Jazz Ensemble, Pomona College Department

November 13, 2021 at the Greek Theater at 3:00 pm

I want to acknowledge and review Cameron Gliddon and Dylan Yin for their delightful performance of Crystal Silence,  composed by Chick Corea. So we will skip to Cameron and Dylan.

Cameron is a piano player, so we hear light, tinkling piano music at the beginning. Dylan is the saxophone player, so we hear really rich sounds of the saxophone just after the beginning.  

In Chick Corea's work, featured on Amazon, he had Gary Burton, a vibraphonist, do this as an accompanist. As a vibraphonist, Burton work is very "light." It is impressive, but it in contrast with the saxophone version, it doesn't compare!

1. Main Stem, Duke Ellington (1899-1974), transcribed by David Berger

Barb Catlin welcomed everybody to the Greek Theater. She mentioned that it was the first time  they had performed in over two years! She then, in some bizarre way, got the beat down, and we were off to hear Main Stem! (You've got to hear the 1942 version of this number! Go to the post just before this one and choose the first one on the list.)

2. Mambo Inn, Grace Sampson/George Woodlen/Mario Bauzá (1911-1993)

This has the rhythmic quality! Great band, in the original, Afro-Cuban.

3. Fancy Pants, Sammy Nestico (1924-2021)

In dealing with Sammy Nestico, we are dealing with a person who did Hollywood movies. But with 70 years of "trying to be like the model citizen," he is incredible! (And this is my first time with him.)

4. Bossa For Strayhorn, Bill Liston (b. 1959)

The saxophone went all over the place! (You got to hear "Take the A Train" with Strayhorn as Duke Ellington's guest. It's on YouTube. By the way, Strayhorn is a pianist.)

5. High and Dry, Thom York (b. 1968), Jonny Greenwood (b. 1971)

I go to YouTube to rehearse for my reviews. 

For High and Dry led me to some "far out" stuff! I chose the piano transcription for the YouTube backup. I hope you like it!

6. Crystal Silence, "Chick" Corea (b. 1941)

Here are the two young gentlemen, Cameron and Dylan.

7. Chucho, Paquito D' Rivera (b. 1948)

What does "Chucho" mean? Big Daddy?

8. 'Round Midnight, Thelonious Monk, arr. Rebecca Mauleón & Barb Catlin

I didn't know YouTube really well so it was a surprise to see the Thelonious Monk Quartet up there on YouTube!