Program Notes - Western Illinois University

CONCERT I FACULTY CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES 7:30 P.M. Wednesday, October 1, 2014 COFAC RECITAL HALL WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Program THE LAMOINE BRASS QUINTET Bruce Briney, trumpet Alberto Racanati, trumpet Randall Faust, horn John Mindeman, trombone Terry Solomonson, tuba Concerto in D Arranged by John Mindeman Allegro (from J.S. Bach: Concerto BWV 972) Largo (from G.P. Telemann Trio Sonata in d) Allegro (from Bach: BWV 972) Frost Fire for Brass Quintet (1990) Eric Ewazen (b. 1954) Bright and Fast Gentle and mysterious: Fugue Tense and dramatic Intermission THE DALE HOPPER JAZZTET John Cooper, trumpet John Vana, saxophone George Turner, guitar Michael Stryker, piano Matthew Hughes, bass Kevin Nichols, drums Compositions of Joe Henderson “A tribute to Joe Henderson” PROGRAM NOTES
Concerto in D
arranged by John Mindeman
Allegro (from J.S. Bach: Concerto BWV 972)
Largo (from G.P. Telemann: Trio Sonata in d)
Allegro (from Bach: BWV 972)
Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time, was also a keen
arranger of music. He often used material from his own sacred cantatas for instrumental
concertos or for organ works. And his concertos for harpsichord and instrumental
ensemble are mostly arrangements of previously composed solo concertos for the violin
or the oboe. But he also arranged music by other composers, and these works are usually
described as “transcriptions” though the term is somewhat misleading. He not only
adapted the originals to the new medium - the harpsichord or the organ - but also to his
own personal style.
The Concerto in D major, BWV 972 is based on the ninth concerto from Antonio
Vivaldi's L'Estro armonico (op. 3, no. 9). Bach, being the consummate keyboard player,
transcribed the original violin concerto of Vivaldi into a solo concerto for harpsichord,
changing some of the harmonies and adding virtuoso flourishes.
The arranger of tonight’s work has chosen the first and last movements of Bach’s BWV
972 and re-worked them for brass quintet, using both Bach’s keyboard score and
Vivaldi’s original violin concerto as sources. The middle movement is taken from a Trio
Sonata in d minor for two violins and continuo by Bach’s contemporary, Georg Philip
Telemann. This lively Baroque “concerto-suite” provides a technical and stylistic
challenge for the ensemble, and a brilliant, virtuoso workout for the first trumpet player.
Program Notes—Frost Fire by Eric Ewazen The brass chamber music of Eric Ewazen has established a significant and ongoing presence on recordings and in the concert halls throughout the world, and the sonorities and rhythms of his works have developed an immediate identity with concertgoers and performers alike. Among the performers who are most associated with his music are the members of the American Brass Quintet—who commissioned Frost Fire in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of that ensemble in 1990. Frost Fire is a composition in three movements. The first movement has all the hallmarks of Eric Ewazen’s music from the identifiable rhythmic gestures to the sonorous chords. The classical sonata principle is well at work here with a strong sense of thematic statement, classical developmental departure, and heroic return. In addition, this movement highlights the composers’ technique of writing themes employing asymmetrical meters with well-‐orchestrated harmonies. The second movement begins with simple juxtapositions of muted sonorities that develop into gentle melodies. Midway through the movement, a fugue evolves—
providing a heroic and dramatic development. At the end of this movement, echoes of the original motives return—providing a gentle resolution to the movement. The third movement incorporates material from the first movement. Consequently, it serves also as a recapitulation for the entire composition. The composer uses terms such as “tense,” “dramatic,” and “frenetic” in his terminology about the movement. He creates these effects musically by the development of shifting the metrical content of the thematic motives, and juxtaposing significant blocks of sound within the ensemble. A strong recapitulation of the opening theme of the first movement brings a heroic finale to Frost Fire. (REF) Dale Hopper Faculty Jazztet: Tribute to Joe Henderson
Biography: Joe Henderson is proof that jazz can sell without watering down the music; it
just takes creative marketing. Although his sound and style were virtually unchanged
from the mid-'60s, Joe Henderson’s signing with Verve in 1992 was treated as a major
news event by the label (even though he had already recorded many memorable sessions
for other companies). His Verve recordings had easy-to-market themes (tributes to Billy
Strayhorn, Miles Davis, and Antonio Carlos Jobim) and, as a result, he became a national
celebrity and a constant poll winner while still sounding the same as when he was in
obscurity in the 1970s.
The general feeling is that it couldn't have happened to a more deserving jazz musician.
After studying at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University, Joe Henderson
played locally in Detroit before spending time in the military (1960-1962). He played
briefly with Jack McDuff and then gained recognition for his work with Kenny Dorham
(1962-1963), a veteran bop trumpeter who championed him and helped Henderson get
signed to Blue Note. Henderson appeared on many Blue Note sessions both as a leader
and as a sideman, spent 1964-1966 with Horace Silver's Quintet, and during 1969-1970
was in Herbie Hancock's band. From the start, he had a very distinctive sound and style,
which, although influenced a bit by both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, also contained
a lot of brand new phrases and ideas. Henderson had long been able to improvise in both
inside and outside settings, from hard bop to freeform. In the 1970s, he recorded
frequently for Milestone and lived in San Francisco, but was somewhat taken for granted.
The second half of the 1980s found him continuing his freelancing and teaching while
recording for Blue Note, but it was when he hooked up with Verve that he suddenly
became famous. Virtually all of his recordings are currently in print on CD, including a
massive collection of his neglected (but generally rewarding) Milestone dates. On June
30, 2001, Joe Henderson passed away due to heart failure after a long battle with
emphysema.
Artist Biography by Scott Yanow, notated jazz author and historian,
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-henderson
Notes: Joe Henderson wrote all of the compositions performed on tonight’s program
except for La Mesha, which was penned by his frequent band mate, trumpeter Kenny
Dorham. La Mesha was first recorded on Henderson’s Blue Note album called Page
One, which featured Dorham’s most famous tune, Blue Bossa, now a staple in young jazz
musician’s repertoire. Isotope and Mamacita are both 12 bar blues progressions given
different melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic treatments, the former featuring Henderson’s
well-known angular melodic style and dominant 7th chord root movement by minor
thirds, the latter featuring prominent suspended dominant 7th chords and a funky latininspired groove.
Inner Urge is one of Henderson’s most difficult compositions and was the title track on
his 1965 Blue Note album that borrowed pianist McCoy Tyner and polyrhythmic master
drummer Elvin Jones from John Coltrane’s seminal quartet. As with Isotope, Inner Urge
utilizes root movement by minor third, but this time paired with Major 7th chords rather
than dominant harmonies. Black Narcissus is an ethereal waltz with a haunting theme. It
shares another of Joe Henderson’s compositional traits with Inner Urge, the use of Major
7th chords colored by the #11, borrowed from the Lydian mode.
--- Michael Stryker, 9/13/14

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