2008 Woodie Awards
Jazz ensemble harmonizes with new director
Eric Revis draws on wide experiences, brings fresh view to burgeoning musicians
Yvonne Freckmann
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Trinity Life
Get ready to hear the Trinity Jazz Ensemble at a whole new level. Grammy Award winning Eric Revis, bass player with the Branford Marsalis Quartet, has stepped up to lead this band.
"I'm sooo excited," said Sophomore Laura Upham, alto sax, "because Trinity Jazz Band isn't really that big of a deal. We never really got much attention, but now we got this high-profile director. It's kind of exciting."
The ensemble's former director, Edwin Parker, took a job in Corpus Christi.
"He's really intense," Upham said of Revis. "Edwin was really warm and fuzzy and 'let's be friends.' I think we need some whipping because we haven't done anything challenging yet."
Getting situated, Revis had the rhythm section adjust for good eye contact. Though the group did not have sheet music yet, Revis counted off and expected the students to start playing. But they didn't.
"Let's do some rhythm changes," Revis said.
Silence greeted him except for clicking of keys and drum sticks.
"Oh, so you don't know rhythm changes," Revis said, nodding. "You just have to tell me. This is good."
So he taught the group a progression of chords any jazz musician should know, over which everyone got their chance to solo. For a background group melody, Revis played a melody on the piano a few times and expected everyone to just pick it up by ear.
"It's going to get you up on some instantaneous ear training," Revis said. "It becomes instant counterpoint and composition."
It took a while, but as the players caught on, it started sounding like something.
"It was a little bit intimidating," Upham said. "That's the most some of us have improvised all year because he made everybody do it."
Senior Ron Fortin, alto sax, had a lot of fun in the first rehearsal.
"It's always good to have a different perspective," Fortin said. "[Revis] has a different perspective to bring, especially as a bass player."
His rehearsal style differs from his predecessor as well, Fortin said, introducing the band to something new: they always improvised on 12-bar blues progressions based on George Gerschwin's "I got Rhythm."
"I'm sooo excited," said Sophomore Laura Upham, alto sax, "because Trinity Jazz Band isn't really that big of a deal. We never really got much attention, but now we got this high-profile director. It's kind of exciting."
The ensemble's former director, Edwin Parker, took a job in Corpus Christi.
"He's really intense," Upham said of Revis. "Edwin was really warm and fuzzy and 'let's be friends.' I think we need some whipping because we haven't done anything challenging yet."
Getting situated, Revis had the rhythm section adjust for good eye contact. Though the group did not have sheet music yet, Revis counted off and expected the students to start playing. But they didn't.
"Let's do some rhythm changes," Revis said.
Silence greeted him except for clicking of keys and drum sticks.
"Oh, so you don't know rhythm changes," Revis said, nodding. "You just have to tell me. This is good."
So he taught the group a progression of chords any jazz musician should know, over which everyone got their chance to solo. For a background group melody, Revis played a melody on the piano a few times and expected everyone to just pick it up by ear.
"It's going to get you up on some instantaneous ear training," Revis said. "It becomes instant counterpoint and composition."
It took a while, but as the players caught on, it started sounding like something.
"It was a little bit intimidating," Upham said. "That's the most some of us have improvised all year because he made everybody do it."
Senior Ron Fortin, alto sax, had a lot of fun in the first rehearsal.
"It's always good to have a different perspective," Fortin said. "[Revis] has a different perspective to bring, especially as a bass player."
His rehearsal style differs from his predecessor as well, Fortin said, introducing the band to something new: they always improvised on 12-bar blues progressions based on George Gerschwin's "I got Rhythm."
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