Detroit Free Press 07/11/2010 F06J_11_0D_X#black#broad#singleCopy Reduced to 67% from original to fit letter page Page : J06 6J WWW.FREEP.COM SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010 Music EUPHONIUM MAN Brad Felt makes waves in jazz Brad Felt plays the euphonium with an unlikely instrument during a recent performance By MARK STRYKER with the Bill FREE PRESS MUSIC WRITER Higgins Trio at Cliff Bell’s in ROMAIN BLANQUART/Detroit Free Press his is the most challenging gig I’ve ever done,” says Detroit. Brad Felt, euphonium in hand. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I couldn’t resist.” Felt, who leads his own quintet at next Sunday’s Michigan Jazz Festival, was speaking last week at ‘TCliff Bell’s in Detroit, where he was the only horn in a trio led by drummer Bill Higgins with Gary Schunk on organ. The evening was devoted to classic, sophisticated post-bop compositions by Joe Henderson from the ’60s. Tackling them in such a lean setting would test any horn player, but only a truly brave — or foolish — soul would take the plunge on euphonium, the smaller, higher- pitched version of the tuba. Yet Felt’s no-prisoners improvisations were so fleet, harmon- ically aware and rhythmically flexible that he made you forget that his instrument is still regarded as something of an interloper in jazz. Felt, 54, an unsung hero on the Detroit scene, remains one of just a handful of musicians playing modern-mainstream jazz on the euphonium and tuba, his first instrument. Though he has toured internationally with tuba hero Howard Johnson’s Gravity ensemble and contributed to all manner of local groups, Felt has reached a new creative peak with his NuQuartet Plus, which is 16th annual Michigan devoted to his sturdy original compositions. Jazz Festival The state’s largest festival devoted to local jazz features about 150 musicians performing continuously for more than nine hours on six stages. Admission is free. Question: Why the tuba? body would have the opportunity before you. But I always thought nium has more in common with a Answer: I was in junior high to choose something to play. So it might be good that the people saxophone than a trumpet, be- Noon-9:15 p.m. July 18 VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College school band in Bloomfield Hills maybe I’d play some harpsichord you are studying don’t play your cause tuba and euphonium have a 18600 Haggerty, Livonia with a great band director named sonatas by Scarlatti and maybe instrument. You’re not dealing conical bore rather than a cylindri- 248-474-2720 H. Wayne Tilton, a really inspiring my brother would put on some- with that ball-and-chain of being cal bore like a trumpet or trom- michiganjazzfestival.homestead.com. guy. I was the last-chair trumpet thing like Wayne Shorter’s “Night connected to the instrument. bone. A conical bore gives you a Brad Felt NuQuartet Plus performs at 3 p.m. on the player and they needed a tuba Dreamer.” There are no biases related to the more diffuse sound and lends Leven Stage (Red Tent). player. So he asked me to switch, horn. You can pick any instrument itself to less percussiveness and Other performers include Hot Club of Detroit, and I said yes. He basically shut Q: What was the turning point? you want to emulate. There’s a more to a connected-type thing George Benson, Paul Keller Trio, Bob Seeley, me in a room with a beginning A: When I heard Charlie Parker’s certain freedom. that’s more like a saxophone. But Gary Schunk Trio, Perry Hughes Trio, tuba book and mostly left me to “Live at the Royal Roost.” That you also have the choice to do Johnny Trudell Big Band my own devices until I was ready was the moment. It wasn’t the Q: So you don’t have to phrase those brass-like percussive things and Alma Smith. to rejoin the ensemble. It was a first time I had heard Charlie like a tuba. You can phrase like a like a trumpet. In a way, you’ve playing more it in perfor- drag at first, but I rapidly came to Parker, but this time, it was like saxophone or a trumpet or any- got a foot in both worlds. euphonium right mance and how love it. I really blossomed in high an awakening. I was 18, the sum- thing else? now, but my personal that might affect me as school. mer between high school and A: If you want to get a little more Q: The euphonium is basically a involvement with the tuba hasn’t I write. We play my original music university. technical about it, I would say baby tuba, right? diminished. In a lot of ways, being and all of the musicians have Q: How did jazz come into the that phrasing on a tuba or eupho- A: That’s how I think of it. I’m a composer has been the thing strong voices. I’m seeking some- picture? Q: Was there ever a disconnect that defines my musical experi- thing distinctive. It’s hard to be A: It was really my brother who between your desire to play jazz ence maybe more than the in- more specific, but my goal is to got me into it. He was listening to and the fact that the tuba wasn’t struments I play. I’m not one of realize the concept and ideas fusion by people I refer to as really considered a jazz instru- those guys who is a big cheerlead- inside each composition. Miles’ (Davis) children — people ment? TUBA JAZZ: FOUR GREAT MOMENTS er for the tuba. I don’t go around The reason you establish a like Herbie Hancock’s Headhunt- A: Never. I was aware that I was Brad Felt picks four landmark recordings featuring the tuba and euphonium playing with those massive tuba strong concept is so it can evolve ers and the Mahavishnu Orches- going to be learning from people T Bob Stewart (tuba), heard on Freddie” (Blue Note) groups that play at Christmas in and then you can begin to decon- tra. They related more to our who weren’t playing my instru- Arthur Blythe’s “Lenox Avenue New York City. I’m not a tuba struct it. That’s a big challenge. T Kiane Zawadi (euphonium), heard roots growing up listening to rock ment. Like a lot of people, I would Breakdown” (Columbia) geek. I’ll let my playing be the You really have to be working a ’n’ roll, but being the inquisitive take the turntable and turn it on Yusef Lateef’s “The Last Savoy advocacy. lot. There’s the rub. I’m constant- T Howard Johnson (tuba), “Right Sessions” (Savoy) type, he said, “Well, I’m going to down to half-speed and learn Now” (Verve) ly looking for opportunities. I’d look for everything with Herbie Charlie Parker solos. Note: Detroit native Zawadi was born Bernard Q: Tell me about your own group. like to see if I could tour overseas, T McKinney and is part of a dynastic jazz family of Hancock on it,” so he got into the Early on, I began to think that Kiane Zawadi (euphonium), heard Detroit. A: The idea is to have a group because going on the road for a more straight-ahead stuff. this could be a good thing. If you on Freddie Hubbard’s “Ready for concept; that’s my mantra. When month would achieve the path We had a group of people in play the saxophone, you’ve got all I’m in the early stages of writing a that I have in mind. high school that would get togeth- that baggage of all the great MICHIGAN JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AT FREEP.COM. new piece, I’m already thinking T CONTACT MARK STRYKER: 313-222-6459 er to listen to music, and every- saxophone players that came about how the group will change OR [email protected] Grainger’s “Country Gardens” Top 10 selling iTunes tracks sounds corny. Pianist Geri Allen sparkles 1 Katy Perry (feat. Snoop Dogg), ´ma Music. BARRY HARRIS REMAINS THE “California Gurls” Mote 2 GREATEST LIVING BEBOP Eminem, “Love the Way You Lie” 3 Taio Cruz, “Dynamite” Copyright © 2010 Detroit Free Press Inc. 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