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The theme for today’s concert comes from lyrics in “Storm,” written by the up-and-coming jazz composer and bassist Jodi Proznick: “Put your roots down deep, reach your branches high, ‘cause beyond the clouds there are stars in the sky; the storm is comin’, gotta hold on tight.” It’s a message of hope in troubled times, to be sure, but much more is conveyed—how will you value the soil in which you plant roots, reach beyond your preconceived limits, or stay focused on the beauty shining beyond darkness? What will you need in order to weather storms of change? Most of the pieces on today’s concert touch upon these and related issues in some way. 

“Minuano (Six-Eight),” composed by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, is named after a minuano, the cold southwesterly wind that blows in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and in Uruguay. This wind originates from cold polar fronts that come from the southwest of South America during periods of high atmospheric pressure, usually following rains caused by the shock of the cold front with warmer stationary humid air. The tune appears as the opening track on the 1987 album Still Life (Talking) by the Pat Metheny Group and establishes the tone for the album, which prominently features Brazilian jazz-inspired works. We begin today’s concert with this piece to convey how wind brings change, either literally or figuratively—ushering in a storm or blowing it away, transporting elements from distant locales, fueling your travel to unknown destinations, dissipating gray clouds to reveal the clarity of a sunlight afternoon. To Kerry Marsh’s arrangement we add accordion and marimba, the latter recalling an important element from Metheny’s original recording. Listen for how the piece fluidly shifts between the meters of 3/4 and 6/8 or layers them simultaneously.

Espinosa and Fox’s arrangement of “Sing (Sing a Song)” brings a samba feel to the classic 1970s hit made famous by The Carpenters. The lyrics, often perceived as simplistic, express profound and timeless truths—spread joy to others by singing of happy and good things; don’t worry about what others think, find your song and sing out loudly from your heart.

Songs from the so-called Great American Songbook have weathered the test of time and continue appealing to new generations of musicians. We feature two Songbook standards today, both addressing the uncertainties and nuances brought by affairs of the heart. “Beautiful Friendship” captures the (anxious yet exhilarating?) moment two good friends begin a love affair. “Taking a Chance on Love” expresses the perspective of once again falling in love after prior relationships had ended badly, of someone struggling to remain cool, controlled, and collected to protect their heart but realizing they’re “slipping and dipping again,” at the same time fearing yet enjoying the process of falling in love once more.

Jodi Proznick’s “Storm” features two contrasting grooves, an Afro-Cuban Bembé and a deep bluesy swing. The message is clear and direct (see the first paragraph, above). To Kerry Marsh’s arrangement we append the ending from Proznick’s original recording—you’ve held on tight, and the storm has passed, now what? Vocalist Norma Winstone often wrote lyrics to instrumental jazz tunes (creating what is called a jazz vocalese), including many by the amazing composer/guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner (co-founder of the group Oregon). The effect produced in “The Glide” is almost the exact opposite of the energy heard in Storm. Imagine strolling with your love on a boardwalk at night under dancing lights, or perhaps effortlessly ice skating with your partner on a calm, cool winter’s day—that’s the feeling conveyed here, simultaneously relaxed yet thrilling. 

“Jacket Town” is another example of jazz vocalese, an instrumental created and recorded by the quartet Yellowjackets. Katie Campbell uses both text and vocables (syllables) to capture the original energy of this funky composition. Lyrics speak of how memories weather the passage of time (“memories last forever, making the past not so far away”). Duke Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” remains a favorite ballad among jazz musicians to this day. Gordon and Mills’ poetic lyrics express the deep, profound nuances of what one feels toward their lover, especially all that immediately precedes a kiss (“If you hear a song that grows from my tender sentimental woes, that was my heart trying to compose my prelude to a kiss”).

Admittedly, I chose “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” simply because it’s a good closer (high energy, upbeat tempo, etc.) rather than expressing a deeper theme in some way. That said, however, perhaps it can represent how the music of Paul Simon has weathered the test of time and still remains popular today. The same can be said about the arrangements of Darmon Meader and the almost 40 years the New York Voices have been performing and recording. (Note: the New York Voices are planning to spend a week’s residency on IC campus next November giving workshops and performances. Stay tuned for details.) Meader’s arrangement appeared originally on the 1998 album New York Voices Sing the Song of Paul Simon. In the middle of this piece, listen for how Meader weaves in the horn refrain from Simon’s tune “Late in the Evening.”

Notes by John White

SOPRANO
Nora Abshire – Denver, CO
Laura Alvaro – Syracuse, NY
Kara Dhakal – Vestal, NY
Jordyn Halper – Bellmore, NY
Alli Lewis – Trumansburg, NY
Sofie Santoro – Groton, MA
Parker Thibodeau – Portland, ME

ALTO
Kaitlyn Campbell – West Milford, NJ
Grace Commisso – Latham, NY
Jasmine Foster – Wheatley Heights, NY
Leah Monteleone – Kennett Square, PA
Lindsay Rusakow – Long Island, NY
Jayna Simeon – Brooklyn, NY
Nikki Sutera – Burlington, NJ

TENOR & BARITONE
Connor Butler – Chicago, IL
Jack Lewis – New Hartford, CT
Zachary Smith – Endwell, NY

RHYTHM SECTION
Piano:  Dominick Ronsvalle 
    – Lansing, NY
Bass:  Nellie Cordi 
    – Schenectady, NY
Drums:  Martin Lowry 
    – Ithaca, NY
Percussion:  Brayden Reed 
    – Oak Park, IL

SOUND ENGINEER
Seamus Buford – Richmond, VT

We wish to extend special thanks to:
Kim Nazarian, Aaron Staebell, Zachary McDonald, Brian Dozoretz,
Becky Jordan, Seamus Buford, and the rest of our amazing sound crew.

John W. White received a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Indiana
University (1999) and primarily teaches in the Department of
Theory, History, and Composition. Throughout his academic
career, John has maintained an active life as a professional jazz
and commercial musician, specializing in stylistic diversity, and
has performed with such artists as free improviser Rhiannon
and instrumentalists Wycliffe Gordon, Tony Baker, and Paul
Hanson, among many others.

In 2016 John became the Director of the IC Jazz Vocal
Ensemble, established in the 1970s by the late David Riley,
distinguished professor of Music Education. In the mid-1980s,
Dave Riley's direction brought the IC Jazz Vocal Ensemble
international acclaim—which included a 1986 invitational
alumni group formed to tour high-profile European Jazz
festivals—and his teaching provided training for many jazz
educators and performers, including three founding members
of the Grammy Award winning New York Voices. As rhythm
section pianist, John toured with this 1986 IC-JVE invitational
alumni group, which made his later return as Director
especially meaningful as a way to follow in the footsteps of his
mentor Riley and continue the excellence of ensemble jazz
singing here at Ithaca College.