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From riffs that went way to far afield to instrument solos that ranged from bad to marginal but entirely too long. I had only seen the Jazz Orchestra once before and was hoping for a better performance this time. The venue is great it's just too bad they can't field a high caliber orchestra.
Broadway tunes and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra--what a combination! I could have listened for hours and hours. This is one of the finest musical experiences in Columbus.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Dave Douglas twice before, so when I saw this show upcoming at the Lincoln, I bought two tickets immediately. I purchased second row seats for $25 each. Upon arrival at the Lincoln we were seated in the second row and only then did I realize that this was much too close. The stage is about four feet up, so it was hard to see while sitting down. Add to that a cloth draped over some equipment at the front of the stage, and our view was obstructed of the band. I couldn't see the bass player or drummer at all. Meanwhile, the keyboardist, because he was closer to the front of the stage, ended up blocking the center of the screen showing the film which they were accompanying. Really poor stage planning on the part of whoever was in charge of that. Just not thought out very well. The music was as good as expected, though there was some obvious difficulty with the mix. I thought that the film was ho hum, especially given the theme, content available, etc. The footage looped at the end hardly did anything to improve the content. Really, pretty boring use of film for what sounded like a great idea.
I thought the Dave Douglas and Keystone performance was great. More groups, especially groups of this high musical calibre, should consider doing projects like this which embrace different aesthetics and cross-pollenate between music, film, and other media, especially since jazz is such a challenged and saturated market these days. Audiences today are so accustomed to having a strong visual element to a performance so that was a visual magnet, but I thought Douglas's music had depth of emotional and textural content as well as having swinging solos and a familiar but enticing timbral context. More fun than just watching the musicians, but also more fun than just watching a film with pre-recorded music, no matter the quality. The band's sonic reference to Miles Davis' electronic groups was obvious to a seasoned jazz listener, but I felt there was a minimum of redundancy to that; this was something new and exciting, engaging, and would likely bear repeated listening, as the group was playing live. The encore tune, a trite little funk shuffle, fell short of the bulk of the program, though I could understand Steve's feeling he should attempt to engage the audience a little more directly (as opposed to engaging the film, which was the whole point of the project). I'd recommend this to my hipper friends, as some might not be open to or ready for something like this, but I would also not hesitate to tell people what they missed, which apparently some did, despite the Jazz Arts Groups media blitz. Maybe a lot of people were already mentally at the Super Bowl, which was the next day.
I leave every Jazz orchestra concert looking forward to their next event. I have been listening to Dave Grusin's music for years, so this weekend was 2 hits with a single 'swing'. The Jazz Orchestra is a Columbus treasure.
Dave Grusin was every bit as good as expected as well the CJO
The jazz was fantastic as always. The music selections were superb and the guest performer was outstanding.
Bobby Floyd was awesome; he could have his own concert! Byron was a fantastic artistic director with his humorous remarks and trumpet virtuosity. Gruczin's renditions of West Side Story and Tootsie soundtrack music was excellent. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.
The Columbus Jazz Orchestra never disappoints! Dave Grusin was a wonderful guest artist, and the orchestra was in top notch form. Byron Stripling is a superb director & understands the value of entertainment. Each band member contributes to the overall sound, but Bobby Floyd on piano is always a stand out!
Judy liked the first half. I liked both halves evenly. I have followed Grusin for 30 years and I think I have every album he's made.
Fantastic concert! CJO is a Columbus gem - such excellent musicians - very very talented.
Dave Grusin is great. But why not feature his music? Although the program was billed as Mancini, there was more Bernstein than Mancini. But, like I said, you have the great Dave Grusin sitting right there - why not play his brilliant music?
this was my first columbus jazz orchestra event and I really didn't know what to expect, but my friend and I were so glad that we went and finally experienced this venue. The music was relaxing and exciting at the same time; my feet kept tapping to the beat of the music and I couldn't stop smiling. The time went too fast and we left wanting more!!! My friend and I have found many cd's in our collection that are produced by Dave Grusin; we just didn't know who he was before!!
Always fabulous...a must see for everyone! I encourage everyone to see CJO. It is a treasure for our city to have such a fine group of musicians.
Great energy, great music, great fun. We thought it would be a great show and it was.
Great. However there were at least 3 numbers where the orchestra drowned out the singers.
Hearing and watching the interplay of Columbus' own Jazz Orchestra and Allen Toussaint, was a gift! We sat close enough to see the expressions on their faces as they wove a purely American mix that can be found nowhere else. What a night!
My wife and I saw the last Sat. night performance. It was top notch. I grew up on the West Coast, lived in NYC and the Bay Area in the early 60's and saw many top jazz groups, including the Charles Mingus band at Monterey. . The Columbus Jazz Orchestra is very talented, are obviously having a good time, and like each other. We are very fortunate to have them in Columbus. These people love what they are doing, and give the kind of dedication it requires to play music at the highest level. We will be back.
This was the best CJO event I have attended. Byron and the orchestra were at their best and Allen Toussaint was in rare form. I thank the CJO for this great concert and hope they will sponsor more events with New Orleans artists. Great Job
We really enjoyed the Columbus Jazz and Columbus Gay Men Choir performance! The singing and dancing was adorable! I didn't even miss not having and females. In fact, the last piece where the 6 girls came out made not difference to that number! All the guys were really great! I really enjoyed being entertained by the conductor of the Jaxx Group. Looking forward to another performance of the two groups next year!