While the weather may have been gloomy on Saturday, Schoenberg Hall radiated its own heat inside with the hottest jazz of today, courtesy of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition.
Ten trumpeters took the stage, each musician playing three songs backed by a pianist, bassist and drummer ““ stellar musicians in their own right. The songs chosen by the musicians were all varied and skillfully played, but the real entertainment came in seeing what they would do with their improvised trumpet solos.
While the auditorium was far from full, those present participated actively, shouting out approval and whistling after particularly thrilling and surprising solos.
It was obvious by looking at the audience that there is no such thing as an “average” jazz lover. College students, families, formal-looking businessmen and eccentric artsy types filled the auditorium, right alongside the judging panel that was seated in the middle of the audience.
The grand magnitude of the competition could be reflected through the status of the judges themselves, which included heavy-hitting jazz legends Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Hugh Masekela and Clark Terry. The sophisticated but relaxed mood felt almost like a classy jazz lounge in Greenwich Village except for the lack of cigarette smoke, of course, and with the addition of plastic plants flanking the stage.
Stereotypes of a turtleneck-wearing, black coffee-sipping beatnik daddio were shattered as the semifinalists’ places of origin included Haiti, Australia, Russia and Wisconsin.
The 10 semifinalists were weeded down to three finalists, who now move onto their final stage of competition Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in a tribute to Herbie Hancock.
The audience favorite by far was Ambrose Akinmusire of Oakland, who wowed spectators with passionate, surprising bursts of sound. Some of the notes seemed off-the-charts and well-deserving of the raucous reception from the crowd, especially during his second piece, when Akinmusire swept the backing band into a booming crescendo, armed only with his trumpet and dynamic presence.
For being part of the same competition, the differences in playing style among the musicians were striking. Nadje Noordhuis from Australia, the only female semifinalist, played with a sound that was reminiscent of Eastern European gypsy music ““ much smoother and slower than the erratic stylings of Russian Vitaly Golovnev.
Competitor Charles Porter, who studied with the decidedly conservative Wynton Marsalis, showed off his formal skill but lacked the spontaneity and creativity that was so prevalent in Akinmusire’s performance.
““ Devon McReynolds
E-mail McReynolds at dmcreynolds@media.ucla.edu.