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April 16-21, 2012
featuring
Jon Faddis, trumpet,
Wycliffe Gordon, trombone
Faddis
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also featuring the ECU Jazz Vocal Ensemble, ECU Jazz Ensembles A and B, ECU Jazz 'Bones, and ECU Jazz Faculty
ECU 2011 Billy Taylor Jazz Festival Gala review
Those brave souls who braved the tornadic weather to attend were treated to a spectacular evening of music, as the East Carolina University School of Music conducted its 2011 Billy Taylor Jazz Festival Gala Concert on the evening of April 16th at Wright Auditorium. Concluding four days of concerts in the Fletcher Recital Hall, competitions for Jazz bands from area High Schools, and late night jam sessions at Glennon’s in the Greenville Hilton, the headliners for this year’s festival, Howard University’s Afro Blue, and their talented director, Ms. Connaitre Miller, wowed the audience with their performances, showing why they have been rated by Down Beat Magazine as the top collegiate jazz vocal ensemble in the nation for the past three years.
Afro Blue performed both a cappella and with instrumental accompaniment, providing consistent harmonic, rhythmic, and moving music, frequently punctuated by solos and duets by individual members. Every member of the eight piece group soloed during the performance. They closed the concert, to a standing ovation, with a stirring jazz/gospel arrangement of Dr. Taylor’s I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to Be Free, joined by their director, the ECU Jazz Vocal Ensemble, the ECU Jazz Ensemble, and ECU School of Music faculty.
Two of the many highlights of the evening were vocals by Ms. Miller, showing her remarkable range, versatility and talent. On , Count Basie’s Everyday I Have the Blues, she was joined by her student, Integriti Reeves, whose Joe-Williamsesq voice completed the duet. An additional highlight was the acoustic bass solo by Dr. Carroll Dashiell, Robert Jones Distinguished Professor, playing his own composition, A Dash of Bass, a tribute to Dr. Taylor.
Big Band Instrumentals and accompaniments were performed by the ECU Jazz Ensemble, and showed throughout the remarkable talent and professionalism of its college-student members. Imbedded solos by Ensemble members Alex Taub (piano), Steve Peckous (tenor saxophone), and Boone Constantindes (trumpet) were notable. Faculty members also soloing during the performances included Dr. George Broussard (trombone), Ryan Hanseler (piano), Dr. Jeff Bair (tenor saxophone), Carroll Dashiell (acoustic bass), and Winard Harper, whose drum solo during John Coltrane's Resolution brought down the house.
Members of the audience were so inspired by the performers that their concerns regarding the weather disappeared. The evening was fitting as a tribute to Greenville native and festival namesake Dr. Billy Taylor.
by Graham Burkheimer and Tom Mallison
