Holiday concert: BWJO

Where

Indiana Historical Society Auditorium
315 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN

0 Comments

email Email to a friend

Printer-friendly

Add to myNUVO

Digg this

Recent stories by
Chuck Workman
Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Holiday Showcase
Nov 19, 2008
Jazz Notes 10/22/08
Oct 21, 2008
Jazz Notes 09/24/08
Sep 24, 2008
Web only: Jazz happenings week of 9/24/08
Sep 23, 2008
Jazz notes 9/17/08
Sep 16, 2008

Recommended stories

Jazz Notes
Jazz Notes 5/2/07
by Chuck Workman
May 2, 2007

Jazz Notes
Jazz Notes 8/22/07
by Chuck Workman
Aug 22, 2007

Arts
In the eyes
by Julie Pratt McQuiston
Sep 11, 2002

Holiday concert: BWJO
by Chuck Workman Dec 3, 2003

There are no sounds of the holiday season that are as distinctive as the Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra’s two-day Holiday Concert offerings, Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7 at the Indiana Historical Society. Featured will be Duke Ellington’s brilliant jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.

Larry Calland & Conga Jazz will perform at the Circle City Bar & Grille on Friday, Dec. 5.

BWJO’s artistic director Brent Wallarab took on the challenge of this rare performance. “It’s always kind of a challenge to know how to perform Ellington. Ellington always hand-selected all of his musicians, such as Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, Russell Procope and Jimmy Hamilton. It was more than just a five-horn saxophone section.” In the case of the BWJO, Wallarab feels strongly that he has the caliber to handle this amazing re-interpretation of the Nutcracker Suite. Popular tunes of the holiday season are also on the program that will feature guest Emmy Award-winning vocalist Everett Greene. According to Wallarab, Greene has almost taken on a permanent status with the BWJO. “We are starting to get a nice library of holiday tunes. I would like to do a holiday CD and have it centered around Everett Greene. I would like to do our own versions of some classic holiday tunes and I can’t get enough of Everett Greene’s interpretation of the words.” Greene will be singing arrangements for “The Christmas Song,” “Let It Snow,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Silent Night” and others. Performances each day include a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening concert. An evening pre-concert talk about the music by the BWJO co-founders, Brent Wallarab and Mark Buselli, is at 6:15 p.m. both days. Tickets can be purchased by calling the BWJO’s ticket line at (317) 464-5388.

Holiday jazz CDs

Harry Connick Jr. has a second holiday outing entitled Harry For Holidays (Columbia Records). It’s a big band setting that features four new originals; “The Happy Elf” is one of the better efforts along with new versions of holiday classics. Singer Chris Bennett has a clever, straight-ahead outing on the Rhombus label, When I Think of Christmas. The CD has eight new holiday tunes with Bennett contributing four. Outstanding is the swinging version of the traditional “Do You Hear What I Hear,” where they take the Cannoball Adderly jazz tune “Dis Here” and use its rhythm signature. Bennett, who has a buttery-sounding voice, struts her stuff from full string orchestra to solo piano support in a strong showing. A serious hard-swinging seasonal romp is turned in by pianist Eric Reed. His new effort, Merry Magic, on the MaxJazz label, has no time for maudlin sentimentality. With Steve Nelson’s vibes and vocals by Paula West and Erin Bode on some tracks, Reed sets a no-nonsense approach. He burns away on “Little Drummer Boy” and rips off numerous choruses on “Winter Wonderland.” Reed’s original “Angels In The Snow” is an attractive, pulsating tune with Reed telling a pensive story.

Jazz happenings

Downtown The Chatterbox, 435 Mass. Ave., Friday, Dec. 5: Tim Brickley’s Quintet plays with Brickley’s jazz/pop vocals heading the way. Saturday, Dec. 6 Sara Caswell provides jazz violin with her group. Performances both nights are from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 45 S. Illinois St., “Sizzling Steaks & Jazz Sunday” showcases the swinging, classy vocals of The Mary Moss Trio Dec. 7 playing from 7 to 10 p.m. Circle City Bar & Grille, 350 W. Maryland St. in the Marriott, presents Larry Calland & Conga Jazz Friday, Dec. 5 followed by vocalist Betheny Dunlap with Neapolitan Saturday, Dec. 6. Music both nights runs 8 p.m. to midnight. At St. Elmo Steakhouse, Illinois Street and Circle Center, Rob Dixon’s Quartet plays Wednesday, Dec. 3. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 4 and 5, is vocalist Cynthia Layne & Friends. Saturday, Dec. 6 saxophonist Ja-Son Curry Quartet plays. Music starts at 7 p.m. each night. Jazz on the Avenue, 617 Indiana Ave., fourth floor ballroom of the Madame Walker Theatre Center, showcases the contemporary jazz style of The Fred Sights Project with vocalist Barbara Epps from 6 to 10 p.m. At the Jazz Kitchen, 54th and College Avenue, the acid jazz big sounds of Seven Pleasures returns Friday, Dec. 5 with sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., followed by a night of three superb Latin jazz groups Saturday, Dec. 6. Featured will be Mambo Club, Ipanema, with its Brazilian jazz, and The Monsalve/Perez Project. Music begins at 8:30 p.m. Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 3316 E. 86th St. Keystone at the Crossing, features Claude Sifferlen on piano, Joe Deal on bass and Kevin Johnson on drums Friday, Dec. 5 playing 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 6 from 5 to 11 p.m. Keystone Grill, 8650 Keystone Crossing Blvd., has Steve Corn on piano and Fred Withrow on bass playing each Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 7 to 10 p.m. Chuck Workman is the producer/host of the Sunday Morning Jazz Show at 107.9 WTPI.

Digg this

Comments on Holiday concert: BWJO