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UNIVERSITYOF NEW HAMPSHTRE
OUR ONE HUNDRED AND fiIIRTEENTH PROGRAM
FRANKWESS
OCTET
CAROLSLOANE
SPONSORED
BY
THE DEPARTMENTOFMUSIC
AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
LTBRARYOFTRADmONAL IAZZ
8PMMONDAY
SEPTEMBER
16,1995
IOHNSON THEATRE
PAUL CREATIVEARTSCENTER
DURHAM,NH
THE ARTISTS
THE FRANK WESSOCTET
Those of us so blesscdas to have bcen able to listcn to iazz lor a half<entury or so have
witncsscda hcalthyportionof its stylisticand idiomaticevolution. whateverpersonalvalue
iudgmcntswe may have madein refercnccto this complcxtableau,we inhercntlyknow the
norms,thc pointsof dcparturc.the "rulcsof cngagcmenf,so to spcak.On the otherhand,for
onc attcnding his/hcr vcry first iazz conccrt, tonight's evcnt might scem a bit confusing
(howcverenioyablc);thc dutiful ncophytcmay wcll havereadaboutgroupswith onc to four
homs in thc front linc cmphasizing
improvisation(collcrctive
or otherwisc),or laqgercnscmbles
with full choirscachof reeds,trumpcts,and tromboncscmphasizing
orchestration,
and thusthc
ensemblcat handwould appcarto fit in neithercategory.
Said obscrvcrrvouldof courscbc correct;thcir group is largcr than what rvouldnormallybe
found in a club,and smallerthanusualfor a ballroom,to cite thc vcnueswhichshapcdso much
of thc tradition. But,howeverinspircdby rcalism,jazzimaginationhasnevcrbcenlimitcd by
spaceor gc'ography,
or by doctrinaircformulationsas to the written versusthe improviscd,and
as
in
classical
chambcr
music wherccomposersoftcn wrote someof their bcst musicfor
iust
"unorthodox" combinations instruments(thus
of
resultingin fewer live performances),
rnuch
memorablejazz hasbc'entransmittedto us by groups that were, creativein concept,unique in
format,and in mostcasesneverto havea continuingpublicor commercial
(onethinks
existence
of efforts by Miles Davis,DavePell,ChartieMingus, -and earlier,JohnKirby and SabbyLewis).
In truth, five homs over a rhythm sectioncan gcnerateall the desirableharmonicinterest; the
real challenge is in appropriate contrastsin instrumental color. Perhapsthe key is in the
multiplereed capacitiesof both arrangers- Frank himself and ScottRobinson- listen and
watch! The atmosphere is fresh and bracing, but we know we are not far from the
Ellington/Strayhorn orbit and the Basietraiectory.
Frank wess is no strangerto our campus;more significantly he is no strangerto any substantive
developmentin the Fzz nuinstseamsincethe late 193Os.He is perhapsbestknown for his long
associationwith the Count BasieOrchestraand his continuous tenor dialogue therein with
Frank Foster(recapitulatedat the UNH Clark Terry JazzFestivallast March),but he is also one
of the establishersof the flute as a cEntraliazz instrument - and who elsemight one encounter
who hasworked with both JosephineBakerand ToshikoAkiyoshi?!
The octefs personnelis drawn from thequintessenceof the New york scene- doubtersneedto
regularly read the New York Times! We must take particular note of Scott Robinsonwhooe
sensitiveand imaginativeperspectiveon past,present,and fuhrre was long admited and deeply
appreciatedby the founder of this series,the late Dorothy Prescott,amongwhoseconcemswas
the perceivedabandonmentby the youngof the nourishmentof tradition.
T
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47-0.rsE
o
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FRANI( IAESSOCTET
FRANI( WESS- Reeds
SCOTTROBINSON-Reeds
BYRON STRIPLING - Trumpet
GREGGISBERT-Tnunpet
STEW ruRRE -Trombone
RICHARD WYANDS-Piano
LYIViVSEATON-Bass
IOE ASCIONE-Dntms
4nil
CAROL SLOANE - Vocals
And what would be more appropriateiust threemonthsafter Ella Fizgerald'spassingthan to be
graced by the presenceof the 949 singer uniformly praised in all reviews of her gigantic
memorial tribute in CamegieHall in July? Acknowledgedby the New York Times two yea6
ago as "one of the wis€st voicesin iazz, a rightful heir to Ella, ,' Carol Sloane,scomprehensive
artistry also runs the exp€rientialgamut from Larry Elgart to JonHendricksto RayCharles,and
from the Newport JazzFestivalto the KennedyCenter,as well as over thirty recordedalbums.
We haveheardher speakingvoiceoften on WGBH,and it will be a py to hearit take flight.
As the songgoes,"lVho could ask for anythingmor€"?!
Tap recordctsand ct nErssqre not Fnitted due lo contnetual ansngeuenll
You.raopratioa is requcstd.
THE SERIES
The UNH Traditional Jazz Seriesbcgan in 1979. It promotes the eni)yment and understanding
of the art through concerts featuring musicians of regional, national, and international
prominence. The program reprcscnts a uniquc cndcavor to expand interest and honor
outstanding talent and achievement.
Musicians wishing to do so are encouragcd to offcr their rccordings for sale or mail order
during intcrmission; a brief announccmcnt may bc madc. The sponsors have no firnncial
intercst in such salcsbeyond offering a courtcsy scrvice to the artists and the public.
Program Notes - Paul Verrette
Production - David Sciler
THE SCHEDULE
September16
Frank WessOctet with Carol Sloane
(JohnsonTheatre,Paul CreativeArts Center)
October 21
Benny Waters with the Howard Alder Combo
December2
(note change)
Billy Novick's Shadesof Swing
(fohnson Theatre,Paul CreativeArts Center)
February 10
Classicj:zz Epochs:felly Roll and W.C.
lim Fryer and Jeff Barnhart
March 10
Tommy FlanaganTrio
(JohnsonTheake, PauI Creative Arts Center)
April 14
Bucky Pizzarelli Trio
May 5
Clarinet Family Summit
]ohn LaPorta and Dick johnson
(Concerts in Strafford Room of the Memorial Union Building exception noted)