Tag: jazz

PREVIEW: Department of Jazz Showcase

Emma Pinchak Leave a comment

Tired of the relentless droning on of the work week? Can’t quite wait for the weekend to release yourself from monotony’s cruel grip?

Then head on down to the Blue Llama Jazz Club tomorrow, Thursday, November 7, at 7-10pm to witness a spectacular performance by Michigan students and faculty of the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation! The group will be showcasing both their own compositions and classic jazz songs by some of the old greats.

The cover is free with the purchase of food or drink, though there will be a spot on the check for you to offer a tip for the night’s entertainers. Show up when the mood strikes, or stay for the whole evening. Due to the popularity of the establishment, it is recommended that you make a reservation ahead of time, which can be done here: https://www.bluellamaclub.com/event/u-m-school-of-music-jazz-showcase-2?fbclid=IwAR1Wo3BvqFEDqP5g_F6bYudYogisFpNsWsv9ET2nayrF5ZudCzUwTdZeLLQ

Hope to see you there!

REVIEW: Snarky Puppy

Angela Lin Leave a comment

To say I’m excited for the new UMS season after seeing the season opener is an understatement. There was no better way to start the school year off right than with Snarky Puppy, a band with skills beyond words and energy beyond wonder.

The night started off with Alina Engibaryan, which was the best way it could’ve started. Michael League, Jason “JT” Thomas, and Chris Bullock joined her onstage, accompanying her as she played the piano and sang the words that found their way deep into your soul in the powerful yet sultry jazz that gave you chills. She sang songs from her newest album, “We Are,” and every word she sang, every note she played, felt very pure and raw and honest. There were moments of improvisation from the members of Snarky Puppy that added an extra layer of meaning to her songs.

With Alina Engibaryan setting the tone for the night, all 3000+ listeners in Hill Auditorium were ready for Snarky Puppy, and the high expectations Alina set on the stage were met the minute the first notes filled the auditorium. The nine amazingly talented musicians of Snarky Puppy took everyone through a rollercoaster of a night, speeding things up with unbelievable improvisational solos, and then slowing it down with that same fading echo. Each member had their moment: JT Thomas on the drums and Nate Werth on percussion had a captivating duet moment; Shaun Martin transformed the keyboard into something much more than 88 keys with his talk box skills; Jay Jennings and Chris Bullock added a range of flare and style on the trumpet and tenor saxophone; Justin Stanton jumped between the keyboards and his own trumpet, sometimes playing both at the same time; Chris McQueen, Zach Brock, and Michael League kept the night going on the guitar, violin, and bass with a flash of rhythm.

Playing new songs from their recent album “Immigrance”, the collective’s most recent tunes brought a whole new meaning to jazz fusion, and even introduced the style of Moroccan Gnawa to everyone. It was impossible to feel disconnected from the music the entire night, but the coolest moment of the night was when everyone started clapping, either in 3s or 4s. The entire Hill Auditorium clapped to form this funky rhythm, and it was in that moment that I felt more connected to all 3000+ people clapping with me, more connected to the members of Snarky Puppy onstage cueing and keeping us onbeat, and more connected to the music that reverberated positivity, peace, and joy through my entire body and the entire venue.

Snarky Puppy was exhilarating, and I have no hesitation calling it one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. With a dash of jazz, a hint of fusion, a kick of funk, and a whole lot of energy and passion, Snarky Puppy’s indescribable presence makes them unique, and their music that transcends all distinct categories makes up the core of Snarky Puppy and what makes them stand out from the crowd.

PREVIEW: Snarky Puppy

Angela Lin Leave a comment

It’s a whole new school year, which means a new year of excellent musical performances. Kick off the 2019-2020 UMS season with Snarky Puppy, a Brooklyn-based funk and jazz collective that explores with improvisation the convergence of black and white American music culture. Don’t miss the three-time Grammy winners season opener at Hill Auditorium on Sunday, September 8, with Alina Engibaryan opening the show at 7:00 PM.

REVIEW: Lisa Hilton

Kianna Marquez Leave a comment

The cold, rainy Saturday that we experienced just as spring was beginning to grow left many of us disappointed with the mood that the weather brought that day. Even so, I was lucky enough to attend a performance by Lisa Hilton at the Kerrytown Concert House that day, an event that warmed my spirits as it sheltered us from the cold outdoors. As expected, a large proportion of the people who attended this event were older and only a few of us were younger adults. However, I came to realize how much this disparity didn’t matter because of how Lisa Hilton was able to connect to us with music that was universal.

As the show began, the back half of the concert house was almost completely full. The lights in the main room dimmed and the lights projecting onto the stage became more bright in contrast. Lisa Hilton walked onto the stage as we applauded her entrance and she stood by her piano to give an introduction. While she normally brought along a few bandmates to play the drums and the bass during her performances, she stood up there alone with only her Steinway piano that day. From this, I immediately felt excited about how intimate and stripped down this performance would be because I felt that we would be able to see into her personality the most with a solo performance

During her conversations with the audience, Lisa Hilton spoke very politely and gave her commentaries in an organized manner. In other words, she was able to articulate the exact motives behind each of her pieces very well and I believe this helped us recognize the importance of the messages of each piece. In the minutes during which she would play, you could tell that she was passionate about her performance and her compositions. She would sway on the piano bench, look up at the ceiling and back down at her hands, and look to smile at the audience while playing her pieces. As I noticed this, I thought about just how many hours she had dedicated to this moment: to be able to play a full-length piece that she wrote and to perform this piece without making mistakes undoubtedly took numerous hours of the majority of the days in a year to master. With this, I develop a large appreciation for musicians like her who dedicate so much of their time to perfect their craft.

In terms of the style of her compositions, I was very pleased to hear something unique yet simple. During one of her commentaries, she explained to the audience that she wanted to be able to inject emotion into her pieces; she could do so much to master an exceptionally difficult classical piece but even that may not be able to truly convey her feelings, and so she took to writing from the heart in every circumstance. As she demonstrated her mastery of the technical aspects of the piano, she made evident throughout her performance her mastery of musicianship, creating a modern style with abstract melodies and filling these melodies with jazz-like rhythms.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber and soul of Lisa Hilton’s performance. She was able to convey her emotions through her pieces by using a unique style with universal moods. After attending this performance, I left the venue glad that I was able to de-stress with an event showcasing the impressive and beautiful work on the piano.

PREVIEW: Lisa Hilton

Kianna Marquez Leave a comment

Hailing from the coast of central California, critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, Lisa Hilton, is a performer whose work has transcended among the sounds of various genres and time periods in history. Her work consists of both modern and classical flavors and her ability ranges from orchestral melodies to the vibrant sounds of jazz. Having completed an art degree in college, she describes her work as compositions painted by harmonies and sculpted by textural and rhythmic elements. Hilton has worked with many notable composers and musicians, including George Gershwin and Horace Silver, who all have influenced the emotion and the energy apparent in her pieces.

This Saturday, she will be taking the stage at the Kerrytown Concert House performing songs from her newest album, OASIS, and more. I am beyond excited to attend this performance because I will be able to experience someone perform music of their own that could resemble compositions performed by other high-caliber musicians and orchestras.

As a note, this event is available to all students for no cost through the Passport to the Arts offered by the Arts at Michigan program from the University of Michigan. Without further ado, I hope to see you there!

REVIEW: U-M Chamber Jazz Recital

Emma Pinchak Leave a comment

Never before had I considered the mandolin or banjo to have a place in the jazz world. And I certainly did not expect to experience a solo of either of these instruments in any context outside of a renaissance festival or a square dance competition, respectively.

Boy, was I wrong.

The performance was split into three sets, each a different student group exploring a wildly different facet of the music genre.

The first erred on the side of folk, incorporating a sound more twangy than I’d have expected from jazz musicians. But the smoothness of the violin’s bow sliding across the strings and the low voice of the cello lurking under the melody rounded out the tunes they played, making the sound much more complex and multi-dimensional. And, I must stress, Noah Fishman on mandolin and Matt Davis on banjo went hard.

The next group played in the classic big-band style of jazz, bursting into the music the second they began with grand flourishes of slurred crescendos and bright moments of staccatoed frenzy. It was hard seeing the relatedness of the first and second groups, even though they were a part of the same genre, and shared a few of the same instruments. But rather than this near-dichotomy being a distraction, it worked as a testament to jazz’s dynamicity. It was disappointing to me, as a piano player, that the pianist Kaysen Chown was barely audible amidst the brash bass tones, as the higher pitch and lightness of the instrument would have complimented the music greatly.

The last group to play featured a jazz of the sultry kind; the high call of the saxophones (Peter Goggin on alto and William Wood on tenor) was almost erotic. The songs were rambling and suave, able to warm the mind and body simultaneously. I could find myself in some underground jazz club, surrounded by the coolest cats around, dressed in all black, perhaps sporting a beret.

When I walked out of the auditorium, I still felt warm, even despite the biting wind of the mid-November night. Maybe it was the well-heated building, but more likely it was an effect of the music. I strode back to my dorm with a strange new confidence derived from the sheer sophistication of the evening. This lasted nearly the whole walk home, ending abruptly as I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk (a testament to the exclusiveness of the genre, maybe; one can fall out of its favor with a single uncool move).

All in all, a good night, thanks to this group of talented SMTD students!