Big Band Report
May 2002

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By Jack Bowers

Even though I had to pinch myself several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming, that really was an honest-to-goodness professional sixteen-piece big band playing honest-to-goodness straight-ahead Jazz on April 18 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. I'd gone there to hear the UNCC Jazz Ensemble, after which there was to be a "special appearance" by the newly minted Charlotte Jazz Orchestra, co-led by trumpeter Billy Spencer and trombonist Rick Blanc. As it turns out, this was the CJO's maiden voyage, and what an exhilarating excursion it turned out to be. I don't know (and don't care) where Spencer and Blanc found these guys but they are really good, far better than I'd anticipated. John Harding, who directs the UNCC Jazz Ensemble, plays third trumpet, and there in the front row, playing alto, was my fellow Cadence magazine reviewer, Dave Franklin, who made his presence known with a wonderful solo on "Bye Bye Blackbird." Lead alto Jack Murray added a number of splendid solos, as did tenor Jeff Tippett and trumpeter Scott Bauer.

The CJO succeeds two earlier big bands, the Vintage and Coalition, that couldn't quite make it in Charlotte (where there's hardly what one would label a groundswell of enthusiasm for big-band music). Let's hope it has better luck. Spencer and Blanc seem serious about keeping a big band in Charlotte, and that's half the battle (the easier half, that is). What is needed, of course, is a venue at which to play regularly, and those are hard to find. Should the CJO manage that, the next step is to build an audience, another daunting challenge in a country whose population has been brainwashed into believing that when it comes to music, rock groups and pop stars are king. Brittany Spears is coming to Charlotte in a month or so, and you can bet that people will be lined up for blocks or even camped out to try and wangle a ticket to see the no-talent teen with the impressive implants. But that is life and must be dealt with. Meanwhile, the good news is that there is (for now at least) a bona fide albeit anonymous big band in Charlotte. Let's see if we can at least do something about the "anonymous" part. Here for all to see and read are the names of CJO members who performed at UNCC on April 18: Jack Murray, David Franklin, alto sax; Jeff Tippett, Shea Carter, tenor sax; Mark Catoe, baritone sax; Bill Spencer, Scott Bauer, John Harding, David Jennings, trumpet; Rick Blanc, Matt Yarborough, Mark Richards, trombone; Andy Skaggs, bass trombone; Chad Lawson, piano; Kerry Brooks, bass; Al Sergel, drums.

Good luck, guys! Here's hoping you land on your feet.

You win some, you lose some

The news isn't as good from New York City where the new executive / artististic director at Carnegie Hall announced in January that the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (CHJB) would be discontinued. Its last performance is scheduled for August 21 at the Hollywood Bowl in California. The goal, according to recently named CH director Robert Harth, is "to reallocate resources to respond to changing audience tastes and provide for a wider variety of artists." In other words, the CHJB wasn't pulling its weight, finance-wise, and so it had to go. Another critical success and popular washout. Harth, of course, denied that money had much to do with the decision. Whatever the reason, it's one small step for Carnegie Hall, another giant step in the musical dumbing-down of the American public.

Wait a minute! I haven't finished paying for the CD player!

Just when we thought we had it made with the almost indestructible compact disc, along comes "new technology" (i.e., another way to pick one's pocket) that according to reports will blow CDs right out of the water. It's called Super Audio CD (SACD), developed by Sony and based on a new digital encoding process called Direct Stream Digital (DSD), which samples the musical signal more than 2.8 million times per second (compared to the present Pulse Code Modulation which has a sampling frequency of 44,100 times per second). The good news is that prices already are falling; for example, Sony's CE775 five-disc SACD changer retails for around $250. There's even a Sony system, the DAV-C450, that contains a DVD player, amplification, five small speakers and a subwoofer, for only $500. The bad news is that the software is relatively expensive (around $25 per disc) and there aren't many on the market yet anyway. Time, however, should take care of that.

But hold on a minute. There's a second system, DVD-Audio, that can deliver 24-bit, 96 kHz sampled audio (known as 24/96) into six channels. By the end of last year more than 40 DVD-A players were available, all of which also serve as DVD video players. Toshiba has a player for $300, Denon a high-quality unit for $500. Again, not many titles available, and the DVD-A discs also cost around $25. With two systems competing for the audio dollar, you pays your money and crosses your fingers.

And just as I was thinking about springing for a new Bose Wave with CD player . . .

July fireworks

Summertime is Jazz festival time, and for those who can afford to go there's a pretty good one in Wigan, UK, from July 13-18. The opening act itself is worth the price of admission, whatever that may be, as Australian multi-instrumental virtuoso James Morrison will appear with the Wigan Jazz Club Big Band directed by Ian Darrington. Others on the bill include the University of Texas-El Paso Jazz Ensemble, The Woody Herman Orchestra, the Jane Monheit Quintet, Monty Alexander's "Jammin' Jamaica," drummer Sherrie Maricle and the all-female powerhouse big band DIVA, Marlene Verplanck, and John Etheridge's "Sweet Chorus" in a tribute to Stephane Grappelli. The web site is www.wiganmbc.gov.uk; e-mail markets@wiganmbc.gov.uk

That's it for now. Until next time, keep swingin'!