steps”. It’s evident of Patton’s deep appreciation and emulation of Kenny Garrett in his playing. The percussive quality Garrett brings to the saxophone, coupled with his bright tone are traits that Patton has incorporated into many facets of his performance. “Wooden Steps” was performed with incredible spunk and vivacity, making it one of my favorite tunes from the set.

Patton’s Quartet ignites a beacon of inspiration for young players and illuminates limitless possibilities for the next generation of jazz.

 

 

March 30th, 11pm. Photo thanks to The Blue Llama.

REVIEW: Samara Joy at Hill Auditorium

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With a nearly sold-out Hill Auditorium last Wednesday, March 27th, it’s needless to say that Samara Joy was long-awaited in the Ann Arbor community.

Samara Joy is a Grammy-Award-winning jazz singer who is touring the US and the EU on a nearly sold-out international tour. At just 24 years old, she is a trailblazing force in jazz for Gen Z. She sheds new light on jazz classics alongside her deep understanding of the canon and the singers before her. Joy has thoroughly charmed her Gen Z equivalents and beyond.

Joy was joined by her 7-piece band: Connor Rohrer (piano), Pail Sikivie (bass), Evan Sherman (drums), David Mason (A. Sax), Kendrick McCallister (T. Sax), Jason Charos (Trumpet), and Donovan Austin (Trombone). Most (if not all) of the arrangements they played came from her band, each one unique with a new character. No two tunes were alike, Joy’s set was diverse and exciting, featuring her vocal virtuosity at all times.

This was undoubtedly one of my favorite jazz performances of all time. Joy has a powerful and genuine presence, along with a naturally stunning voice. She mentioned influence from the great Betty Carter, which is apparent in her vocalism, but she brings a style to jazz vocals that is uniquely hers. She fearlessly floats through her top register, taking many phrases up the octave, yet doesn’t neglect her sultry lower notes and striking belt. She uses her voice as an instrument—just as the others in her band.

Joy’s setlist was nuanced and well-paced—a sensitive collection of jazz standards, instrumental tunes she wrote lyrics for, and original music trombonist Donovan Austin. One of my favorite moments in the show was Joy’s Grammy Winning tune, “Tight” written by the great Betty Carter. She has totally made this song her own—with her vocal playfulness and rich belts amid the crisp arrangement.

She played tunes I have seldom heard vocalists sing, such as Sun Ra’s “Dreams Come True”, Rob Obrite’s “Sweet Pumpkin” and Barry Harris’ “Now and Then”. I loved her arrangments of these—I can’t think of them without her voice now!

She often ends with the Grand/Boyd tune from her album Linger Awhile entitled “Guess Who I Saw Today”, and it was expectedly, the encore of the evening. A standing ovation sent the great Samara Joy off, leaving the room buzzing with our own Joy.

 

 

 

March 27th, 7:30pm. Photo thanks to Downbeat.

REVIEW: Oppenheimer (35mm)

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Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has received nothing but praise since its opening eight months ago. It boasted 13 wins at the Academy Awards and alongside Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, revitalized the cinema business with the “Barbenheimer” following last summer. The film is still making its round of appearances in theaters across America in its digital and 35mm film form. The Michigan Theater is hosting a unique opportunity to view the film in its intended 35mm film—I jumped at the opportunity to do so, as yes, I was also one of the “Barbenheimer” people back in July, and had to see it again.

35mm film is a type of film that has been used in photography and film for decades. It consists of a strip of celluloid with light-sensitive emulsion coated on one side, getting its name from actually being 35mm wide. This format became popular due to its versatility, offering high image quality and ease of handling in both still photography and motion pictures.

If you’ve somehow survived the relentless “Barbenheimer” memes of the summer and don’t know what Oppenheimer is about, I will save you some of the Wiki read now: The movie focuses on the life of (you’ll never guess) J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who led the Manhattan Project during World War II. It explores Oppenheimer’s complex personality, his role in developing the atomic bomb, and the moral dilemmas he faced with the consequences to humanity (accompanied by snippets from his journey to genius as well). Oppenheimer forces you to face the personal and historical consequences of scientific innovation and its impact on humanity itself.

The experience of watching Oppenheimer in 35mm was a little different than the digital medium usually used for movies. The movie became more beautiful from the subtleties the 35mm brought out. I noticed background action and unique set pieces were brought out from the clarity of the film. I also enjoyed the on-screen film crackle along with the deep saturated blues and bright yellows.

I adore biopics. They let you into a (highly dramatized) sliver of one significant person’s reality, often emphasizing their impact on humanity. In a way, it feels like you made a new friend, as you are allowed to watch a creative recap (…with one director’s perspective) of someone’s existence. Lives are so many things, and Oppenheimer presented the many corners of J. R. Oppenheimer’s life. The movie gives insight into some of his more personal struggles, surrounding his marriage with Kitty Puening and their two children and an affair with Communist USA Party member, Jean Tatlock. Although, Cillian Murphy (J. R. Oppenheimer) is careful about letting you in too close. He plays a closed and often mysterious man, who is difficult to read clearly. This made for an even deeper second part of the movie while Oppenheimer’s show trial with the US Atomic Energy Chairman, Lewis Strauss, was at it’s peak.

I enjoyed returning to the exquisite detail and existentialism this film so graciously offers. Christopher Nolan remains a master of weaving brilliantly complex stories into one fully fleshed-out portrait, and I find there is always something new and haunting to find inside his films.

 

Oppenheimer in 35mm film is at the Michigan Theater until April 2nd.

 

Rated R, 180 minutes.

Photo thanks to Physics World.

REVIEW: Mendelssohn’s Elijah

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The Chamber Choir is the most distinguished choir at the University of Michigan, led by the incomparable Dr. Eugene Rogers from SMTD. They consist of mainly vocal performance majors but admit select students from other schools in the University. This concert is leading up to the Chamber Choir’s international tour to La Plata and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The choir began the concert with two pieces including Thomas Tallis’s motet, O Nata Lux (1575), and a unique reprise entitled O Nata Lux (after Tallis) from 2020 by composer Daniel Knaggs. This was an interesting representation of music from the past and present, reminding me of how we respect and modify tradition through art. Knaggs stated (in the program notes) that he wrote the reprised work as a response to the original motet. He used the 3-note motive from the original work, adding free and sporadic hums to reflect the text’s closing prayer. Both works were brilliantly conducted by Katherine Rohwer, a freshly named Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting.

For the following hour and a half of the concert, the chorus performed Felix Mendelssohn’s epic oratorio, Elijah. (An oratorio is a composition with a dramatic narrative or text usually constructed for orchestra, choir, and soloists.)

The lengthy Elijah follows the Prophet Elijah from 1 Kings and 2 Kings of the Old Testament in the Bible, with all the text coming from the book itself. There were six soloists from the choir including Andrew Smith (Elijah), Juliet Schlefer (Widow/soprano), Tyrese Byrd (Obadiah/tenor), Amber Rogers (soprano), Katherine Rohwer (Queen Jezebel), and Ella Peters (Angel). The soloists were outstanding, performing with equally cultivated drama and vocal integrity. Smith performed the bulk of the piece (singing the titular role of Elijah), overpowering Hill Auditorium with his wonderfully silky baritone voice.

I am always extremely impressed with the versatility of the Chamber Choir singers. Dr. Rogers brings in a selection of styles to his choirs and has a clear vision for each new piece the chorus confronts. Last spring, the combined choirs at U-M performed a concert of spiritual-inspired compositions by the acclaimed composer Stacy V. Gibbs, and in the fall prior performed Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The choirs take on many styles in a range of periods with cohesion and care along with high-level instruction and outreach of the events from Dr. Rogers.

 

Image thanks to the SMTD website.

REVIEW: Elizabeth Cree

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Some criticize opera for its long-winded and shallow storytelling—but Mark Campbell and Kevin Puts are determined to obliterate those expectations with their thrilling adaptation of Elizabeth Cree, a new opera based on Peter Ackroyd’s 1994 novel The Trial of Elizabeth Cree. At just 90 minutes, Campbell and Puts craft a vigilant and intriguing operatic narrative about female angst, murder, and socioeconomic expectations.

The scene is set in 1880s London, in a grimy Victorian town reminiscent of a Sweeney Todd-like “Fleet Street”. The story follows the titular character Ms. Elizabeth Cree (formerly known as Lambeth Marsh Lizzie), in her younger years and after meeting her husband, John Cree. It begins with Elizabeth standing trial for the murder of John, and then traces her cautious trail backward from daughter to performer to wife, culminating in the climax of the opera where she is discovered as a mass murderer.

The Department of Voice and Opera double-casts leading roles in their performances, so this review is regarding the Thursday/Saturday performance of Elizabeth Cree. This performance featured Aria Minasian (Elizabeth Cree), Robert Wesley Mason (John Cree), and Katelyn Brown (Aveline Mortimer, Elizabeth’s ex-colleague at the troupe).

Minasian’s portrayal was truly spectacular—her Elizabeth was deep and seductive, precociously balancing beauty and terror. Her luxurious contralto voice pulled the audience into Elizabeth’s madness and gripped until we were left begging for more. Mason’s complement to her was grounding, with a voice effortlessly demanding attention.

Campbell and Puts are true trailblazers for the next generation of American Opera with their work on The Manchurian Candidate, Silent Night, and Puts & Greg Pierce’s wildly new successful opera The Hours. Puts created a whimsical score for chamber orchestra in Elizabeth Cree, bringing a hauntingly dark narrative into a world different from our own yet totally understood. Campbell’s libretto brings ultimate life to the characters with mystery, wonder, and grit. Elizabeth’s libretti was specifically complex and refreshing, with many female opera roles lacking depth in older works.

The Department of Voice will return in November with Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel — a story making up for its lack of murder with candy and witches.

 

 

Read more about Elizabeth Cree in the Dramaturgy Packet here.

Photos thanks to @umichvoice on Instagram.

REVIEW: 28th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons

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[Title photo: Kings Gambit by Marte’nez Sr.; Acrylic]

The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) is an initiative through the Residential College at The University of Michigan with a mission dedicated to bringing those impacted by the justice system to the U-M community for artistic collaboration, mutual learning, and growth. The program hosts a variety of workshops in visual art, theater, choral music, photography, and more. The Duderstadt Gallery is hosting an exhibition of a year-long collaboration with PCAP featuring art by incarcerated artists.

To produce the gallery, the PCAP community visited 24 adult prisons throughout the state of Michigan to handpick the selection of art being presented. During their visits, the volunteers review artwork and have the opportunity to discuss and exchange insights with artists, fostering a profound understanding of the intent behind each distinctive piece.

[30 Animal Granny Square Blanket by Douglas Bail]

The gallery intrigued me with the inherent individuality behind each piece. There were paintings, pencil drawings, sewn creations and figurines—and more! There was truly a collection of artistic mediums and untold stories.

[Boxed In by THE TEXAN; Acrylic, Canvas]

The gallery is open until April 3rd, and the hours of operation are listed below. Much of the art is for purchase at a variety of price ranges, from $35 to well over $500. There are many resources located at the gallery with ways to get involved with PCAP and other community and outreach groups in Michigan at the University and beyond. I left the gallery with the quote from the welcome guide ruminating through my mind:

“Art has truly saved my life. It has broght light in a place designed to keep us in the dark. It allows us to tell our story, or express how we feel not having to say a word. Art gives voivce to the voiceless…”   —DaJuan

 

 

Gallery Hours:

Sun & Mon 12PM – 6PM

Tues – Sat 10AM – 8PM

 

More about PCAP here.

 

 

 

 

[Piano Jewelry Box with Drawer & Bench by Kimmy L. Emig; Wood]