GVSU Faculty Jazz Trio Kurt Ellenberger Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley Review

Volume 24 | Issue 1 Article 20

2002 GVSU Faculty Jazz Trio Kurt Ellenberger Grand Valley State University

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Recommended Citation Ellenberger, Kurt (2002) "GVSU Faculty Jazz Trio," Grand Valley Review: Vol. 24: Iss. 1, Article 20. Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol24/iss1/20

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Grand Valley Review by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. will be your l-being and, or I cannot GVSU Faculty Jazz Trio way that we Fall Jazz Concert, 2001 ;ing. Instead, term-faith nemberthat azz studies has a long history at Grand Valley, dating ne teachers, Jback over twenty years. When I was hired to head the 1stry leaders program, our vision was to develop a place in the cur­ write about riculum that would give music majors an opportunity to ; that moral­ perform in small and large jazz ensembles, to take pri­ : uncritically vate lessons, and to pursue jazz-related course offerings. Kyrt S!lenberger is an assistant pro­ ence of the Eventually, I hoped we could establish a jazz degree of fessor in the Department of Mu sic resentations some kind. The possibilities seem even larger now than and Director of Jazz Studies. tilosophy of ever before. Our small ensembles have performed all t of whether over West Michigan at university and non-university · students or events. Along with our many on-campus performances, tile the book our big band has performed at the Urban Institute for :ness or lack Contemporary Arts, the Aquinas Jazz Festival, and The more factors BOB (live broadcasts on WGVU). We also play at local high schools and have been the featured guest band at i me a copy high school festivals. 83 d begun five unity's adult 1gly invested tt many stu­ nd. A retired m a student true that we 1t, motivated books under lrive that will rk, as Louisa 1, "gives us a than money

Kurt Ellenberger Kurt Ellenberger

Our students have won many The "jazz scene" in West Michigan is really very Jazz lives 0 awards including: Best Trombone good. In my three years here at GVSU, I've seen and immediac

Section, Best Trombone Soloist in a exciting performances by jazz musicians with then this sens1 Big Band, Best Trombone in a combo, international reputations including joey Calder­ another way, iJ Best Piano Accompanist, Best Piano azzo (in his first US solo concert at GVSU no less), music willlikel Soloist, and Best Lead Trumpet. Dave Friesen. Uwe Kropinski, Kenny Wheeler, Don of watching th The establishment of a GVSU Thompson, TS Monk jr., Oliver jones, Fred Hersch. that gives the Faculty Jazz Trio (now a quartet) has and others. I am proud to say that many of these thrill, and to er been a goal of mine since I arrived in great musicians have performed as our guests here Armstrong fror 1999. A strong faculty rhythm section in the louis Armstrong Theatre and the Sherman ~elevant today, is the core of any serious jazz program. rmitate him rna Van Solkerna Recital Hall. rs music made ir It must be formed with care and over These players have done tremendous things for our a period of years so that a coherent also rests on a li program. Students do not often have the opportunity foundation. musical direction can be established to hear their heroes perform live, much less in such As guest artis and nurtured. intimate settings as are found in our Performing Arts the trio by brint I first met Dave Spring in Octo­ Centre. Contact with players of national and interna­ new personalitie ber of1999 when we performed a duo tional reputation gives our students an immediate burst in the musical n recital together at Central Michigan of creative energy. They get to see and hear these great University. I had an immediate musi­ honest and imrr musicians, and then they get to meet them and talk to which is what al cal and personal rapport with Dave. them as well. As an ensemble director, I can hear the time to go and le He is one of the only bassists I have difference at our next rehearsal-they have absorbed play them. Regar 84 played with in a duo setting who some of the energy, some of the "vibe," some of the have to play as be makes me forget that we don't have a almost maniacal commitment demonstrated by these drummer-not an easy task! He is a can't be somethi1 players. performer of the highest caliber who That's a not-so-~ Indeed, the special guests on the recording that you'll brings tremendous enthusiasm, musi­ what level you're find in this issue of the Grand Valley Review did all these cianship, and integrity to everything Whether you're < things-they performed on campus, at several local high sional, you still h< he does. schools, and gave clinics at high schools, universities, Dave started teaching at GVSU a melody and a se and Daniel Jordan even gave a lecture recital to about in 2000, and now heads the small demands of ma1 200 grade school children on jazz and poetry in Harlem ensemble program. which has grown in the '20s. These events all culminated in the concert The jazz stua remarkable growt from one to four groups under his recorded live in the Louis Armstrong Theatre. the last three years leadership. Daniel Jordan and Bob Fazecash were invited The next step was to find a drum­ because they are artists of the highest calibre who rep­ I am sure we hav( look forward to. mer, and we were fortunate to have resent the finest in the art of jazz, as is evidenced on Derico Watson join us in 2001. the CD. It is live and unedited (we had to cut one piece Derico is one of the most versatile due to time constraints); it was recorded direct to DAT drummers I have ever worked with. on two tracks made from mikes hanging high above His rhythmic sense is "fluid," always the band. Thus, the sound is a bit raw in comparison to moving forward without speeding studio recordings, but that suits me just fine. up; playing with Derico is like riding the crest of a wave that never spirals into itself. . really very Jazz lives or dies depending on its sense of urgency J, I've seen and immediacy. If the performer is not "on the edge," cians with then this sense is lost and the music suffers. To say it :Jey Calder­ another way, if the performer "plays it safe," then the music will likely sound uninspired and flat. It's the sense SU no less), of watching the artist on the "highwire without a net" rheeler, Don that gives the music some of its power to move, to 'red Hersch, thrill, and to enthrall. That's why a recording of Louis of these my Armstrong from fifty years ago still sounds exciting and · guests here relevant today, while a recording of someone trying to he Sherman imitate him made last week sounds stale and boring. It is music made in the moment, which, strangely enough, :hings for our also rests on a lifetime of study and commitment as its ! opportunity foundation. 1 less in such As guest artists, Fazecash and Jordan helped to propel -forming Arts the trio by bringing in new pieces, new arrangements, land interna­ new personalities, all ofwhich had to be accommodated tmediate burst in the musical melting pot. This input helps to keep it ~ar these great honest and immediate (sometimes frighteningly so!), !m and talk to which is what all art needs to tell its story. There is no I can hear the time to go and learn the pieces on your own before you have absorbed play them. Regardless of how difficult they may be, you Bs ," some of the have to play as best you can; as I tell my students: "You Dave Spring :rated by these can't be something you're not, so don't bother trying." That's a not-so-subtle way of saying that, no matter ·ding that you'll what level you're at, it's always a work-in-progress. ;ew did all these Whether you're a rank amateur, or a seasoned profes­ The Players ~verallocal high sional, you still have to walk on stage with nothing but Derico Watson >ls, universities, a melody and a set of chord changes, and face anew the Derico Watson is an internationally recital to about demands of making music extemporaneously. renowned and exceptionally versatile Jetry in Harlem The jazz studies program at GVSU has shown drummer who performs in a variety of i in the concert remarkable growth in a very short period of time. If musical settings including jazz, funk, Theatre. the last three years are any indication of the future, then rock, and gospel. h were invited I am sure we have many years of interesting music to He has performed with James :alibre who rep­ look forward to. Brown, Spyro Gyra, Nelson Rangell, is evidenced on -KE Earth, Wind and Hre, Victor Wooten, . to cut one piece Bela Fleck, as well as local favorites, :d direct to DAT Hip Pocket. Watson is also a much­ ging high above sought after studio player who is in ,n comparison to great demand nationally and interna­ tst fine. tionally. He just finished recording a CD with Victor, Reggie, and Joseph Wooten entitled W3W which will be released worldwide in 2002. Kurt Ellenberger

Dave Spring Bob fazecash I Dave Spring has been playing acoustic Bob Fazecash is one of Detroit's most versatile and and electric bass for over 25 years. He sought-after trumpet players. He has performed as recently returned to his hometown of lead trumpet and!or jazz trumpet with Dizzy Gillespie, Grand Rapids, after living and work­ Thad Jones, Jon Faddis, Joe Williams, Ernie Wilkins, I ing in New Orleans for many years. Earl Klugh and Marcus Belgrave among others. In He has performed in a wide variety addition to his jazz and show work, Fazecash has of musical settings and has performed also performed in some of Detroit's finest classical I with many of the world's great jazz ensembles including principal trumpet positions with musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, the Michigan Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Detroit, Arturo Sandoval,Joe Williams, Teddy and the Majestic Brass Qyintet. I Wilson, Bill Watrous, Nat Adderely, Kurt Ellenberger and Sam Rivers. Before joining the Kurt Ellenberger began composing and performing GVSU faculty in 1999, Dave taught as a teenager in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario. in the jazz programs at The Blue Lake His first trio CD entitled "Songs From Far West" was Fine Arts Camp and Aquinas Col­ received with great acclaim by critics in Canada, Europe, lege. He is also an adjunct faculty and the United States. They have been unanimous in member at the Grand Rapids Com­ their praise, calling it a "tour de force" and "an extraordi­ munity College. nary CD," as well as "one of the major surprises ofl999." Daniel Jordan He has been hailed as "a gifted pianist who combines Daniel Jordan (alto,tenor,and soprano the lyricism of Bill Evans with the energy of Keith Jar­ 86 I saxophones piccolo, flute, alto flute, rett in his playing." Of his trio, critics have said that it and clarinet) studied music at North is "as tight and cohesive as any working piano trio out Texas State and taught music at Rol­ there [including] the infamous Keith Jarrett and his lins College in Winter Park Florida all-star rhythm section."He has performed with diverse I and Valencia Community College in artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Danny Gottlieb, Carl Orlando Florida. He is the creator of Allen, Dick Lowenthal, and Billy Eckstine, as well as the nationally distributed educational symphony orchestras in Canada and the United States. I video tape "A Journey Through Jazz." He has been featured on CBC Radio (Canada) and Daniel is now active as teacher and NPR (USA) as both performer and composer. He is an instrumentalist in the New York also an ASCAP award winning composer whose con­ metro area. He currently is a featured temporary classical works include music for piano, voice, soloist and principal woodwind with choir, orchestra, brass quintet, trumpet ensemble, brass Natalie Cole. He has performed with choir, strings, and two concertos. a wide variety of artists including: New Recordings Maynard Ferguson, Jimmy Smith, Jazz program director Kurt Ellenberger and David Woody Herman's Thundering Herd, Spring (bassist and director of Small Ensembles) Sam Rivers, Mel Torme, and Sammy recorded a new CD in Orlando with Danny Gottlieb, Davis Jr. Daniel can be heard on May­ the seminal drummer from the Pat Metheny Group.. nard Ferguson's "Storm" and "Live at The CD also features Tim Froncek the director of jazz the Great American Music Hall." His studies at Grand Rapids Community College (formerly latest recording "Mosaic of Anatolia" with Woody Herman) and will be released in 2002. It can be heard on Attila Records. is comprised largely of original compositions by Dave Spring as well as jazz standards. FACULTY jAZz Truo ·ersatile and ~rformed as REcoRDED LIVE, OcTOBER zy Gillespie, 26, 2001 1ie Wilkins, ~ others. In lZecash has est classical ·sitions with stra Detroit,

performing :or, Ontario. .rWest"was ada, Europe, 1animous in m extraordi­ ises of1999." 10 combines )fKeithJar­ ;: said that it ano trio out rett and his with diverse ottlieb, Carl te, as well as nited States. :anada) and poser. He is whose con­ piano, voice, emble, brass and David Ensembles) ny Gottlieb, eny Group .. ector of jazz ge (formerly lin 2002. It Jns by Dave live at the ,(guis c.Armstrong 'Theatre

Kurt Ellenberger, piano Dave Spring, bass Derico Watson, drums with special guests Bob Fazecash, trumpet Daniel Jordan, saxophones