Who is Shaham, you might ask? The New York Times had this to say about Shaham’s performance during a recent “Mostly Mozart” program at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall:

The Mozart, with Gil Shaham as the soloist, deserved the enthusiasm. Mr. Shaham’s playing was both sweet-toned and trim, every phrase crisply articulated and, in the first two movements, thoughtfully shaped. In the finale, which includes the Turkish dance rhythms and modal figures that earned the work its nickname, the demand is for zest rather than thoughtfulness, and Mr. Shaham gave it all the vigor it wants with no sacrifice in clarity or shape. His choice of cadenzas — he played Joseph Joachim’s — suited the subtle virtuosity of his approach to the work as a whole.

For listeners inclined toward virtuosity of a less subtle kind, Mr. Shaham played an encore that he announced only as “a Turkish dance, not by Mozart.” The piece, a sizzler loaded with decorative display — slides, whistling harmonics, bent notes and jazzy variations — turned out to be Mr. Shaham’s own arrangement (complete with a rudimentary orchestral accompaniment) of “Nihavent Longa,” a piece he heard on a recent visit to Istanbul. Now that he runs his own record label, Canary Classics, he must find a place for this on a disc, sooner rather than later.

David Sanborn
Ever since I interviewed David Sanborn last January, I’ve been itching to see his current tour with organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Gene Lake. Sanborn’s last few albums have been soulful affairs that draw inspiration from Ray Charles and the Genius’ horn players David “Fathead” Newman and Hank Crawford. These albums also reveal Sanborn’s roots in St. Louis, growing up playing jazz and R&B in dives around the city.

While the stately Theatre Maisonneuve will never pass for a juke joint, the trio did their thing effectively enough to conjure one out of thin air. Playing out of the side as if his horn was dangling a cigarette, Sanborn was honking and skronking with the best of them as he worked his way through tunes like ‘Coming Home Baby,’ ‘Brother Ray’ and ‘The Peeper.’

Lake was obviously the least known of the three and didn’t play on the album, yet Sanborn was generous enough to let the young drummer (whose father is Oliver Lake of the World Saxophone Quartet) take a full on solo early in the set.

Not surprising, Joey D got plenty of solo time during the set and even did a passable job at singing the R&B classic ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ as the crowd clapped along in unison. His solos throughout, on both B3 and electric piano, had an earthiness to them that is so crucial for this kind of music. All in all, a great set. Let’s hope that these guys continue to work together on and off in the future.

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/2491256,CST-FTR-grant13.article

Pine’s audacious acceptance show

REVIEW | A versatile Illinois honoree

July 13, 2010
BY BRYANT MANNING

Chicago-based classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine cites hearing rocker Axl Rose as a pivotal moment in her early musical development, making her one of those rare fiddlers who relishes both Mendelssohn and Motorhead. In a versatile career that stretches back to her childhood, Pine has fully embraced and experimented with these acoustic and electric sound worlds, and she’s a more interesting musician because of it.

There wasn’t a better chance to hear this celebrated violinist straddle classical and rock than in a headbanger’s potpourri Sunday at Millennium Park, as part of the Great Performers of Illinois Festival. Pine, 35, played everything from Handel to Tchaikovsky to various mosh pit anthems; this was the first time in one concert she would be playing her unaltered 18th century violin, her 1742 modernized Guarneri instrument and her custom-made Flying V, extended-range electric violin.

Such sonic audacity came from a good place, since Pine was accepting just the third ever Great Performer of Illinois Award, given previously to blues legend Buddy Guy and Styx singer Dennis DeYoung. For three hours, Pine played at a very high level even when endless rain drew down what would have otherwise been some amazing attendance numbers.

Fun and viscerally charged as her closing “doom-thrash” set was, it was her work with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and conductor Karen Lynne Deal that really shook the pavilion.

In Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Pine drew out a massive, gleaming sound and burned through the music’s difficulties without a flinch. Her alluring purple gown seemed to reflect every measure of this glamorous Romantic era staple. (She wore brown for her Baroque set, black for her metal songs.) Wisely, Pine dedicated the performance to virtuoso Maud Powell (1867-1920) from Downstate Peru, who gave the U.S. premiere of this work in 1889.

Here was also the chance to show off her philanthropy, and Pine brought out three young grant recipients from her own foundation: Gallia Kastner, Ade Williams and Alicia Mose. Together the four performed a muscular version of Vivaldi’s “L’Estro Armonico”: Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor.

The minor-key Vivaldi was a fine primer to the gloomy set featuring Pine’s band Earthen Grave, and ardent fans pushed toward the front of the Pritzker Pavilion stage, flashing their devil’s horns. Under the guiding voice of Mark Weiner, Pine demonstrated how naturally her souped-up violin can integrate with the grinding and assaulting screams of the guitars.

Whatever this music’s limitations — isn’t it cliche for a death-metal band to quote Chopin’s funeral march? — it certainly provides an intriguing canvas of raw expressive depth.

The first third of Pine’s showcase featured Baroque sonatas by Corelli, Handel and Veracini, with harpsichordist David Schrader and cellist John Mark Rozendaal making up the superb period instrument ensemble Trio Settecento.

Bryant Manning is a locally based free-lance writer.

The incredible lineup of performers includes classical music artists including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir; jazz performers Ramsey Lewis, Charlie Haden and Four Freshmen with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra; and contemporary artists including Blues Traveler, Boyz II Men, Eddie Money and the Ides of March.

In two amazing back-to-back nights, violinist Rachel Barton Pine will perform an evening of classical music in Wentz Concert Hall, followed by a performance with her thrash metal band Earthen Grave in Pfeiffer Hall.

Plus, there’s a full schedule of family-friendly events including productions of “Charlotte’s Web” and “Ferdinand the Bull.” Not to mention a complete season of professional and student theatrical productions, College music ensembles, free art exhibits and much more.

Tickets for individual shows are available by calling the box office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or online at northcentralcollege.edu/showtix, beginning June 14. Reserve your seats today!

Look for tickets for individual shows to go on sale in early June, when the full 2010-2011 season is officially announced.

Corea and Burton are each multiple Grammy Award-winning artists who first collaborated on the 1972 album “Crystal Silence,” which National Public Radio calls “one of the seminal recordings of that decade.” Jazz Times says, “There’s a kind of logic and magic that happens when Chick Corea and Gary Burton duo,” and Musicmatch says “Corea is at his most lyrical when Gary Burton joins him.”

Tickets are $75 and $70; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48387.xml.

Corea established a reputation during the 1970s as one of the foremost jazz fusion performers and recording artists. He participated in the birth of the electric fusion movement as a member of Miles Davis’ band in the 1960s. He formed the group Return to Forever with bassist Stanley Clarke in the 1970s. His popular compositions include “Spain,” and he has collaborated with such legends as Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Stan Getz, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin. Visit www.chickcorea.com to learn more.

A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated. He is also known for pioneering fusion jazz and popularizing the duet format in jazz, as well as being a major figure in jazz education. Visit www.garyburton.com to learn more.

The pair marked the 35th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1972 release by reuniting in 2007 to record “The New Crystal Silence,” which was nominated for three Grammy Awards and was followed by a reunion tour. All told, Corea has been nominated for 51 Grammy Awards and has won 15.

Founded in 1985 in Alabama and now based in Nashville, Take 6’s popular numbers include “Seven Steps to Heaven,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Back to You,” “Do You Know What It Means” and their cover of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”

With its roots in gospel, doo-wop, and the sophisticated jazz-influenced singing groups of mid-century America (such as the Hi-Los), Take 6 is both a throwback to an earlier, more genteel era of American music and a precursor for a number of black male pop groups of the 1990s, most notably Boyz II Men.

“The vocal blend is characteristically sharp and seamless,” The New York Times said of the group’s 2008 release, “The Standard,” which featured such guest musicians as trumpeter Roy Hargrove and jazz singers Al Jarreau and Jon Hendricks.

Tickets are $40 and $30; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48369.xml. Visit www.myspace.com/take6 for more information about the group.

Since its founding in 1970 in Toronto, Canadian Brass has recorded more than 80 albums and sold out venues around the world. The musicians have a special affinity for Baroque music and have recorded works by Purcell, Vivaldi, Gabrieli, Pachelbel, Beethoven, Wagner and especially Bach.

Canadian Brass

The Washington Post says, “These are the men who put brass music on the map. With their unbeatable blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humor, they brighten the rosters of concert halls, international festivals and orchestra series throughout the world.”

Canadian Brass made its American debut at Washington’s Kennedy Center in 1975, and in 1977 was the first group of western musicians allowed to perform in China after the Cultural Revolution. In 1979 Canadian Brass become the first chamber ensemble to solo the main stage at Carnegie Hall.

Thanks to its pioneer status, the quintet developed a unique character and rapport with audiences that proved so successful that it has been emulated by many other ensembles. Canadian Brass masters the gamut of concert presentations—from formal classical concerts to music served up with lively dialogue and theatrical effects. No matter what the style, the music is central and performed with utmost dedication and excellence.

The “fabulous five” spend most of their time on tour and have performed with many major symphony orchestras in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. They have gained a large international following of their solo performances that offer a large variety of musical styles.

Millions of television viewers have seen the Canadian Brass on such shows as “The Tonight Show,” “Today” and “Entertainment Tonight.” They have appeared as guest artists on “Evening at Pops with John Williams and the Boston Pops,” “Beverly Sills’ Music Around the World” and numerous PBS specials.

Members of the Canadian Brass are keenly interested in training the next generation of players. On their travels around the world, they often pause for master classes. The famous five are chamber quintet-in-residence at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif. Additionally, they have created an innovative brass summer course at the famous Eastman School of Music. They have been invited by the Canadian government to play for visiting heads of states on numerous official occasions.

Members of Canadian Brass are founders Chuck Daellenback, tuba, and Gene Watts, trombone; and Jeff Nelsen, horn; Brandon Ridenour, trumpet; and Chris Coletti, trumpet.

Canadian Brass performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Tickets are $50 and $40; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48360.xml.

For more information about the ensemble, visit www.canbrass.com.

Tickets are on sale now for a presentation by Princeton professor Cornel West, a powerful performance by Chicago Sinfonietta and a musical Gospel Extravaganza. This year’s program marks the 50th anniversary of King’s visit to North Central’s Naperville campus.

North Central College President Arlo Schilling greets Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights leader's visit to the Naperville campus in 1960.

West will speak from the same stage and lectern as the great civil rights leader did in 1960. One of America’s most provocative public intellectuals, West has been a champion for racial justice since childhood. West speaks on King’s birthday at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, in North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., and seating is general admission. Tickets are just $10.

The College’s celebration of civil rights continues the next evening with a powerful music presentation. The Chicago Sinfonietta’s performance of “The Dream Lives On: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center.

The Chicago Sinfonietta led by conductor Paul Freeman marks the life and work of King with a musical celebration presented by the nation’s most diverse symphony orchestra. The performance concludes with audience participation in a moving rendition of the spiritual “We Shall Overcome.” Tickets are $50 and $40/adults, $10/students.

Martin Luther King Week culminates with the 22nd annual Gospel Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, in Pfeiffer Hall. Tickets are $15/adults, $8/students and senior citizens. In addition to North Central’s own Voices of Praise gospel choir, groups performing include the 50-member Wheaton College Gospel Choir, Lisle-based DuPage African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Voices of Praise Gospel Choir and the 80-member Dexter Walker and Zion Movement Chorale.

North Central College’s Martin Luther King Week, Jan. 15-23, is an annual celebration of the College’s history of building bridges among cultures. To reserve tickets, call the box office at 630-637-SHOW (7469).