The McIntire Department of Music is celebrating a “Year of Jazz,” featuring performances throughout the semester designed to heighten awareness of the musical style at the University. Some of these performances feature big-name stars like four-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard, but some feature musicians from a bit closer to home. That is why the University’s official faculty jazz quintet — the Free Bridge Quintet — performed Feb. 21 for a crowd of students, faculty and Charlottesville community members.
Formed in 1997, the Free Bridge Quintet is comprised of Jeff Decker on tenor saxophone, John D’earth playing trumpet, Robert Jospe mastering the drum kit, Peter Spaar playing string bass and pianist Bob Hallahan. The quintet has been a staple of not only the Charlottesville jazz scene, but also the greater Central Virginia jazz scene for more than 10 years, playing at both high schools and on the Downtown Mall.
The quintet featured three additional faculty artists: guitarist Mike Rosensky, vocalist Stephanie Nakasian and trombonist Nathan Dishman. Those players performed individually as well as in various combinations with the Free Bridge Quintet.
“John [D’earth] invited me last September,” Dishman said, noting the amount of thought and preparation faculty members put into the concert. He added that a large amount of effort especially went into the arrangement of the music.
While preparing for the show, the performers had to balance their other University responsibilities. Nakasian has taught non-classical vocalists for 15 years in the music department, while Hallahan has taught jazz piano since 1988. Jospe shares his jazz drum skills with students, and Spaar leads the orchestra string bass class.
The concert, however, provided these faculty members with a break in routine. Nakasian was especially excited for the concert, particularly because she played with almost all of the performers in the past — but never at the same time.
“It was a great treat ... to play with three horns [trumpet, trombone and saxophone],” she said.
The musicians performed in a more modern jazz style, with music based on a small ensemble as opposed to a larger “big band” setting.
After finishing the program and giving an encore, the lobby was buzzing with approval.
“I loved it,” said fourth-year College student Adam Hall, who takes classes with some of the faculty. “They were all on point.”
The performance also appealed to listeners less familiar with the genre. First-year College student Chelsea Churchill said she enjoyed the concert, adding that she would enjoy another performance by the quintet should one be offered.
The next event in a “Year of Jazz,” however, will not be another performance by the quintet. The music department is looking outside the University community to renowned jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and arranger Terence Blanchard. He has received nominations for 11 Grammy awards — four of which he won — and he also received a Golden Globe nomination for best original score for the 2003 motion picture “25th Hour”.
The University will host Blanchard for a three-day residency, during which he will interact with music students in workshop settings and deliver a colloquium about Jazz in Film for graduate students and faculty. The event will culminate in a performance with the University’s jazz ensemble March 14 in Old Cabell at 8 p.m. The concert, which is open to the public, will include two tracks from Blanchard’s recent Grammy Award-winning recording “A Tale of God’s Will: In Time of Need and Ashe,” as well as selections from his “Jazz in Film” album.
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