People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s...
Posted: 10/31/14
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PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
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All comments by Michele Eickholt
People Are Talking: UMS Presents AnDa Union at the Michigan Theater:
I agree! I can feel the wind blowing across the grasslands when they sing, or see a young man riding out thinking of a beautiful girl. The music is lovely, and the range of sounds a singer produces is amazing.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Ahmad Jamal at Hill Auditorium:
This was the first time we had seen Ahmad Jamal, and I was impressed in the same way: precise, bright, exact while also smooth, polished, flowing. Spontaneous, but also feeling like the band had played this together for years.
A magnificent concert! Ahmad is a genius with years of accumulated musical wisdom, and every bit of it was on display tonight. His bandmates are all highly accomplished musicians and their interaction was superlative. Everyone was listening and playing with precision and abandon–a rare accomplishment. The arrangements were very creative, the transitions crisp, and the dynamics those of master musicians. They easily went from very loud to very soft and vice versa while simultaneously changing grooves or moods. The compositions were highly polished and yet felt spontaneous, and there was a constant change of texture and space, but no extraneous notes. Ahmad plays only what needs to be played–doesn’t play anything that doesn’t contribute, and he has a beautiful touch on the keys. Very inspiring!
"by David A. Mason
People Are Talking: Richard III & The Comedy of Errors:
A despicable Richard casually and bloodily disposing of all who stand in his way, with his gleaming smile and a magician’s bouquet confidently wooing a widow over the corpse of her husband, murderers for hire entering with a quick dance step… we were delighted with the play.
People Are Talking About…the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis:
We enjoyed the Portrait in Seven Shades pieces – I thought they connected very well with the artists's paintings. The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra works wonderfuly together.
(I never quite figured out the odd 13 count meter but it was interesting.)
People Are Talking About…The Bad Plus:
Re Zack's comment – As older (non-student) UMS concert goers at the 7:00 show, we really enjoyed the Bad Plus. The original compositions were excellent. This is the first time we'd heard them other than the you tube Nirvana cover.