Gary Mortenson, reporter

This evening's concert opened with some hilarious stories from Dennis DiBlasio who kept the audience in stitches by telling about his experiences with Maynard Ferguson - who talked to his chops on the bus to coax them to get going after a tough gig, George Rabbai - who at a gig stated that he would give anything to have Byron Stripling's high G, and Stripling - who at the same gig said he would give anything to have George's tone…proving that trumpet players are never completely happy with their playing no matter how great they sound! His “Maynard voice” was dead-on.

The concert then proceeded to work its way through a number of charts that showcased this bands phenomenal talent. The first two selections featured some powerful lead playing and solo work from the entire trumpet section. George Rabbai's solos were much appreciated as he shaped his lines and ideas showing great thought and maturity. The third chart of the evening Pure Imagination from, of all things Willy Wonka, was understated and oh so tasty…just what many in the audience needed after five days of “trumpet testing” in the halls of the music building. DiBlasio mentioned that this work would feature some great solo work and that's just the way it worked out.

At this point Sean Jones came out on stage to perform Little Jazz, a chart arranged by Mike Tamero. Jones plays with great taste and precision using perfect inflection and nuance, and does so all over the horn. This is a guy who can scream when he wants to, play a thousand notes a minute when his ideas take him in that direction, but always does so with taste and within the appropriate context of the tune's style. In short, he's a musician first and a trumpet player second, and the crowd went crazy over his ideas and obvious talent.

The next tune, Trumpet Land, brought both Jones and Rabbai to the front of the stage. They opened with some blazing unison work and then took turns soloing. What a treat to hear two consummate artists using their combined talents to such great effect. Each fed off of the style and skill of the other, but stayed perfectly within their personal artistry so that we heard the best of both. This is what jazz soloing is all about. What a treat!

The next tune featured a Slide Hampton tune featuring Matt Gallagher titled Frame for the Blues. The opening of this blues chart featured Gallagher's blazing upper register work that segued into a ballad that included shakes in the brass and some great solo work from the sax section. Hampton wrote this great tune a tour with Maynard Ferguson. Gallagher provided the power and intensity that reminded me of the all the Ferguson big band concerts I saw a quarter-century ago in the Chicago area. Thanks Matt, for taking me back to some great memories!

The next tune featured Bob Rollins, chair of the Rowan University Music Department, on flute playing an arrangement of Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. This was a complete change of the mood - one of the great things about this concert generally and the programming specifically. This is a great band…a musical band that knows how to keep things interesting and can adapt to whatever is required no matter the style or genre. The first half ended Smile by Charlie Chaplin that featured Jim Ward on trumpet. It was a shame that the sound levels at the beginning Jim's solo were low, nevertheless his smooth playing was much appreciated. The second half of the concert featured more great tunes, soloing, and ensemble work. What a great conclusion to a week of outstanding quality through all the many events. It was entirely appropriate that Bryan Appleby Wineberg was acknowledged once again by DiBlasio for his tireless efforts to make all of this work. Get some rest Bryan…you deserve it!