JAZZ SONATA A PLEASING COLLABORATION

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 16, 1993                   TAG: 9301160026
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium
JAZZ SONATA A PLEASING COLLABORATION
The Jazz Residency collaboration between Virginia Tech and the Roanoke Symphony bore some beautiful fruit Thursday night in Tech's Squires Recital Salon.
The Audubon Quartet and violinist Joe Kennedy, Jr. premiered the "Sonata for Jazz Violin and String Quartet" of composer-in-residence David Baker.
The Audubons and Kennedy both sounded great in the accessible, four-movement fusion of European and African traditions. Three violins in a quintet situation make the mix somewhat top-heavy on fiddles, but the music was by turns exciting, lyrical, bluesy and just plain lovely.
The second half of the concert featured Baker compositions performed by RSO Music Director Victoria Bond on piano; Baker's wife, Lida, on flutes; Bill Ray on drums; Ephriam Wolfolk on bass; and Baker himself on cello.
Baker wrote his sonata especially for the Audubons and Joe Kennedy Jr. There was little evidence of an actual sonata-form blueprint for the piece, but the four movements made for a pleasing and shapely sequence.
After a dramatic opening riff the first movement proper began with a bluesy Gershwinesque melody from first violinist David Erlich which gave way to a lyrical passage for violist Doris Lederer. After a tutti section for quartet, the jazz violin entered with a nostalgic solo which, in its long lines and gracefulness, recalled the finest work of Duke Ellington.
The second movement began as a kind of jazz romanza which eventually metamorphosed into a blues. Baker wrote an especially gorgeous melody for first violin in this section.
The third movement began with a perky cello melody which Tom Shaw picked out with pizzicati and strummed arpeggios and which quickly turned into a happy calypso. This movement was a gas and was clearly fun for the players.
The final movement began with nervous, angular figures for the quartet which subsided into a lovely and melancholy passage for jazz violin. Kennedy's warm unamplified tone was heard to beautiful effect here.
In fact all the players sounded great in the Squires Recital Salon, which is one of the finest acoustic spaces in the state and which has literally no bad seats. The "Sonata for Jazz Violin and String Quartet" got an enthusiastic reception from the standing-room-only crowd.
Five Baker compositions for small combo were heard in the second half, which was highlighted by the playing of Lida Baker on standard flute and alto flute.
Bond showed off her jazz chops and enters the company of other American conductors such as Andre Previn and Leonard Bernstein who have played jazz piano. Bond has been studying jazz intensely for the past two years and her dedication showed in her ability to keep up with players of this class. While Dave Brubeck and Chick Corea don't have anything to worry about just yet, she is developing into a respectable jazz player.
David Baker is one of the few jazz cellists playing today, and he has a facile and bluesy style. His intonation, however, even for jazz playing, was a little sloppy and imprecise.
The second-half set included a Latin-flavored tribute to just-deceased jazz trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie.

Seth Williamson produces feature news stories and a classical music program on public radio station WVTF (899.1 FM) in Roanoke.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB