The Royce Hall stage has seen some of the biggest names in theater, dance and music. UCLA continues to exercise its pull as a cultural and academic center as UCLA Live welcomes the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Performing with music director and prominent trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the group consists of 15 musicians who all share an equal passion for the art of jazz and all possess a great amount of experience and talent in the genre. Together they have crossed the nation, touring with an original performance, whose program includes pieces that vary from some of Duke Ellington’s finest work to pieces from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
The group included remakes of classics such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” alongside pieces from some of the most respected names in jazz, including Thelonious Monk, in an effort to attract a wider array of audiences while also putting a refreshing new spin on some familiar tunes ““ a strategy that has proven successful.
“It has been great. We have played all over the country, and people laugh when they hear we are going to do “˜Itsy Bitsy Spider.’ Then when we start playing, they really get into it,” Saxophonist Sherman Irby said. “We aim the concert toward everybody, not toward a specific age group or music lover. We want to hit everybody. That’s always our plan.”
Irby and the rest of the orchestra keep true to this philosophy, attracting audiences of all sorts.
“I will look in the front row, and there may be a family with their young daughter. Behind them, there may be a couple in their 90s, and next to them, a couple on their first date,” Irby said. “That’s our goal.”
Orchestra members insist the show is as rewarding for them as it is for the audience. As is the case with many performing arts, the group feeds off the energy in the concert hall, and like much of jazz, they improvise accordingly.
“The music is for (the audience) as much as it is for us,” Irby said. “We love playing, but we love the smiles on their faces just as much.”
Vincent Gardner has played the trombone in the orchestra for the past nine years.
“The direction that Wynton has put forth, it comes from him being from New Orleans. When they are playing out on the street there, they are encouraged to add their own signature to the music,” Gardner said. “You are playing stuff people recognize, while adding your own piece. This is a very original group in that, not only are we adding basic elements, but we go as far as adding harmonies; we have a lot of freedom because of the musical talent everyone has.”
Irby’s passion for the art is apparent in his discussion of his lifelong relationship with music.
“Every morning I would sit with my dad and watch the “˜Country Boy Eddie Show,'” Irby said. “They would play country songs with guitars, violins ““ it was always interesting, and that was my initial exposure to instrumental music,” he said.
“My daughter is 19 months old, and she has been to our concerts many times. They are the next generation, and this is something they need to hear. She can make every decision on her own, from concerts to movies to baseball. This may be what Daddy does, but she has her own path to follow.”
The familiar element extends beyond the personal relationships of each individual performer. Most have been part of the group for years, and as a result, an orchestral bond has been formed that shows both in the professional and personal lives of the members.
“Wynton is the godfather of my son. He has known me since I was 15, and I started playing with him when I was 17,” said Carlos Henriquez, who has been playing the double bass for the orchestra for eight years.
The relatively small group has been able to master sounds often produced by much larger bands. In addition to their talent, the group’s history has established an understood respect and admiration among members, one that is demonstrated in their work.
“When you have a bunch of guys in a band that all have the same vision and appreciation for music, it makes everything so easy ““ we all have the same goal,” Henriquez said.
Individual musical tastes also have a profound impact on what each member of the orchestra contributes. Some are able to consider various genres, while staying true to the essence of jazz.
“Currently I listen to a lot of classical, but there are times that I am listening to a lot of Stevie Wonder, of Earth, Wind and Fire,” Irby said. “My taste will vary from time to time ““ you don’t drink the same wine all the time ““ but what I love to play is jazz. That is where I can really express myself.”
Irby’s formal education in music (he received his bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University), as well as his extensive background, having played with legends including the likes of Elvin Jones, represents a standard of talent to which all members may be held. This musically powerful group of 15 offers a show different from most within the genre.
“What you are going to hear is something that you are not going to hear every day. If you have an idea of what a big band sounds like, you are going to hear something a little different. We could redefine the sound of it just by being who we are,” Gardner said. “It’s going to sound great.”
Irby said he agrees.
“Those who have not listened to jazz, if they were to just show up and listen, they would find an appreciation,” Irby said. “I have seen it happen in so many colleges, at so many shows. Someone will come up to me and tell me this was their first jazz concert, and now they will never stop coming after hearing the excitement in what we do. I encourage everyone to come, and after the show, come up to the stage and say hello, I want to shake your hand.”