Press release from White Horse Black Mountain:
During his his relentlessly creative career jazz pianist Michael Jefrey Stevens has forged music alliances with an army of talented and versatile jazz players, some of whom he’s assembled for his Chamber Jazz Ensemble, infusing modern and traditional jazz styles with contemporary classical musical forms and harmonies. The the Ensemble performs at the White Horse Black Mountain on Sunday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m.
The roots of Michael Jefry Stevens Chamber Jazz Ensemble hark back to musical experiments of the late 1950s that borrowed from both jazz and classical aesthetics, an approach dubbed “Third Stream” by composer Gunther Shuller. Some of Duke Ellington’s work anticipated later jazz/classical hybrids, but artists like The Modern Jazz Quartet and Dave Brubeck helped popularize a chamber jazz approach, and Third Stream ideas permeate the work of many major jazz artists.
The rich sonic palette of Stevens’ group embraces sounds not common in jazz, like a bowed string section. The lineup of the innovative collective can vary depending on the requirements of the pieces being performed, and over twenty players have appeared with the Chamber Jazz Ensemble. Rhythm section players have included drummers Justin Watt, Rick Dilling, and Bill Berg, along with bassists Zack Page, Bill Fouty and Ryan Kijanka. Wind players on call are Frank Southecorvo (saxes), Jason Moore (tenor sax, Clarinet, flute) and trombonists Justin Mann and Harold McKinney. Christian Howes, Candace English, and Erisa Goto add violin, with Anastasia Yarbrough and Gina Caldwell on violas and Franklin Keel on cello. Both Wendy Jones, who doubles on flute, and Katie Ciluffo have done vocal duty, and extra color is provided by Jason DeCristofaro’s vibraphone playing and Rob Falvo’s percussion.
Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 advance/$12 door.
Advance tickets available online at:
whitehorseblackmountain.com
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