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Conference Coverage
ITG 2000 at a Glance
ITG Conference 2000

Concert: Wynton Marsalis
Saturday, May 27, 8:30 pm
John Korak, Reviewer

The culminating event of ITG 2000, the International Trumpet Guild's 25^th Anniversary Concert, featured eight-time Grammy Award winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis, who has been a driving force in unifying jazz and classical music, has received great praise from trumpeters and general audiences alike. His numerous recordings, live performances, and compositions have been critically acclaimed, and his work with today's young musicians has been pivotal in promoting the importance of music education.

Wynton Marsalis' concert featured works performed or written by trumpeters. After introductory remarks by conference hosts Graham Aston and Jon Faddis, the Wynton Marsalis Quartet began the evening with Dizzy Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia. Evident from the onset was Marsalis' incredible stylistic awareness of virtuosity of Dizzy Gillespie, and his ability to incorporate this quality into his own playing. Also notable was the sensitivity displayed by pianist Renee Rosnes, drummer Carl Allen, and bassist Carlos Henriquez.

King Oliver, according to Marsalis, imparted dignity to the trumpet. Oliver was the mentor of Louis Armstrong, and was known for the frequent use of mutes in his playing (he is credited with designing the WaWa mute). Wynton's ability to incorporate the harmon mute in The Bucket's Got a Hole In It was a stunning display of creativity in this regard. Fashioning the effect of a dialogue, Marsalis thoroughly pleased the audience with his memorable solo. Henriquez also performed notably, achieving a variety of timbres with a slap hand bass solo.

Booker Little's B.T.'s Minor Play was a showcase for Marsalis' facility. Little, who was known for his tremendous dexterity, was obviously kept in mind as Wynton once again amazed the audience with his technical adroitness and musicality. After You've Gone followed, and was performed as an homage to Roy Eldridge. Carl Allen's masterful use of brushes was a highpoint of this selection.

Don Cherry was known for his awareness of the importance of sound quality in expressing music. Marsalis credits Cherry with teaching him the importance of keeping melody in mind when improvising. His performance of Ornette Coleman's When Will the Blues Leave was evident as Wynton experimented with a wide variety of timbres in this noteworthy solo. A heartfelt rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust followed, and featured beautiful solos by Marsalis and Rosnes.

Wynton meets Murray Greg, Host of the 2002 ITG Conference in Manchester, England.

Cootie Williams' performances with the Duke Ellington Orchestra exhibited tremendous facility with the plunger. One of the highpoints of this evening's concert was Marsalis' plunger solo on Ellington's The Shepherd. His virtuosic flexibility, expansive range, and masterful use of growling harkened back to the great Cootie Williams. Carlos Henriquez' stop-time solo also drew great applause from the audience. Ray Noble's Cherokee was the final scheduled number of the evening's concert. Marsalis and Rosnes both exhibited an exceptional double-time feel during their respective solos, while Wynton showed amazing control in spinning extended phrases at very soft volumes.

In response to a very appreciative crowd, three encores followed. Buddy Bolden's Making Figures was a throwback to the New Orleans style of jazz, and was masterfully played by all the members of the quartet. After giving credit to the high quality of today's young

Wynton signs autographs long after the concert is over.

trumpete rs, notably Sergei Nakariak ov, Marsalis went on to thank many of his past teachers and gave special mention to both Clark Terry and Jon Faddis for the important roles that they have played in his life. A highly emotional and awe-inspiring rendition of Gershwin's Embraceable You was yet another example of the tremendous artistry of Wynton Marsalis. His ability to affect timbre changes is quite remarkable, and the audience was captivated by Wynton's beautiful playing. Klenner/Lewis' Just Friends culminated a most memorable concert. The highly appreciative audience responded with three standing ovations, and all in attendance were treated to a masterful evening of music making. (John Korak, ITG Book Reviews Editor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)