The auditorium was empty as I searched for a seat. Granted, I arrived 30 minutes early. As I sat with about 5 other Chapel Hill locals in an auditorium of several hundred empty seats, I was not sure how long of an hour I was in for.
As I scrolled on my phone I felt a rumbling … an earthquake possibly? No, it was just the workshop participants. Within 5 minutes the auditorium was full, the rafters vibrating with the sounds of restlessness. The stage lights buzzing, shining on the polished instruments.
As the night kicked off director Stephen Anderson walked out on stage to introduce the artist for the night.Rahsaan Barber the lead performer on the saxophone. The first tune was a classy piece from Barber’s library. Previous to this workshop, I had no jazz experience, unless you include watching “Whiplash” just to hear J.K. Simmons lose his temper for 2 hours straight. I would compare this first song to the final scene of “Whiplash.” The solos were like fireworks. I heard sounds I had never heard in my life before this set.
One notable performance from the ensemble was the drummer Dan Davis. The only way to describe his performance was “cinematic.”Davis was slashing away at the drums like he was fighting a demon — at one point, a drumstick went flying out of his hand landing at the feet of Jerald Shynett on the trombone. Neither artist missed a beat, in the blink of an eye Davis had a new stick in his hand. The next second I looked down at my hands to find that I was clapping.
Jazz, poetry, and other forms of performance art are at their best when the artists are giving their all, when they show you the blood sweat, tears and experience that went into this piece. The music is nice, but as a lay person, I am here to see the artist. It is safe to say that the artist delivered in full.