I have to admit, beyond Buena Vista Social Club and Miles Davis, I’m not very jazz savvy. I’m not really sure why that is because it’s a genre I’ve always wanted to know more about (I could take the easy way out and blame my parents for not exposing me to any, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t be true).
So when my friend invited me to go to the Latin Jazz Band performance last Monday night, I thought it would be a great opportunity to overcome the oppressive jazz-less house I grew up in (Ok, ok, fine, I take full responsibility). Directed by Dom Moio, a faculty associate in Jazz and Percussion, the performance was really interesting to see, and it was clear how genuinely passionate the players are about their music.
Before each song Moio explained whether its origin/influence was Brazilian, Cuban, or Puerto Rican. The different styles each have their own sound, but the easiest way to point out the differences is to note the instruments used. For example, Cuban jazz uses Conga drums, bongos, and timbales, while Brazilian uses Surdo, pandeiro, and tamborim.
With such intricate and diverse beats, it was too bad that the performance was in an auditorium. The Latin grooves really made me want to dance, and I still managed to do a little bit in my seat (probably just looked more like awkward squirming, but at least I tried).
I later asked Moio what drew him to Latin music, and he specifically noted a record he heard in 1972 by Chick Corea called "Light as A Feather." After that, he started researching more into Samba music, and in 1980, he met and studied with legendary Cuban percussionist Walfredo de Los Reyes and his sons Daniel and Wally Jr. Moio is also the artistic director for the ASU Latin Jazz Workshop, a summer program for middle school and high school students. Saxophone student Jack Schwimmer who performed during the concert first became interested in Latin jazz when he did the camp in middle school. When I asked him about it, he said, “I was blown away by the knowledge and unparalleled passion of all the ASU jazz faculty. I had never seen anybody get so excited about teaching and playing music.”
Having seen the jazz group perform, it would be hard not to be inspired by their talent and enthusiasm.
If you have any suggestions for what I should check out next, email me at Mary.G.Richardson@asu.edu or follow me on Twitter at @MG_Richardson.
