The Daily Campus

Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Jamie Dee Fish Earl MacDonald (left) and Kenny Davis played music by Charlie Parker at von der Mehden auditorium on Tuesday.

For many students, the name Charlie Parker may not even ring a bell. But Tuesday night, the jazz musician's most famous works were brought to life by two members of the UConn faculty. "Bird Songs: The Music of Charlie Parker" featured some of Parker's signature music that's often been relegated to cinematic scores or cartoons in the modern age.The recital featured Professor of Jazz Studies Earl MacDonald on piano, along with Music Professor Kenny Davis on string bass. MacDonald described the evening as "just a couple of friends getting together and doing what we do."

After the introductory instrument adjustments and finger snaps, the concert began. Breaking from the audience's assumptions, the sounds became luminous and vibrant blue notes. The stage was dimmed to café lighting, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

"I wasn't expecting something this good," said Chris Warner, a 1st-semester, pre-law major. "In high school my girlfriend played piano with a bassist, then the bassist had a steady base line. It was all focused on the piano. Here it was dually focused. Usually it's very formal, this was not."

MacDonald played in a harmonized partnership with friend Davis, who played the string bass with a well-trained hand. Davis was the bassist for "The Late Show with David Letterman" from 1999 until 2002, and his experience showed.

Absent were the gimmicky lyrics and pulsing beats of contemporary song. Rather, the concert took listeners back to the 1950s when the tunes they heard were on Top 40 radio.

Clapping came in sporadic bursts as the duo swayed into songs with titles like "Billie's Bounce," "Scrapple From The Apple" and "Moose the Mooche." The audience had some trouble catching on to the end of one song and the beginning of another. The selected repertoire dated back to as early as 1920, and included songs from as recently as 1955. The most contemporary song, "Red Cross Yardbird Suite" had a faster tempo than all the previous songs.

At the end, the audience rewarded the performance with warm applause and standing ovations.

"I was surprised," said Jason Gordon, a 1st-semester undecided major. "I've seen a few jazz concerts but this was my first college jazz show. It was nice."

Keelan Freitag, a 1st-semester music major, agreed.

"That bass player was surprisingly good," said Freitag. "No wonder he played for Letterman!"



Contact Madeline Ward at

Madeline.Ward@UConn.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools