CAUGHT THE ACT The Current State Of College Jazz Collegiate azz Festival not always together at the festival; the performance, though some of the inter­ f Notre Dame, drummer tended to play too much, all but action between the two musicians was tl, Ind. drowning out the bassist, who nonetheless intense. His Cecil Taylorish explorations made a valiant effort to hold things to- were almost always delightful. The control The Music played by the 18 competing gether when the going got rocky. he had over his instrument and his material groups at the ninth annual Collegiate Jazz For the finals, ,Baker used only his own was impressive, particularly so when one Festival, held March 3-4, ranged from arrangements, which, in the end, worked considers that Tolson is in his very early excellent to mediocre. The nine small against the band, since the scores had 20s. groups heard at the festival ran from similarities to each other. Nevertheless, At the finals the duo played Linear Ex­ highly professional to merely competent. his writing on 4-5-6 (composed by Lanny positions and Swan Lake Recapitulations. The big bands were generally better; even Hartley), The Professor, and Scream in' Tolson's interpretation of the Tchaikowsky so, there was more than a little sloppiness, _Meemies (both composed by Baker) was ballet music was deeply moving as the bad intonation, and limping rhythm heard ~ familiar passages became more fragmented, among them. g more distorted (in a truly artistic way), But if all the music played at CJF this and filled with melancholy. Tolson won year could be averaged out, the median ! > awards as the best pianist and as outstand­ quality would be somewhere near very ~ ing instrumentalist at the festival. good, much higher than it would have ~ The MIT Sextet had great spirit. Evi- been, say, five years ago. And higher than dently some thought had been given to any other collegiate competition. creating a closely woven ensemble and to The judges who decided which bands and keeping the solos within the mood of the groups were to compete in the finals-and piece being played. For example, all solo­ of those, which were the best-were trum­ ists played lyrically on Miles Davis' peter Donald Byrd, pianist-composer Her­ Eighty-One, but they went "out" on Herb bie Hancock, composers William Russo Pomeroy's Evil Irving, which had out-of­ and Lalo Schifrin, Berklee School of tempo sections and collectively improvised Music administrator Robert Share, and "free" passages. The horn men-trumpeter this writer. Sam Alongi, trombonist Richy Orr, and The choices were not always easy. altoist Brage Golding-were stronger solo­ For example, among the big bands, six ists than those in the rhythm section. were considered for the finals, but the As its finals offering, the Indiana five­ number had to be narrowed to three. Two piecer played Chelsea Bridge and All of the bands were almost-unanimous Blues-the first sequeing into the second. choices: the University of Illinois Jazz Altoist Green was the main soloist on Band, a mammoth-sized orchestra (at one Illinois at CJF The Solvotion Army contingent marches in. Chelsea. He played warmly and with con­ point, it swelled to 25 pieces, including trol; the emotional content of his impro­ nine reeds) directed by John Garvey, and thick-voiced, exciting, and obviously chal­ visations never overcame their order and Indiana University's Jazz Ensemble I, a lenging to the players. And some of the form. Trumpeter Sandke did an excellent highly-charged band directed by Dave ensemble passages rolled like a juggernaut. bit of playing on All Blues, flying fast and Baker. The judges then had to choose Illinois, on the other hand, strove for straight. Green again played with great from the Michigan State University Jazz variety-in composition, in orchestral heat on the second tune, but the drum­ textures and colors, and in presentation. Ensemble, the Ohio State University Jazz ming behind him, for all its urgency, was Workshop, the University of Missouri in The presentation got the band in trouble distracting. Kansas City Jazz Workshop, and the with the judges, though not with the large Washington University Concert Jazz Or­ final-session audience. The last composi­ Vibraharpist Schipper's quintet, from chestra from St. Louis, Mo. The judges tion the band played-They Just ... (as the San Francisco area, was cast in the decided, perhaps not too wisely, on the preceded by "Old soldiers never die")­ mode of John Handy's group--closely Washington U. band. called for a segment of the band, playing knit, though loose, ensembles; long lyrical Four combos were selected for the fi­ Salvation Army style, to march in from solos; and constant interplay among the nals: the MIT Jazz Sextet from Cambridge, the back of the hall while the rest of the musicians. And though the music became Mass.; 1/l=One, a piano-drums duo from band played a fragmented section that somewhat complex as the musicians in­ Santa Rosa, Calif., Junior College; the slowly evaporated as the players, after teracted, it always was under control, Leon Schipper Quintet from the University pretending to continue to play, left the stimulating and imaginative. of California in Berkeley; and the Indiana stage one by one, leaving the drummer Besides the leader, the quintet is made University Jazz Quintet. alone, acting as if he were battling some up of reed man Bob Claire (who played The Washington U. band, depending al­ unseen monster. It was a funny sight, but alto, tenor, and flute almost equally well), most wholly on compositions and arrange­ the judges had strong negative reactions guitarist Bob Strizich (a sensitive ac­ ments by Oliver Nelson, who taught at to the theatricality of it all. companist and economical soloist), bassist the college last summer, tried hard but Before this display, however, the band Peter Marshall (another sensitive ac­ was somewhat below the quality of In­ performed imaginatively scored arrange: companist), and drummer Tom Aubrey diana and Illinois, even though it had an ments of Love Walked In and Lady Bird. (the most tasteful and facile drummer at outstanding soloist in tenor saxophonist The group showed good control of dy­ the festival). The group's performances­ Fred Washington. namics, and obviously much work had Sam Rivers' Beatrice and the leader's J 05 The Illinois and Indiana bands were al­ gone into achieving an uncommonly well­ -flowed easily, building in such a way most equal in excellence. blended balance within and between sec­ that the whole performance had shape and Baker, in his first year as head of In­ tions. was not just a string of solos. diana's jazz department, has done a fine The Illinois band, despite the exhibition­ The quintet easily won the small-group job of shaping his band into a hard-hitting, ism, won the contest and a prize of $500. award: $300. driving unit with exceptional soloists in The most unusual small group was The members also won several of the the persons of altoist Jerry Green ( also a 1/l=One, which consisted of pianist Jack individual awards given at the competi­ skilled arranger) and trumpeter Randy Tolson and drummer Mike Brandenburg. tion: Schipper as best player of a "miscel­ Sandke. The rhythm section, however, was Tolson, a gifted musician, dominated the laneous" instrument, Strizich and Aubrey April 20 0 17 as top men on their instruments, and to the extent that the young drummers do by Gerry Wondrak of lndi1)1la University. Claire as "most promising" reed man. -and they never do it at the expense of The performance was highlighted by the Other individual awards went to trumpeter the "wave," the pulse. beautiful alto saxophone playing (solo Sandke, altoist Green (he also won the ar­ Hopefully, now that other problems of and lead) of Charley Baroile, at 19 the ranger's award), and baritone saxophonist college jazz are being worked out, more most mature soloist heard atthe festival. David Luell, all from the Indiana band; attention will be given to this very serious An 11-piece ensemble fro Duquesne trombonist Dave Pavolka of the John one. -Don DeMicheal University had interesting d unusual Cascella Trio and One from Ball State ideas about instrumentation d show- University, Muncie, Ind.; tenor saxophonist Intercollegiate Jazz Festival cased a notable talent in comp Fred Washington of the Washington U. Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. er, oboist, and baritone saxoph band; bassist John Hatton of the UMKC This year's Villanova festival (the sev­ McCandless, whose Mirage for des was band; and composer Don Owens of the Jlli­ enth) was the curtain-raiser for the In­ a surprisingly sophisticated blend of im­ nois band for his Collage, which was tercollegiate Music Festival, scheduled to pressionism and "freedom." played at the semifinals. "Most promising" consist of five regional rounds, climaxed Also worth singling out were the much awards were given to trumpeter Alongi of by a grand finale when winners from the improved MIT Concert Jazz Band, the MIT and drummer Julio Coronado of the regionals compete in Miami Beach, Fla., swinging West Chester Criterions (who Northwestern University Stage Band. in May. sorely missed their outstanding drummer All these soloists (plus some who didn't Thus, participation was restricted to of previous years), and the Peter Lewis win) and most of the units speak well for groups from the East, and the judges (al­ Workshop Band from Philadelphia Musi­ the quality of jazz on campus. Yet college toist Phil Woods, trumpeter Clark Terry, cal Academy, a clean and extremely mu­ jazz, even as good as that heard at this educator-drummer Clem DeRosa, jazz sical band.