IAJE Day 3 - University of Illinois Latin Jazz Ensemble

January 11, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: black colleges, branford marsalis, broadcast booth, carolina central university, college bands, colleges and universities, constitution hall, Discovery, doors, ears, eddie palmieri, guest performer, hbcu, iaje, IAJE 2008, Jazz Alive, latin jazz ensemble, Live Music, north carolina central, north carolina central university, university of illinois

Constitution Hall is just outside our broadcast booth. IAJE is showcasing a lot of college bands there today. The doors to the hall were open, and the sounds of blazing latin jazz were emanating into my ears. I had to check it out. It was the University of Illinois Latin Jazz Ensemble. Check them out on Eddie Palmieri's "Palmas":

University of Illinois - Palmas

Up next, I'll have a post about North Carolina Central University's Ensemble. They are an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) institution. Their guest performer will be Branford Marsalis. Stay tuned. - Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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IAJE Evening 2 - A Night of British Jazz

January 11, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: bass jazz, british invasion, british jazz, courtney pine, Discovery, european jazz, first appearance, IAJE 2008, jazz competition, jazz funk, jazz musicians, jazz orchestra, last act, Live Music, martin taylor, night in tunisia, occasional references, panoply, Places and Spaces, queen elizabeth, solo version, stagecrew, tommy smith, trombonist dennis rollins

Courtney Pine, the British jazz musicians turned Jazz Crusader for BBC2, presented an evening of British Jazz at IAJE. I missed the first set from Empirical, winner of the 2007 EBU European Jazz Competition. I got there for the band's final notes.

Pine quickly introduced Martin Taylor, who jumped onstage a little early. Since the stagecrew wasn't ready for the band, he entertained the audience with a solo version of "I'm Old Fashioned." Here it is:

Martin Taylor - I’m Old Fashioned

I supposed you're predestined to play guitar when your named Martin Taylor, since that's the name of two highly regarded luthiers. Taylor made his first appearance in Toronto 25 years ago. This performance was his return engagement. It's been a while. Here's a cut from the full band:

Martin Taylor’s Freternity

I was totally blown away by the next act. Kids from Scotland who play like they've been playing together for years. Check this out, and tell me if you think they sound like novices...

Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra - A Night in Tunisia

The last act, I suppose, represented "the future." Trombonist Dennis Rollins has been raking in the awards in Britain. The music was certainly fun and dance-ready. Occasional references to "Summertime" and "Work Song" notwithstanding, I would call this a tightly arranged ensemble that combines a panoply of styles, including drum-n-bass, jazz, funk, and garage. Hear what I mean:

Dennis Rollins’ Badbone

So there you have it. I guess you can't call this show The British Invasion, since we're technically in Canada, where Queen Elizabeth is the head of state. - Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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IAJE Evening 2 - Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

January 11, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: IAJE 2008, Interviews, Live Music

Meet the Secret Society, Darcy James Argue's "steam punk big band." They've been playing some exciting new music in New York, mostly at the Bowery Poetry Club. Having an indie big band is no lark, but Argue has really been doing something special on a shoestring budget. He's also blogging, and writing some intriguing large ensemble charts. In a matter of days, the Canadian "pick-up" version of the band, Secret Society North, learned the two ASCAP/IAJE commissions, and Darcy's own complex music. Check out one of the songs from last night:

Secret Society - Ferromagnetic

Darcy Argue is a bright young mind in jazz. Listen to what he has to say:

Josh Jackson Interviews Darcy James Argue

Keep your ear on Secret Society. Someday soon, they won't be such a secret... - Josh

© 2008 WBGO

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