The Daily Campus

Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Matt Lin The Creole Jazz Serenaders brought Mardi Gras to Jorgensen early last Friday night with their unique style utilizing an array of instruments including bass, clarinet and alto saxophone.

Break out the gaudy costumes and party streamers because the Creole Jazz Serenaders brought Mardi Gras early to the Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts last Friday night. Led by Don Vappie, who was dubbed "the Jimi Hendrix of the banjo" by Dave Walker of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Serenaders used their authentic New Orleans sound to revitalize the jazz that was the life of the Mississippi River delta region in the 1920s and 30s.

It was not very far into the performance before the audience understood why all the acclaim was given to the band and the music as the Serenaders opened with two tunes from the great Joe "King" Oliver.

In addition to Vappie on banjo and sometimes guitar, the Serenaders had a rhythm section of percussion, stand up bass and grand piano as well as a wind section consisting of four musicians who played clarinet, alto and soprano saxophone, cornet and trumpet. Both of these two sections had plenty of opportunity to show off their top notch musicianship with an impressive soprano saxophone solo on the French song "Madame Becassine" and an ear piercing trumpet battle on the classic "Dinah" that came crashing down into a thunderous drum solo.

The performance was also a chance for Vappie to go behind the music and give his personal account on growing up in New Orleans and how the former French colony mixed with Spanish Caribbean influences to create the Creole people and sound. Vappie's passion for the music was clearly seen while playing "Buddy Bolden Blues" by Jelly Roll Morton with just the piano as accompaniment. His delivery of the song's down-to-earth poetic lyrics was followed by some amazing blues banjo playing that before was never even thought to be possible. The extended applause by the audience showed their notice of Vappie's skill.

"I was feelin' the blues," said Ali Telmesani, a 4th semester political science major, "I was feelin' the Bourbon Street beat."

The Creole Jazz Serenaders became more addictive with each song as seen by the audience who gave a mediocre effort in singing "Down By The Riverside"during the show's first half. Later on, they roared and sang along, even in French.

Asya Soboleveskaya, a Russian native who is currently applying to UConn , said, "I thought it was great. There are not too many jazz groups in Russia and the atmosphere of tonight is hard to find." Pavel Zhlobich, a mathematics major, who is also from Russia, was in agreement.

"I also thought they were great. I found that the banjo sounds a lot like a balalaika."

By the end of the performance Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders proved that great music is not stuck to an era but can transcend time.



Contact Eric Nigosanti at Eric.Nigosanti@UConn.edu.

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