Jon Burgess, Reporter
The studio theatre was set up in a night club atmosphere complete with tables and a bar for the student ITG Jazz Improvisation Final and the late night jam session titled “Get Up and Blow.” Ramon Vasquez, chair of the jazz competition, thanked to the preliminary committee of Allan Hood, Dean McNeil, Paul Tyman, and Bob Kase. Jamey Abersold was thanked for his financial support of the excellent 2002 rhythm section, Andy Kingslow, piano; Pete Turner, bass; and Eryl Roberts, drums. Judges for the event were Karl Sievers, professor of Trumpet at the University of Oklahoma, Laurie Frink, New York freelance artist, Michael Davidson, professor of trumpet and jazz studies at the University of Richmond, and Eddie Severn, jazz artist from Scotland. Present in the audience were also jazz greats Tiger Okoshi and Claudio Roditi.
Each of the three finalists were given twenty minute sets to play the three required styles; G. Gershwin’s I Got Rhthym (or head with exact chord/rhythm changes, e.g. Oleo, Anthropology, Salt Peanuts), a ballad of the player’s choice and a latin or any bossa by Jobim. Martin Patfield, a student of Ed Reid at the University of Arizona, opened his set with How Insensitive and followed it with the ballad It Never Entered My Mind. His playing demonstrated a warm beautiful sound and very lyrical expression of ideas. Martin ended his set with a Sonny Rollin’s tune, Oleo which allowed him to open up and show his technical skills. Matt Reid, a student of David Turnball at Washington State University, began his set with Oleo and demonstrated his ability to get around the horn with a great variety of range and dynamics. Matt then played a beautiful rendition of Round Midnight on flugelhorn. For his final selection Matt choose Jobim’s Desafinado. The last contestant was Kavan Manson, a student of Jay Saunders at the University of North Texas. Kavan opened with Clifford Brown’s Joyspring. Manson played with great energy quickly engaging the audience with his improvisational skills. Kavan played the remaining two pieces on flugelhorn starting with Jobim’s Girl from Ipanema and ending with Oleo.
All three candidates showed considerable skills and wonderful individual styles, which made for a inspiring evening concert for the audience and tough decisions for the judges.
Following the competition the floor was opened for anyone to play with the talented rhythm section that played for each of the finalists. Students and professionals got up and played well into the night.
