Trad Jazz returns
On Monday, Sept. 20, the UNH Traditional Jazz Series will begin its 32nd season with a milestone event—the series’ 200th concert. Returning to the Johnson Theatre stage in Durham to headline the event is renowned clarinetist, saxophonist and Sidney Bechet scholar Bob Wilber, who will lead a select big band of area musicians in a performance of music from legendary swing-era composer/arranger Fletcher Henderson.

The band, organized by series coordinator and UNH jazz studies Professor David Seiler, who dubbed it the “Tuxedo Band,” will feature local performers Charlie Jennison and Marc LaForce on saxophones, John Hunter on bass, Ken Clark on drums, Chris Olberholzer on trombone and George Stevens on trumpet, among others. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the theater within the Paul Creative Arts Center.

Wilber, who has made numerous appearances in the area over the past 25 years, is the logical headliner for this particular event, according to Seiler. “Bob’s commitment to preserving early jazz, his connection to Bechet and his long-time interest in our program made him an obvious choice to be the feature on the 200th concert,” Seiler said.

Wilber’s devotion to early jazz has resulted in scores of projects focusing on the music of Bechet, the legendary soprano saxophonist and clarinetist who early in his career was a member of Duke Ellington’s first band. Wilbur has also done projects with Fletcher Henderson, who wrote many of the arrangements performed on Benny Goodman’s legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert, and a host of other early jazz artists. Wilber’s advocacy for early jazz has been recognized by many musicians, most notably Wynton Marsalis, who has used Wilber on numerous Jazz at Lincoln Center projects.

Wilber has donated his personal archive of letters, books and other materials to the Milne Special Collections Archives at UNH, which also houses the New Hampshire Library of Traditional Jazz. Special Collections librarian Bill Ross and University Museum curator Dale Valena have created an exhibit from Wilber’s archive for a special showing in the museum titled “Bob Wilber—Life of a Jazz Musician.” The museum and the Special Collections unit are both located on Level 1 of Dimond Library at UNH.

Other concerts in the 2010-2011 Traditional Jazz Series include the duo of pianist Dick Hyman and vibraphonist Peter Appleyard on Oct. 18; Boston-based vocalist Dominique Eade with special guest saxophonist Billy Pierce on Nov. 15; the New Black Eagles Jazz Band on Jan. 31; the Inventions Trio with Bill Mays on piano, Marvin Stamm on trumpet and Alisa Horn on cello on Feb. 28; and clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen on April 4. For more information, contact David Seiler at 603-659-2010 or the UNH Music Department at 603-862-2404. Tickets are $8, available from the UNH Ticket Office at 603-862-2290. For a complete schedule of UNH Music Department events, visit www.unh.edu/music.

Accurate releases
Cambridge, Mass.-based jazz label Accurate Records recently unveiled a number of new releases. Accurate Records specializes in jazz recordings that, shall we say, fall definitively on the adventurous side of the jazz canon. So, what you get is jazz infused with a variety of other styles, including funk, classical, world, Latin and so on. You could say that it’s somewhat of an “everything including the kitchen sink” approach, and, as one might expect, it yields mixed results. I’ve selected just a few of these CDs to highlight.

“Wallflower in the Amazon” from composer Darrell Katz is an interesting large-ensemble recording that explores a variety of musical colors and textures that blend jazz with blues, rock and some classical touches, as well. Working with the Jazz Composer’s Alliance Orchestra of Boston, Katz has created pieces that certainly blend the elements mentioned above. At times, it works, notably on arrangements of Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man” and Big Maceo’s “Tuff Luck Blues,” both of which retain their blues essence while taking the music in new directions. Other times, I found myself losing interest in the orchestration of the material, such as the title cut and “For Our Sins,” in which the composition tended to overwhelm the solos. It’s certainly not your father’s Count Basie, but it’s worth checking out, especially for the superb vocal work of Rebecca Shrimpton and the wealth of excellent soloists, including saxophonists Allan Chase and Jim Hobbs, vibraphonist Natalie Dietrich and trumpeter Mike Peipman.
“Unduality” is a similarly interesting recording from pianist Greg Burk and percussionist Vicente LeBron. The central theme of the disc is the re-imagining of J.S. Bach’s famous “First Invention” for keyboard, by blending the theme with contemporary harmonies, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and other sonic sources. Of the 23 cuts, most are solo selections by both artists.

There are a few tracks where they collaborate and interact together, which I found disappointing. LeBron’s solo percussion spots are consistently interesting and rewarding, but I was less taken with Burk’s solos, which come off as somewhat short and devoid of genuine emotion. A couple show promise, such as “Bach at You” and “Bach in the USSR,” which have nice sonic textures. But I found the whole thing uneven, which is especially frustrating because Burk is an exceptional and highly creative musician.

Lastly, we have the Either Orchestra with their latest, “Mood Music for Time Travellers,” a typically excellent collection from this stellar 10-piece ensemble. Blending jazz with elements of Afro-beat, Latin and funk, the EO takes listeners on a sonic musical journey replete with terrific writing and solo work from all members of the band. The Either Orchestra is a state-of-the-art example of excellent medium-sized ensemble jazz, a distinction they’ve held for more than 25 years. This one is well worth the investment.