All that jazz

Renowned musicians give students tips to a better sound

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by STACY SNEED Pete Barenbregge, left, gives Westlake High School students tips about how to improve their musical sound during Friday’s public school jazz clinic at the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata campus. Westlake’s Director of Instrumental Music Russell Bly, standing right, listens in. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

At Friday’s public school jazz clinic, offered at the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata campus, three musicians sat back and observed. Toru ‘‘Tiger” Okoshi, Allen Baylock and Pete Barenbregge listened and took notes on how the talented hopefuls could be better musicians.

Okoshi, a trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer and professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, who first garnered attention while performing and recording with Gary Burton during the 1970s. He has performed with Tony Bennett, Teddy Pendergrass, The O’ Jays and the Four Tops.

Next to Okoshi was Barenbregge, who is a freelance professional musician recognized as a saxophone and flute artist, as well as a clinician, educator and adjudicator. He is the instrumental jazz editor for Belwin Jazz and a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, GRAMMY. He was written articles for DownBeat Magazine and is contributing author for a variety of educational publications. In addition, Barenbregge is the musical director of the Columbia Jazz Band in Columbia.

And Baylock, chief arranger or the renowned Airmen of Note jazz ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., is also the leader of the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra. His jazz orchestra’s debut recording, ‘‘Two Seconds to Midnight,” was released in October 2003, and after receiving international critical acclaim, the CD spent eight weeks on the JazzWeek national jazz radio top 40 chart. Artists who perform his music include jazz greats Freddie Hubbard, Maynard Ferguson and Michael Brecker; country artists Roy Clark and Wynonna; pop stars Chaka Khan, Kenny Rankin and Spyro Gyra; and symphony orchestras throughout thecountry.

‘‘We’re so blessed to have all three of them at the same time,” said Wendy Runyon, wife of well-known saxophonist Randy Runyon and organizer of the event. ‘‘It takes a year getting these guys here.”

The students continue to play until the school’s Director of Instrumental Music Russell Bly had them wrap up Duke Ellington’s song ‘‘Blue Serge.” And that’s when the praise and the critiques began.

‘‘Really nice sound up there,” said Baylock to the students playing in the back row.

‘‘You have to listen to it differently ... Ellington, this is special. It’s a great learning tool and you should do it just like they did [Ellington’s band].”

Barenbregge then approached the stage. ‘‘Listening is a great thing. All the infliction, style and articulation are what you get from listening. You can write down the notes, but you get the understanding from listening. Keep working at it. You can always lead with more dynamics,” he said.

Okoshi paced around the stage just a little before injecting his comments.

‘‘You have to know what to play and when to play. Overall, it was pretty concise. I would like to change the group around a little more for your level.

‘‘Why don’t we open up the music a little more? I appreciate you combining the concept a little more. It becomes so much fun when you play something different,” he said.

Soon the students were on to playing something they had never seen before, according to Wendy Runyon. They were judged on how quickly they were able to pick up the music.

‘‘Southern Maryland is just beginning to get into jazz, but the younger crowds just don’t get into it,” she said. ‘‘This is an incredible opportunity for the students. These are GRAMMY award winners, maybe not people the students may know, but the parents are familiar with them.”

Barenbregge led the critiques for the improvisation.

‘‘Pretty good, but as improvisers you have to learn to trust your ears,” he said.

He even critiqued the teacher a little bit.

‘‘You guys did a great job, you’re obviously being led in the right direction,” Barenbregge said.

According to Wendy Runyon, the adjudicators said Westlake’s instructor had good leadership and they could tell the students have been exposed, because they exhibit more freedom with the music rather than just playing it straight.

‘‘We had our concert [two weeks ago]. We had about two hours worth of music we had to narrow down,” Bly said.

However, after everything was finished, the students didn’t mind the hard work, critiques or the praise.

‘‘I thought it was great. It was helpful and nice,” said 10th-grade trumpet player Ross McCool. ‘‘Tiger even looked over our shoulders at parts. We didn’t even know he was there.”

Brandn Reburn, 12th-grade trombone player, said ‘‘I’m not personally familiar with their works, but I heard their stuff before. Tiger is so good.”

Although some of the students thought the experience was a bit nerve-wracking they still thought highly of theexperience.

‘‘It was educational. One of them was about improving upon style and playing the music correctly,” said Eugene Dorestal, 12th-grade pianist.

Tenth-grade electric bass player Chris Foos said, ‘‘There was a rush in playing a solo song that someone made, who’s standing on stage. They were able to tell us how to play it.”

The only downside the students said was that it was incredibly hot playing on the CSM auditorium stage, but they wouldn’t have traded the opportunity for any other.