Jazz Big Band’s first of two concerts for the fall semester was held on Nov. 3 PHOTO CREDIT: Eddie Melfi | Staff Photographer
The University of Rhode Island’s music department held a concert titled “Jazz Big Band I,” dedicated to the late jazz composer Chick Corea, on Nov. 3. featuring URI’s very own jazz ensemble.
Corea is widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in jazz music and was especially known for his innovative contributions to jazz fusion, which earned him 27 Grammys and numerous nominations. His compositional works blended jazz with other progressive genres such as rock, funk and R&B.
Emmett Goods, assistant professor of music and teacher in jazz trombone, gave opening remarks as the ensemble walked on stage.
“Tonight is a special occasion as we’re here to celebrate the legacy of one of the great jazz pianists of all time, one of New England’s own, Mr. Chick Corea,” Goods said at the start of the convocation. “One of the rough parts of the [COVID-19] pandemic is that we were losing people, and we didn’t necessarily get a chance to celebrate them as immediately and in the ways, as we normally would… this is our opportunity here at URI to celebrate.”
Goods continued with a brief biography of Corea’s life, detailing his start as a prodigy to his smashing musical success in New York City.
The concert commenced with “How High the Moon” by Nancy Hamilton and Morgan Lewis. Afterward, the ensemble performed a breadth of Corea’s discography, many of which are considered key pieces in a performer’s repertoire.
The concert featured “Armando’s Rhumba,” a Latin-influenced piece from his 1976 album, “My Spanish Heart”; “North Africa,” from his 1973 album “Light As a Feather”; “Windows,” a waltz he released in 1966; “Captain Marvel,” also from “Light As a Feather;” as well as “Tones For Joan’s Bones” from his debut solo album of the same name.
Later in the evening, Goods introduced URI’s new vocal studies tracks, amplified voice and jazz voice, which will be under the direction of assistant teaching professor Atla DeChamplain. These new programs offer students a chance to explore new styles of singing. The concert also featured the debut of URI’s new jazz vocal ensemble, In The Pocket, also led by DeChamplain.
“I just want to say how proud I am of these students, they’ve worked so hard,” DeChamplain said at the end of the event. “Some of these students have never sung jazz before. I didn’t think we’d start off with Chick Corea this semester, but here we are, some of the hardest music there is, but they handled it with so much enthusiasm.”
The concert concluded with In The Pocket performing blues music from jazz pianists Count Basie and Horace Silver. To lively applause, the performers give a final bow.
Mason Tucker, a second-year URI student who played piano for the ensemble, had a few enthusiastic words to say after the concert.
“Performing Chick Corea was very exciting. Corea’s style is very unique,” Tucker said. “It took 3 months to prepare for it, and it was really hard but still fun as a pianist.”
The Music Department will hold another jazz concert on Dec. 10. Billed as a holiday event, the concert will have pianist Alton Merrell, assistant professor of piano at West Virginia University School of Music, as a guest. Goods described the event as a “soulful holiday celebration.”