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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Sitting far house right in the third row orchestra section, near a giant speaker and seeing microphones on each stand, I feared the volume might be overwhelming. However my fears quickly and happily subsided within moments of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s first notes. Despite my initial trepidation over the microphones and amplification, the ensemble’s overall sound was controlled, refined, and impeccable.

The concert was an assortment of straight-ahead jazz and contemporary works, resulting in a captivating and enjoyable evening for the sold-out audience of 1,600. Several stand-out pieces were composed by Marsalis himself, including selections from his albums Congo Square, Blood on the Fields (the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize in music) and “The Tree of Freedom” from Vitoria Suite. Marsalis’ compositions are melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically creative, with multifaceted and varying ideas that flow well together. The structures, even within these movements of larger works, are cohesive and drive to specific climaxes. Potent historical and cultural influences from home and around the globe give an added depth to these pieces, and my favorites of the night were the movements from Blood on the Fields, “Chant to Call the Indians Out” and “Back to Basics.”

Marsalis’ stage presence as bandleader, with his warm and gracious personality and wry humor, gave the night its relaxed tone. Marsalis’ solos were adventurous and lively—playing to each corner of the hall, using mutes and quartertones, growling, singing, crying, and infused with bits of humor. If I have one minor wish for the evening, it would be that he had stood during the first half’s closer, Jelly Roll Morton’s “Tomcat Blues,” a feature for Marsalis and the rhythm section. All members of the band showed not only tight ensemble capabilities but also their individual solo chops. Trumpet section member Marcus Printup had multiple electrifying solos all night. Pianist Dan Nimmer’s lengthy, dramatic introduction for and Ted Nash’s soprano saxophone solo on “The Tree of Freedom” were entrancing. Another favorite moment of mine was during “Back to Basics” when members within each section traded 4-bar solos and ended with a “gang” solo, moving from the trombones to the saxophonists to the trumpets, showcasing every player. The internal communication of this group is staggering.

Local soprano Roberta Gumbel joined the band for a searing and mournful rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Creole Love Call” with silky smooth vibrato and excellent intonation, followed by a few songs with Kansas City’s own saxophone great Bobby Watson, who stole the show with his genial and natural manner in the spotlight. Watson’s mastery of improvisation never ceases to impress—his musical ideas a keen mixture of freshness and familiarity. Marsalis respectfully praised Watson for his “beauty, soul, and warmth” and spoke of their days in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the 1980s.

Marsalis surprised Watson at the end of the show with a twist on the classic nursery rhyme “Itsy Bitsy Spider”—a testament to Marsalis’ arrangement skills and sense of humor. Watson again dominated with his raw, bluesy choruses, transforming the quirky tune into something else entirely. Closing with an unquestionably deserved standing ovation, the JLCO and Wynton Marsalis will no doubt be remembered as a highlight of Helzberg Hall’s first year.

REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Helzberg Hall
1601 Broadway, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit http://hjseries.org

Top Photo: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynotn Marsalis (Photo by Anthony Barboza)

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.