Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bono, The ‘Emerald Isle,’ and an Otter

Review of Anchorage Festival of Music’s Discovery Jazz Series

By Cazoshay Ward - University of Alaska Anchorage

What do an otter, the “Emerald Isle” of Kodiak, and Bono all have in common? All three were inspirations for songs performed at the Anchorage Festival of Music’s Discovery Jazz series. The evening brought together Anchorage’s jazz all-stars for this performance featuring the Dan Mac Quintet, the Rick Zelinsky Quartet, and Alaska’s resident “Jazzmom,” Melissa Bledsoe Fischer and the Melissa Bledsoe Fischer Quartet.

Sunday evening the Center for the Performing Arts’ Discovery Theater swayed and swooned to the varied blend of jazz styles presented. Beginning the evening’s performances was the Dan Mac Quintet featuring Dan McElrath on the piano and keyboards, Cameron Cartland on drums and percussion, Anthony Reed on trombone, Pat Owens on trumpet, Errol Bressler on bass and featuring Rick Zelinky on saxophone. They started the set with a fun take on Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Fur Elise” entitled “Furry Bach Elise,” which was McElrath’s “jazzed up” yet still recognizable version of the classic song. The players seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves as they presented five songs that evening, one of which was inspired by the peaks of Mt. Denali entitled “To the Great One.” The notes of the saxophone seemed to rise and fall as if following the majestic summits and crevices of the mountain itself while accompanied with the backdrop of bass and percussion creating a grandiose effect.

The Rick Zelinsky Quartet was the evening’s second group to perform and included Rick Zelinsky on saxophones, Cameron Carltand on drums and percussion, Nick Petumenos on guitar, Errol Bressler on bass and featuring Dan McElrath on piano and keyboards and Pat Owens on trumpet. One of the songs they performed that evening was entitled “Trane 1967.” Zelinsky gave the audience a bit of a jazz history lesson with the explanation for the inspiration for this song, stating that John Coltrane on his saxophone and his drummer would “battle” each other while performing, each one having to play louder and louder to keep up with the other. It’s safe to say there was no battling between Zelinsky and Cartland that evening, but rather a playful back and forth solo section with the two, highlighting both instruments during the song.

Finishing up the evening was Anchorage’s own “Jazzmom,” Melissa Bledsoe Fischer and the Melissa Fischer Quartet. With over twenty-five years of performing in Alaska, Mrs. Fischer flexed her vocal and musical muscles that evening with a varied set including classics like “Love for Sale” and a jazz version of “Ode to Billie Joe.” Perhaps a more surprising selection that night was her version of the U2 song, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Mrs. Fischer effectively remade the traditional classic rock song with her smooth jazz rendition perfectly accompanied by her effectual use of the piano.

The evening was capped with all the performers coming out for a grand finale performance of the song “Be Like the Sun.” The Discovery Jazz series successfully brought together the best of Anchorage’s jazz performers to provide music fans with a varied exposure to the best that jazz in Alaska has to offer.

Discovery Jazz Series
Anchorage Festival of Music
Sunday October 24, 2010 at 7:30pm
Discovery Theatre

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