Scott Turner
In Motion Staff Writer
The DSC Jazz Combo and DSC Big Band bring forth a powerful performance and a diverse range of sounds in a memorable concert.
DSC Jazz Combo Thad Saxon, from left, Ron Gilotti, Daniel Lunde, Chris Villeux, and Aaron Lilly give an impressive performance during the end-of-the-semester presentation at the News-Journal Center.
They then moved in to “Cottontail” by Duke Ellington, an impressive Saxophone introduction led to a more upbeat performance, which had several audience members tapping their feet.
Director Abe Alam spoke of the unique ability that the Jazz Combo has before the third song, “All the Things You Are” by Jerome Kern.
“This song is a jazzy standard, from Frank Sinatra to Ella Fitzgerald. It’s not common for the upright bassist to carry the tune but we happen to have one who can do just that,” Alam said.
Bassist Ron Gilotti’s began the tune, his hands flying over the strings and leading to an impressive rendition of the piece. It was slower and more introspective piece and it evoked a feeling of scores from the noir era of film.
The Combo proceeded into “Our Love is Here to Stay” by George Gershwin, which switched back to an upbeat tempo and provided another toe-tapping experience.
They concluded their set with “Freedom Jazz Dance” by Eddie Harris, which provided an incredibly unique sound. Inspired by Funk, it had a much more urban feeling than previous pieces and an air of refined chaos about it. This piece provided a strong finish to a strong performance.
The DSC Big Band took the stage after a brief intermission and filled the stage. The Big Band features Jacob Cummings, Dennis Scaccia, Paul Yanochko, Richard Castellani, Matthew D’Antonio, Chris Veilleux, and Aaron Lilly on Saxophone; Joshua Haigh, Robert Moore, Robert Unger and Elizabeth Veilleux on Trumpet; Malik Brooks, Dominic Cinetia, Bob Dionne, Justin Peters and Danielle Waugh on Trombone; Daryl Quick and Andrew Yancey on Piano; Ilia Danilov, Nicholas Ignoffo and Yanni Moraites on Guitar; Ron Gilotti, Bob Stanley, and Jody Poczik on Bass; Emanuel Simpson on Vibes; Dom Circelli on Drums and Vibes; Jay Messick and Daniel Lunde on Drums; and Direction by Peter Waidelich.
The band opened by jumping right into “Blues – 1, Band – 0” by Mike Tomaro. An upbeat song with lots of energy, this opening piece presented a jaunty tune that brought spirits up around the room.
After this piece, some of the musicians began changing out with others. Somewhat strange to observe, it was later clarified by Director Peter Waidelich that it was purely due to good tidings.
“We have the fortune to have two to three players for some of these instruments and it’s difficult to make sure everyone gets the chance to play, so some of the musicians will be switching out from song to song,” Waidelich said.
They then slowed things down a bit by performing “Midnight Voyage” by Joey Calderazzo. This piece was slightly more reserved though still an upbeat piece, providing a very interesting listening experience.
“Besame Mucho” by Consuelo Velasquez was the next piece, and featured a profoundly Latin influence in its sound. A piece with interesting composition and tempo changes, its sound made one feel as they were on an exciting evening in an exotic location.
The Band then progressed into “Children of the Night” by Wayne Shorter brought back a faster tempo that also provided a very cinematic feeling, sounding as though each section were a different part of a story.
“The Dance of Denial” by Michael Phillip Mossman personified its title quite well, with the tonal variance, tempo and composition switching often enough that it embodied denial but not so strongly as to discourage listening.
“Crystal Silence” by Chick Corea presented an interesting mix between low and medium tempo and presented a much more somber and reflective tone.
Following this, the band delved into “Can’t Help Lovin” Dat Man by Jerome Kern. A very abrupt style change, this song had an incredibly catchy tune that returned the audience to tapping their feet.
“Begin the Beguine” by Cole Porter followed and began with a slow introduction, but opened to a slightly faster tempo. This piece was an interesting one and seemed to detail a difficult journey, but one that ends in the successful overcoming of the difficulties encountered.
The set was concluded with “Long in the Tooth” by Frank Mantooth. This piece was also heavily inspired by the Funk sound, and provided a strong and fascinating end to the set with an upbeat tempo that left the audience with a catchy tune in their heads. This performance was able to showcase an incredible variety of style and skill within the myriad of pieces that it presented to the audience.
The Jazz Concert was hosted at the News Journal Center on Nov 13 in the Davidson Theater. For more information and dates of future performances, check http://www.daytonastate.edu/venues/njc.html.