The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop hosted a jazz quintet performance on June 21st, 2021 at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Ch)’s Moeser Auditorium from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
The Performers
- Rahsaan Barber (Saxophone), an Assistant Professor in the UNC-Ch’s Department of Music
- Jerald Shynette (Trombone), an Assistant Professor at UNC Wilmington’s Department of Music
- Dan Davis (Drums), a Lecturer in UNC-Ch’s Department of Music
- Stephen Anderson (Piano), the Director of Jazz Studies at UNC-Ch and Director of the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop
- Jason Foureman (Bass), a Lecturer at UNC-Ch’s Department of Music
The Stage
The stage was set up with a drum set on the right, an upright base in the middle and a piano on the left.
Above the stage hung a large projector. Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions put in place by the UNC-CH Department of Music, both brass instrumentalists, Barber and Shynette, performed from remote locations and were able to be seen and heard via the projector.
The Performance
Viewers of the performance attended in person or watched a live stream on Youtube. The quintet played 6 pieces:
- There was an audio issue through the Youtube stream (0:00-19:07) so I was not able to hear neither the first song’s title nor its full performance.
- Dan Davis’s “Leap of Faith”. Davis said that the song is connected to Davis’s experience of having his first child. There was a back and forth between the saxophone and trombones as if they were participating in a conversation. It was a pleasant melody with smooth transitions between parts.
- Tony Williams’s “Pee Wee” was very striking, loud and gripping as drummer hit the symbols and kit very hard.
- “Swing that Thing” was a faster pace song which made you want to dance and reflected Swing era music.
- “The Mountain and the Sky” was a slower pace which relaxed you.
- “Just In Time”
Despite the COVID-19 safety precautions (e.g. separate rooms for the brass instrumentalists and the pianist, drummer and bassist wearing masks) as well as the technical issues with audio cutting out, the performers gave their heart and soul to each piece. Barber rode notes up to musical heights I did not know were possible for a saxophonist to reach. This was especially evident when soloing during “Swing that Thing”. The rhythm section (i.e. piano, bass and drums), similar to what is seen in Swing Jazz tradition, supported the sax and trombone during their solos and improvisations. Overall, all five musicians demonstrated technical expertise for their instruments, passion for performing and energy through foot tapping, leg slapping, head nodding, shoulder shrugging and synchronizing together.