Bringing styles from classical to jazz, Ohio University’s Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony will perform a wide repertoire of songs in their concert Thursday.
One of the feature pieces of the concert includes a jazz twist on The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” by the Wind Symphony, said Andrew Trachsel, conductor of the Wind Symphony.
“This wasn’t part of the plan, but it just so happens to also be the 50th anniversary of The Beatles arriving America, and that’s kind of a big deal,” Traschel said. “And the piece was written by Paul McCartney as a response to the Civil Rights Movement in the late ’60s, so this being (Black) History Month, it sort of ties in.”
This jazz piece will feature Roger Braun, professor of percussion, on drums, Sean Parsons, assistant professor of music theory, playing piano and bass by guest artist Steven Heffner. The Wind Symphony will perform the piece in a way that is different than other classical approaches to jazz, Traschel said, with the Wind Symphony accompanying the trio.
“Typically in a classical ensemble when you play jazz, it’s sort of a watered-down version of what jazz can be, and this arrangement is nicer because it really features the jazz trio,” Traschel said. “They’re improvising. They’re communicating how they would in a combo performance that you might hear at a club.”
Michelle Carpenter, a clarinetist in the Wind Symphony and junior studying music education, said she thinks the diversity in the pieces helps her as a musician.
“I just think it keeps you well-rounded having knowledge about all of these different types of music, especially how they relate to each other,” Carpenter said. “Everything is interconnected and overall just being exposed to these different types of music, it just makes you a better player.”
Richard Suk, conductor of the Symphonic Band, said each ensemble will perform a wide variety of music that appeals to a large audience.
“Between (the Symphonic) Band and the Wind Symphony, (the concert) features a broad spectrum of concert band music,” Suk said. “You’ve got a classic like the Holst ‘Suite in F’ to a 20th-century jazz arrangement of ‘Blackbird,’ so it covers a lot of musical styles.”
Traschel said he encourages anyone to come out to see what each ensemble has to offer.
“If you’ve never been to a band concert before or if you have a preconceived notion about what a band concert is, we hope that … we’ll show them that anyone can enjoy this concert,” Traschel said.
@reb_barnes
rb605712@ohiou.edu
This article originally ran in print under the headline: "Ensemble jazzed to cover The Beatles, Holst"
