Tonight, I heard one of the most influential rising trumpet players in North Carolina: Al Strong.
The Music of Al Strong was a performance for the University of North Carolina Jazz Workshop, and it was performed at Moeser Auditorium.
Al Strong hails from Washington D.C and started his playing career at the Duke Ellington School of Music, where he hasn’t looked back. After College, Al has made a career pushing the boundaries of music through his unique performances, thrilling compositions and education in the community.
Al Strong played 6 original compositions with a band composed of well-renowned players including:
- Rahsaan Barber, Saxophones
- Stephen Anderson, Piano
- Jason Foureman, Bass
- Roland Barber, Trombone
- Kobie Watkins, Drums
They began the program with Lullaby for the Ancestors, a lyrical ballad that shows off the unique sound of Strong. His improvisations express technical virtuosity and a repertoire of tone colors.
Throughout the piece, Strong is able to make the trumpet sing to the audience in a way that make you connect with the piece at an individual level. His tone is rich and full, and he shows the ability to maintain this quality at vastly different volumes.
Throughout the program, all of the performers are able to express their individual skill and style.
Roland Barber’s sound is gritty and aggressive; and he used many different techniques to produce growls and glissandos.
Jason Foureman frequently took solos where he moved up and down the full neck of the bass in the blink of an eye.
But perhaps the most important driver of the ensemble was Kobie Watkins.
Kobie is a Chicago area native who has recorded and performed with numerous well-known musicians. As the drummer, Kobie keeps the band in time and playing together.
But he keeps the band together in other ways too.
For a slow tempo, Kobie sauntered over the kit, his sticks methodically shifting from one drum to the next. When the band improvised over up-tempo swing, his sticks would dash around the set; Kobie nodding and smiling all the way.
Toward the end of the program, Al Strong used call and response to engage the crowd; asking people to clap along to the rhythm as the band continued to swagger on through the music. This spoke to the character of Al Strong: a performer for a community.
More than the incredible compositions, this performance was breathtaking because of the individuals personalities that shown through their performance, while also maintaining a cohesive whole with masterful execution.
Al Strong is one of the most inspiring trumpeters right now, and along with other inspiring musicians, he delivered a performance that demonstrated passion, agony and exuberance for all to enjoy.
Reviewed by Henry Swift