SRJO NEWS Sacred Music CD a Success - Getting National ReviewsThe SRJO’s CD, The Sacred Music of Duke Ellington, released early this year on the OriginArts label, has met with huge artistic and commercial success. The 2-CD set, drawn from several of the annual performances of the music by the orchestra, is ranked on many “play lists” throughout the country. Sales of the CD also have been strong – though there are still copies available from SRJO as well as retail outlets. The CD represents a success on several levels. Some $6,800 in private contributions supported the project, covering almost 75% of overall production costs, making it possible to complete the CD set. The recordings are receiving major air-time on jazz radio stations throughout the country, and since the first week of January the recording has been in the top ten with heavy rotation in jazz radio markets of a dozen major cities including Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Raleigh, Cleveland, San Jose, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Eugene. The CD was No. 2 or No. 3 in Pittsburgh for over 12 weeks. Appreciation for the recording is adding greatly to the orchestra’s reputation throughout the U.S.A. |
Reviews are StrongAudiophile Audition Several very fine reviews for the new Sacred Music CD have been published, and more are on the way. Check out this review from Audiophile Audition in its February edition by reviewer Jeff Krow: “You do not need nationally renowned jazz orchestras to make brilliant recordings. Most every major city in the U.S. has national-level jazz musicians. Many of them choose to teach and lead high school and college level jazz bands. They can then play gigs on weekends and during the summer season. They are often first-call sidemen when national talent plays gigs in their cities. “Such is the case with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. Yet the SRJO saw fit to tackle the Sacred Music of Duke Ellington in recorded live performances in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington, and in Portland, Oregon, during the fall and winter of 2003. “In this Origin label production, the SRJO performs selections from all three Sacred Concerts, and handles this daunting task with aplomb. Ranging from In the Beginning God, the instrumental and vocal versions of Come Sunday, to the majestic Freedom Suite, featuring a soulful chorus of voices, you can sense the joy in their performance. The a cappella sections of the Freedom Suite blend with pianist Larry Fuller’s piano lines to give an ethereal vibe. The orchestra’s reeds and horns have ample opportunity to solo around the vocalists testifying. Too Good to Title features conductor Michael Brockman in a gorgeous soprano sax solo.
“Themes of freedom, the redemptive power of
prayer, and the search for justice permeate the
entire production. Nelson’s music is well-known to SRJO audiences through past performances and recordings of some of the band’s favorite pieces: A Walk on the Wild Side, Stolen Moments and the classic Blues and the Abstract Truth. The SRJO pays tribute to this very creative composer, playing those pieces and other great works arranged or composed by Nelson, including Down By the Riverside, Emancipation Blues, and Hoe Down, plus a very special presentation, the epic Sound Piece for Jazz Orchestra—a three-movement work considered by many to be Nelson’s most important composition for jazz orchestra. |
High School Stars FeaturedThe concerts will also feature special appearances from outstanding high school soloists, all graduating seniors drawn from some of award-winning high school jazz bands in the Seattle area, and winners of awards at recent jazz festivals and contests: Samuel Schlosser (trombone) of Garfield High School, Andrew Mulherkar (tenor sax) of Garfield High School, Brian Greggs (drums) of Roosevelt High School, Clarke Reid (piano) of Roosevelt High School, and Ray Larsen of Mercer Island High School. These young musicians usually bring down the house with their virtuoso performances – most of them of such professional quality they could just as easily be sitting in with the orchestra as playing a special performance. Ticket prices for the concerts range from $16 to $32, and can be purchased from the SRJO offices (206-523-6159) and online at www.srjo.org, or at Benaroya Hall (walk-up sales only), the Kirkland Performance Center, and all TicketMaster outlets. This concert is being presented with special underwriting from Mellon. |
SRJO Receives Meet the Composer Grant for New Jimmy Heath ‘Suite’Jimmy Heath (in hat) relaxes back stage after his 2001 concert with SRJO members (L to R) Floyd Standifer, Clarence Acox, Buddy Catlett, and Michael Brockman. The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has received a $10,000 grant from the Meet the Composer Foundation to support the commissioning of a new suite for jazz ensemble by renowned jazz saxophonist and composer Jimmy Heath. The new composition, titled The Endless Search, is written in three movements and premieres November 4-5 at the SRJO’s 2006 fall concert. Heath will lead the orchestra in the performance of the new suite. The two concerts will be included as part of the 2006 Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle. Heath is among the most widely revered and recognized musicians in the world of jazz. Born in Philadelphia, he began his career in the 1940s as a sideman with many famous bandleaders, including Dizzy Gillespie, J.J. Johnson, and Miles Davis. He went on to lead his own groups and in 1975 joined with his brothers Tootie and Percy in forming a highly regarded band called The Heath Brothers, which recorded many critically acclaimed albums for the Riverside and Concord record labels. In 2003, Heath was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and awarded the title NEA Jazz Master. In addition to the newly written suite, the SRJO will perform several other works by Heath that he wrote for bands led by Dizzy Gillespie and many other luminaries of jazz with whom Heath has recorded and performed in his long career. Heath last came to Seattle in 2001 as a guest performer for two sold-out concerts with the SRJO at Benaroya Hall and the Kirkland Performance Center. “I can think of nothing more important in keeping jazz vibrant than commissioning new works for the big band,” said Michael Brockman, SRJO co-director. |
A Friend of Jazz PassesOne of SRJO’s core supporters, Fred Wardenburg, passed away May 8, from cancer. Fred and his wife, Francie Rutherford, have been major music supporters in the Seattle area, especially as board members of Earshot and Centrum, and as the primary providers of scholarships for underprivileged youth to attend Centrum’s Port Townsend Jazz Workshop program. They are also regular donors to the SRJO.Fred and Francie’s Bigelow and Dewey Foundation has been the underwriter of SRJO’s Jazz Scholars/All Play program for the past three years, providing free lessons to students in underserved music programs. Fred’s family and friends gathered around him in his last weeks. At the request of the family, Michael Brockman (SRJO co-director) and Randy Halberstadt (SRJO pianist) went to Fred and Francie’s home on the Sunday just prior to Fred’s passing and played a miniconcert. “It was a very special time for us and for all involved, with Fred reflecting on the richness of his life, and how filled with art it has been,” Michael recalled. Fred himself was a pianist, painter, and writer. Fred found many ways to make a positive difference in the community. The world needs many more people like him. SRJO will dedicate its June concerts to his memory. |
Acox Featured in Seattle U. MagazineClarence Acox, co-director of the orchestra, was featured in the Seattle University alumni magazine for his role in helping to bring jazz back to the University’s campus in central Seattle. Budget cuts forced the elimination of the jazz band 10 years ago and SU’s jazz heyday – when it awarded Garfield High School junior Quincy Jones a full scholarship and Ray Charles performed regularly nearby – was almost 50 years ago. The University turned to Acox as an “excellent teacher, an excellent performer and an excellent link to the community,” said Carol Wolfe Clay, Chair of the Fine Arts Department. The article describes how Acox acted as a consultant at first, suggesting finding out what student interest in jazz existed at the school. An e-mail generated 100 responses in a few minutes. Many of the students had played in jazz bands in high school but had no outlet at Seattle University. Acox worked his magic at SU, much the way he does with the award winning Garfield High School Jazz Ensemble. “Clarence has this amazing ability to cajole and push, and yet make people feel that they’re doing good work,” Wolfe Clay said in the article. |
House Party FunThe SRJO held its annual “House Party” in October at the home of Laura Welland and John Jordan with great success and a lot of fun for everyone involved. The focus of this year’s party was to raise funds for the Sacred CD project, but the annual event also serves as a means for core supporters of the SRJO to meet one another and to get to know Artistic Directors Michael Brockman and Clarence Acox, the members of the Board of Directors, and selected members of the orchestra. Live entertainment was provided by an excellent group of talented young musicians — drummer Patrick Davis, saxophonist Andrew Mulherkar and bassist Allison Wood, all of Garfield High School, and saxophonist Logan Strosahl and pianist Clarke Reid of Roosevelt High School.
“Tap dancer Tim Hickey taps mightily on the
appropriately named David Danced Before the
Lord With All His Might. Then Northwest
chanteuse Dee Daniels does a sanctified
version of Come Sunday. The second CD
closes with a multi-vocal Praise God and
Dance with six instrumental soloists thrown in
for good measure. |
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