Fundraising, Fiddling, & Big Banding

This last week, I’ve been spending the majority of my time preparing for an event that I am really excited about.

Webster MENC, which is Webster University’s chapter of the National Association for Music Educators, is having a charity jam session at a local restaurant to raise money for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. If you haven’t heard of it, the Save the Music Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is to keep instrumental music program alive in inner city schools who may not have enough money to support their own music programs. It is a great cause, and I am really pumped for the event, which is this Friday. Anyone in the area should consider coming! It’s at the Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen and starts at 9:30.

Tomorrow, the Webster University Big Band has it’s first concert of the year. The range of music is wiiiiide – everything from Stan Kenton, to Les Hooper, to Wayne Shorter, to a mambo by Matt Harris that I’m pretty sure is going to tear the place down! This big band has really evolved from the beginning of the year to now…it’s been a treat to be apart of it.

In other news, Webster student and fiddling extraordinaire Justin Branum gave his graduate recital last Thursday. Justin is one of the most gifted musicians I’ve ever met, and this year placed 3rd in a national fiddling competition! I was not fortunate enough to get to go to his recital, which I was disappointed about. I was actually playing a gig at the Magic House….which was different. Anyway, I hope I get a copy of the recording because I heard it was a dynamite concert. Then again, would you expect anything else from a national top-ranking fiddler?!

- Matt

Person in Person

I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while, but I never got around to it until now.

A few weeks ago, Paul DeMarinis, Director of Jazz Studies here at Webster, was lucky enough to get Eric Person to come and visit Webster for a day. If you don’t know who Eric Person is….I will tell you! Eric is a world-renowned saxophonist that has played with some of the biggest jazz musicians in the world. His most famous gig was a three-year stint with the Dave Holland Quartet. Anyone who knows jazz knows that Dave Holland has consistently kept one of the most exciting jazz groups in the world in his quartet, and more recently his quintet. Eric was Holland’s sax player just prior to Chris Potter, who is my favorite modern saxophonist.

Needless to say, when I heard Paul had convinced Eric to come to Webster to critique our jazz masterclass and give a clinic for all the sax player, I was pretty excited. I had heard a few tracks of Eric playing with Dave, but I didn’t have a complete album. So a few days before Eric came, I headed down to the local record store here in Webster Groves called Euclid Records. It is probably about a hundred yards from campus, so I had time to go with a friend between classes. As it turns out, Euclid had one used copy of the one album that Eric recorded with Dave Holland, Dream of the Elders. That’s how Euclid is…you always find what you’re looking for!  

Anyway, Eric ended up providing some great insights at masterclass and gave a fantastic clinic for the sax players. He even signed my album, which was pretty cool. We even got to talk for a little while, which was even cooler! This was certainly an exerience I will never forget.

- Matt

A Quick Link

This week has been a whirlwind of activity, but I wanted to just take a moment to share a link to a great interview with the Saxophone Colossus, Sonny Rollins.

As you may or may not know, Sonny made a visit to St. Louis a few weeks ago for a one-night show. Unfortunately, I couldn’t scrape up the cash to get a ticket, but I heard it was absolutely fantastic. The guy is 79 years old and still killin’!

Anyway, here is the link. The interview is focused mostly on Rollins’ facination with Westerns. It’s really a facisating read. Hope you enjoy:

http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/10/interview-sonny-rollins-part-1.html

Oh, and by the way, GO CARDINALS!!!

- Matt

Symphony Time!

Tonight was the first full rehearsal of the Webster University Symphony Orchestra. Adam, Colton, and myself were all there. I played clarinet on Williams Grant Still’s “Afro American Symphony” and saxophone on George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

As you may have guessed, the focus of this concert is on American composers. In addition to the Still and Gershwin, the orchestra is playing Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” and “Fanfare for the Common Man,” as well as Donald Grantham’s “Exhiliration and Cry.” With it being Dr. Davis’ first concert as maestro of the orchestra, it’s going to be a packed house…and I am so excited! The group sounded great tonight.

If you live anywhere near the St. Louis area and want to hear some great music, come to the concert on October 11th. It’s going to be a blast!

I’m getting too excited about this….I need to do homework and go to bed.

The Jazz Ear

I just got done reading a great book by Ben Ratliffe, the jazz critic for the New York Times called The Jazz Ear: Conversations Over Music. Basically, Ratliffe went and talked to some of the greatest living jazz artists (Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Joshua Redman, Brandford Marsalis, Maria Schnieder, etc.) and asked them a simple question: “What music do you listen to, and why?” Some of the answers were quite shocking and amazing.

For one, I thought it was VERY cool that Wayne Shorter is into Vaughan Williams. He specifically references “The Lark Ascending,” the Vaughan Williams violin concerto for orchestra, which is my all-time favorite piece of classical music! How cool is that?

Also in the book, Ornette Coleman has a lot of interesting choices of music and knowledge to share, and Maria Schneider’s explanation of how she hears music is absolutely stunning. Roy Haynes speaks mostly in riddles, and Hank Jones talks about playing with practically every great jazz player ever. So cool to hear stuff straight from these guys’ mouths.

If you are into jazz, or simply into how great musicians hear music, get this book now!

What A Surprise!!!

Today was a great day. Why? Well, my roommate surprised me and my girlfriend with tickets to see the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra play “Blue Planet” for our one year anniversary! I suppose I had mentioned it to my roommate when I first heard about it. They are going to show scenes from the television show “Blue Planet” on a huge screen while the orchestra plays the music from the show live. It’s probably won’t be the most musically moving show the symphony has ever performed, but it still sounds like a neat idea. I’m very excited to go see it!

Speaking of great live music, Kenny Garrett, probably the jazz alto saxophonist for the last 15 years or so, is coming to Jazz at the Bistro next month, and I’m pumped! I’m transcribing one of his solos for my private saxophone lessons right now, and it’s been a real challenge (great fun though….I love transcribing!).

Today, Peter Mayer, longtime guitarist for Jimmy Buffett, did a clinic at the Music Building about the music business and his life in music. The guy is a great musician and had lots of wisdom to share. I almost didn’t go (I was super busy today), but I’m very glad I did.

I’ll leave you with a link to a great mashup of Radiohead and Dave Brubeck Quartet. Doesn’t sound possible? Well check it out, and prepare to be proven wrong.

If Paul Desmond were alive today, he’d fit right in with Thom Yorke and the boys.

http://jazzy.blog.bg/muzika/2009/08/07/radiohead-vs-dave-brubeck.375949

- Matt

I Wish I was Czech

This Thursday, I had my first rehearsal with the Chamber Orchestra. It was really a neat experience playing with some of my friends who I’d never played with. Dr. Davis passed out some really neat pieces, including “Czech Suite in D Major” by Antonín Dvořák.

I was familiar with Dvořák’s work, but I had never heard the piece, so I downloaded it on iTunes to give it a listen. I put it on my iPod and took it down to the practice rooms in the basement of the Music Building so that I could go over my part while listening. Very soon after it started, my head was no longer in the sheet music.

All I can say is WOW….what a ride! This piece is absolutely amazing! I really hope no one was watching me while I was listening; I’m pretty sure I was doing some sort of weird dance or something.

Last Saturday I saw the St. Louis Jazz Ambassadors featuring Clark Terry with my buddy Zac, also a saxophone player at Webster. What an honor to see a living legend! Clark’s not in great health, but just to be in his presence was surreal.

Happy Birthday Dweezil Zappa!

- Matt

Back to Where I Belong

I, like Adam, am pleased to be a part of this great Webster University Department of Music blog! I will do my best to post some of the new and interesting happenings around the Music Department.

Last week was our first week of classes, and there were a bunch of new faces around the Music Building halls, most notably Dr. Paul Davis, the new conductor of the Webster Symphony Orchestra! I am extremely excited to see what Dr. Davis has in store for the WSO.

Dr. Davis has also created a  new group here at Webster, the Webster University Chamber Orchestra, which I will be playing clarinet in. Rehearsal is the day after tomorrow, and I can’t wait to find out what the group will sound like.

In other news, Monday was the first meeting of the Webster University Big Band, and already the group sounds great! I’m so glad to be back, playing with such a great group of musicians.

I’ll leave you with a recording of the Webster Wind Ensemble playing the second movement of Ferenc Farkus’ “Serenade for Wind Quintet” from last year’s final concert. I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time…

Download Webster Wind Ensemble – Serenade For Wind Quintet II: Andante Espressivo

- Matt McKeever