By Jessica Simmons
For the Daily
On Friday night, the University Musical Society presented "Conversin' With the Elders," which featured the James Carter Quartet and the Detroit Jazz Artists. Also appearing on the program was the Leon Parker Duo.
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James Carter Quartet Jan. 31, 1997 Mendelssohn Theater |
The show opened with the Leon Parker Duo. The Duo, consisting of Leon Parker and Steve Wilson, started with a song titled "Caravan." Although the beginning was somewhat slow, the Duo gained the audience's attention once it got rolling. The song was a wonderful mixture of the bongos and the clarinet. Both musicians played with extreme style and grace.
The third song, "Two In the Pocket," with its upbeat tempo, brought the mostly conservative audience to life. As Wilson led with the saxophone, Parker followed suit on the drums. Each musician's style and talent perfectly complemented the other's.
The Duo performed many songs, but the final selection was most entertaining. Parker's unconventional use of maracas, voice and body language was a musical treat. The audience responded to the song with much delight. The Leon Parker Duo was only a taste of the wonderful music that followed.
During the intermission, the restless crowd buzzed with excitement as it anticipated the performance that was yet to come. When Carter stepped onto the stage, it was as if a fuse had been lit; the crowd exploded into applause and cheers before he even played a single note on his saxophone. Carter had the audience's full attention, and he held it until the end of the show.
Throughout Carter's entire performance, the audience would burst into applause - and with good reason. Carter is an extremely talented saxophone player. Once he got started, there was no doubt who everyone had bought tickets to see that night. His style was fresh and unique. Throughout the course of the night, Carter didn't refuse the opportunity to ham it up for the crowd.
Not only is Carter a talented musician, but he's also a great performer who was a pleasure to watch. While on stage, he engaged in direct conversation with members of the audience, allowing them to actively participate in his performance. His onstage persona helped to captivate the audience's attention.
Carter's supporting cast was also central in making the performance a success. The James Carter Quartet added the perfect balance to Carter's explosive style. The Quartet accentuated Carter's play by keeping pace. It also allowed the audience to know it was present, without drowning out Carter. It would have been easy for the Quartet to have gotten lost behind Carter's performance, but that didn't happen; the Quartet's members allowed the audience to see that, they too, were talented musicians.
The biggest treat of the night was watching Carter perform with the Detroit Jazz Artists. The Detroit group consisted of pianist Bess Bonnier, drum player Richard "Pistol" Allen and saxophonist Larry Smith. It was an opportunity to witness jazz musicians from the older and younger generations coming together to create a truly beautiful performance. The Detroit Jazz Artists gave the audience a glimpse of where jazz has come from and why it is still present today.
The concert's only drawback was its brevity. It was apparent that the audience wanted more, and through its thunderous applause, it was able to convince Carter to play yet another song before he ended his show.
As a whole, the concert was wonderful. All the groups played extremely well, and Carter was phenomenal. He gave a dazzling performance that would have garnered praise from all music lovers, young and old alike.