Two of )0; the in the Book of the New George Miss Guryan. Who Recorded
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the pit The students were older and possessed at Hunter college, was dropped this tion to the five standard jazz groups. ials re- a higher caliber of musicianship than year. In its place. Schuller's History of Garvey, who played with Jan Savitt's 155.50, m former years. Among those studying Jazz Styles, begun last year, was ex Orchestra a decade ago. offered five musi at the school were trumpeters Don Ellis panded to serve as a study of the play short selections using various combina cale is and Al Kiger; tenor saxophonists J. R. ing techniques and attitudes of jazz tions of instruments. Monterose and Dave Young; trombonist musicians throughout the music's his The string portion of the program in wns of Dave Baker, pianist Harold McKinney tory. The emphasis was placed in the cluded Champagne Blues, written bv nonths, of Detroit. Mich . drummer Joe Hunt of sounds of jazz, and students were asked Bob Brookmeyer and performed with lust be Indianapolis, Ind., and vibraharpist- to play in class. J. J. Johnson as guest soloist; Piece tor cks an composer Gary McFarland of Boston, This year's most significant innova Strings by Gary McFarland, with John musi- Mass. tion was the introduction of strings and son again performing the solo part; y Lay- The younger, semiprofessional stu their use within the small and large Variants on a Theme of John Lewis re than dents included several from previous jazz ensemble. Garvey, professor of by Gunther Schuller, with Schuller con tinning years. Two oi these, specializing in com music at the University of Illinois and ducting and guitarist Jim Hall soloing; cognize position, were David Lahm and Margo head of the Walden String Quartet, was Milano by John Lewis, with Hall and o have Guryan, both from New York. Lahm, engaged to develop the project He ar Lewis soloing, and Piece tor Guitar and ications who is on a year's leave ot absence from ranged for six classically trained string Strings by Hall, w ith Hall again the solo Amherst college to study composition musicians to be in residence during the ist. Hall took time from his regular on the with George Russell, is the son of song school term. Thev included three vio playing with the Jimmy Giuffre group ’otiated writer Dorothy Fields. The young com linists, two viola players (including him at the Five Spot in New York Citv to go he con poser’s Potting Shed is a regular tune self), and two cellists Their schedule to the school for his part ot the program. percent in the book of the new George Russell called for three hours' practice every Bassists Bill Takas and Chuck Israel, cent for Sextet. afternoon Three davs a week the strings drummer Earl Zindars. and pianist John creafter Miss Guryan. who has had a tune worked alone, and on the remaining Lewis worked with the strings on the recorded by Chris Connor, had two of days they played with jazz soloists and selections. On the Schuller number, alto vorking her compositions performed by Milt in jazz ensembles. saxophonist Heckman and vibraharpist icr Jim Jackson’s small ensemble at the faculty Besides courses in composition, his Vera Auer were added. Israel was a . Perry student benefit concert, which is given tory, and small-ensemble playing, each part-time student at the school from Sonnv annually at the close of the term. (The student was required to take at least two nearby Stockbridge. Mass., and now has hall, all young woman, a June, I960, college private instrumental lessons a week. The joined the George Russell Sextet, re guitarist graduate, was nettled when her com private lessons were given to the stu placing Ted Snyder. F.ddie position Milt Town, in honor of vibra- dent by an intructor who plays a differ .nd the Garvey's presentation left the impres harpist Jackson, showed up on the pro ent instrument. This method has been ks with sion that strings definitely have a place gram as Milltown.) The original com used since pianist Oscar Peterson in modern jazz. Lewis said, in introduc positions by Miss Guryan, Lahm, and pointed out at one of the early sessions ing this portion of the program. "One e Con Gary McFarland are promising and of the school that there was a tendency Gaskin, reason strings have not been accepted speak well for the School of Jazz. on the part of piano students to con covered in jazz is due to the fact that the highlv The school always has drawn students centrate too hard on an attempt to imi are off- developed techniques ot the strings have from foreign countries. This year there tate the instructor's style. not heretofore been compatible w ith the helong were drummer Jon Jonsson of Sweden, aters. The accomplishments of a School ot t ree-blow mg jazz techniques of other in trombonist Mike Gibbs ot Southern Jazz term has come to be vividly por struments " Garvey offered convincing Rhodesia, and vibraharpist Vera Auer trayed at the final concert. The students evidence that jazz is out of the barrel from Vienna, Austria. and the facultv play together in small house. The strings were used exclusive The faculty, smaller this year than ensembles. This togetherness is consid ly in ensemble rather than solo form, of the usual, had to struggle with the increased ered an important part of the student's and the tonal shadings thev provided )0; the enrollment. As school director Lewis training, and audiences have found that effectively offset the solo instruments, dilwau- said at a concert, "It has been one it also makes for a more stimulating especially Johnson's trombone writer calamity after another—like the festi listening experience than the usual jazz One ot the most enthusiastic and ap >ff, jazz vals." He pointed out that Milt Jackson festival program. proving listeners at the concert was was forced to leave because of his With one or two exceptions, every former bandleader Artie Shaw, whose is long- mother's death and that Herb Pomeroy composition played was written by a recently purchased farm near Lakeville. rnstein; had to leave "to make a living Pom student or faculty member. Most ot the Conn. makes him a neighbor of the M usic; eroy, a Boston trumpeter-leader, had a students originals were written during school He said he was especially pleased I Dizzy rare full week's work for his 13-piece the school term with the string ensemble experiment, re reality, band at the Music Box in West Yar This year's program included five small calling that he tried to establish strings differed mouth. Mass. jazz ensembles led by John lewis, J. J. in jazz 15 years ago. when he added a espects. Among the faculty members who had Johnson. Milt Jackson (pianist-composer large stung section to his swing orches- is were returned to teach for at least the second Margo Guryan introduced the group in gh hall, time were Lewis, piano; George Russell, the absence ot Jackson) George Russell, iropcan theory and composition; Gunther .Schul Shaw was so taken with the school and a group prepared by Herb Pom rmitory ler, jazz analysis; Jackson, vibraharp; that he said he wanted to be a part ot it eroy, (. onnie Kay and Ed Summerlin. nphony Percy Heath, bass; ( onnie Kay. drums, — and a tew days later he was elected lewood. and Pomeroy, trumpet. a trustee along with conductor I eonard Bernstein, poet 1 angston Hughe- and of the Newcomers on the faculty were J J. on hand, who sal in with various com .•Man Morrison ot I bony magazine me by Johnson, trombone and small ensemble bos. I reddie Hubbard, ttumpeter with ic man instruction, Id Summerlin, tenor saxo the disbanded J. J. Johnson Sextet, and Ihe trustees announced that next scar eta ined phone and small-enscmbk and John New York alto saxophonist Don Heck the school term w ill be extended to l of the Garvey, in charge ot the school's ex man played with the Summerlin en four weeks and the faculty-student con- c Barn, periment in the use of strings in jazz. semble. its was The course, Ihe History ol Jazz, John Garvey’s string ensemble w is ieasons. taught by Marshall Stearns, professor an exciting and worthwhile added attrac Ih* arranged Nos ember 10, I960 • 13.