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Turtle Island Quartet Burning River Brass Fiddler on the Roof The Brubeck Brothers Quartet Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band Simone Dinnerstein, piano

December 2011-January 2012

A preview of Performing Arts at Johnson County Community College Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band

jccc.edu/TheSeries

Turtle Island ready for round-the-world foray into holiday music

Turtle Island Quartet will usher in the holiday season with its unique blend of jazz and classical chamber music during a performance at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Carlsen Center’s Polsky Theatre at Johnson County Community College.

Solstice Celebration: A Festival of Lights is billed as a joyful journey through the world’s holiday music. From the songs of Chanukah and India’s Dewali festival to the Old English carols and Scottish reels of the 16th century, the quartet will explore the timeless music that has been part of holiday celebrations for centuries. Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas will add a modern touch.

Providing a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. in Recital Hall will be Dr. William Everett, professor of musicology at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Since the quartet formed in 1985, it has been a singular force in the creation of bold new trends in chamber music for strings. As the winner of the 2006 and 2008 Grammy awards for Best Classical Crossover Album, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles.

Cellist nonpareil Yo-Yo Ma has called the quartet “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground – authentic and passionate – a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.”

The quartet is made up of musicians who are equally grounded in jazz improvisation and classical technique, said violinist David Balakrishnan, who founded the quartet. Since they are just as comfortable playing jazz as they are playing classical, their music grooves and swings, he said.

For holiday shows, the quartet likes to slip in songs that honor their personal ancestral roots, Balakrishnan said. Balakrishnan’s father is from south India, so they play Jot Se Jot Jagake Chalo, a song in keeping with the Hindu holiday festival in India called Dewali. Cellist Mark Summers is Jewish so they include Chanukah, Oh Chanukah for him.

Christmas Day I' Da Morning honors violist Jeremy Kittel’s Scottish fiddle prize-winning technique. And violist Mads Tolling, who is from Denmark, does a solo version of Beautiful Savior with variations. He often tells the story of how his family would gather around the Christmas tree and sing that song before opening their presents.

Other songs on the set list that the musicians will pick from are Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Silent Night/All Blues by Miles Davis and World Turning by Fleetwood Mac. Te Deum, a Kansas City chamber vocal ensemble dedicated to sacred choral music, will join Turtle Island on several songs.

Tickets $35 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries

Burning River Brass

Burning River Brass to fill hall with joyful Christmas spirit Twelve of the best brass and percussion players in the nation will fill Yardley Hall with holiday music when Burning River Brass performs at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College. Dr. Paul Laird, professor of musicology at the School of Music, University of Kansas, will provide a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. in Polsky Theatre.

Burning River Brass has produced a half-dozen recordings, including two for the holidays. ’Twas the Night Before Christmas was released in 2008 and Christmas Around the World came out during the holiday season in 2005.

The ensemble, which originally formed to give friends a chance to play together, debuted in September 1996 in Tremont, Ohio. Two years later, the group was touring nationally and now appears annually as part of the Holiday Celebration in Severance Hall in Cleveland with the Cleveland Orchestra.

The band members are often applauded for the infectious joy with which they perform.

The selections for that program included Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and the ensemble’s own Burning River Nutcracker Suite.

The band took its name from a 1970s incident involving Cleveland’s heavily polluted Cuyahoga River. The river was so contaminated with tar, fuel oil, tires, driftwood and other undesirable materials that it caught on fire. The story, picked up by national media, dumbfounded virtually everyone who heard it. It also provided a spark for environmentalists who helped clean up the Cuyahoga and nearby Lake Erie as well.

Burning River Brass recorded its first compact disc, Of Knights and Castles, in 1999. It was followed by the release of Russian Carnival in 2000 and Romanza Espana-Spanish Masterworks for Brass in 2004. The recordings have been praised for their energy, sound and style. Their repertoire includes fresh arrangements of classic literature as well as original works written specifically for the group.

Members also participate in educational and outreach programs to encourage students with their enthusiasm for music.

Burning River Brass has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and Sunday Baroque as well as radio stations throughout the United States and abroad.

“… A lively program entirely lacking in dull spots: a great idea for an audience that’s showed up expecting some fun,” a reviewer for The Washington Times reported last December after the band played at Severance Hall.

This event is sponsored in part by the JCCC Brown & Gold Club.

“This Christmas concert was about as good as it gets,” the reviewer wrote, “easily equal to and often exceeding the quality of the fantastic Canadian Brass ensemble.”

Tickets $40, $30 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries

Timeless production ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ takes the stage

The endearing story of a poor milkman who wants his daughters to marry men whom they don’t want to marry will be retold when Johnson County Community College hosts the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof.

The show, part of a North American tour, will be presented at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall. Dr. William Everett, professor of musicology at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Missouri-Kansas City, will give pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday in Polsky Theatre.

The Tony Award winner, lauded for its musical score, is set in a village in Russia in 1905. The milkman, Tevye, believes that culture and Jewish tradition dictate that marriages be arranged for his three oldest daughters.

Unbeknownst to the father, the oldest daughter has fallen in love with the village’s poor tailor. The village matchmaker, however, has determined she should marry the butcher, a rich man old enough to be her father.

With that setup, the clash between preserving tradition and following one’s heart ensues. The plot thickens as conflict arises with the other daughters, with the third one breaking Jewish tradition the most severely.

Among the familiar songs are Tradition; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; If I Were a Rich Man and Sunrise, Sunset.

Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, the production won nine Tony Awards when it premiered in 1965. The film also was an Academy Award winner.

Tickets $50, $40 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries

By popular demand, show added for 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7!

Brubeck Brothers carry on family’s jazz tradition The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, which features two members of one of America’s most accomplished musical families, will perform at 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20, at Yardley Hall, Johnson County Community College.

Chris Brubeck and Dan Brubeck, sons of famous jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, will appear with guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb. Earlier Friday, members of the quartet will conduct band clinics that are part of the college’s third annual Jazz Winterlude, which runs from Jan. 20 to 22.

(For details, visit jccc.edu/music/jazz-winterlude.html.)

The show will open with a short set by the JCCC Faculty Jazz Combo.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s style is rooted in “straight-ahead” jazz, but its concerts reveal an inherent ability to explore and play odd time signatures while naturally integrating the influences of funk, blues and world music.

The Brubeck brothers grew up in a musical family. Their father Dave Brubeck is a jazz pianist who founded The Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1951. His music is known for employing unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters and tonalities.

Chris Brubeck, on bass and trombone, and Dan Brubeck, on drums, released their first album, See How It Feels, in 1972. Since then, the Brubeck Brothers have produced several other albums, including Second Nature in 2000, Intuition in 2006 and Classified in 2008.

In reviewing Classified, All About Jazz stated: “Once again the BBQ attains that rarefied level where music is both relaxed and expressive and their joy in its creation is contagious. There’s really nothing out there that comes close to their unique brand of inventiveness.”

Besides playing bass, trombone and piano, Chris Brubeck is a composer, orchestral arranger and lyricist. As an award-winning composer, he has been called ”a 21st century Leonard Bernstein” by a reviewer for the Chicago Tribune. His composition, Vignettes for Nonet, which premiered in 2003, has been performed by many woodwind quintets, including the Russian National Orchestra Woodwind Quartet.

Dan Brubeck is the rhythmic force of the quartet and has toured the international music circuit for more than two decades. He has led his own group, The Dolphins, and also played with his father’s quartet. As a featured soloist with many of the world’s top jazz artists, his original drumming styles and use of odd time signatures have earned him international acclaim.

DeMicco, who plays guitar, also composes for the quartet. He grew up in the arts colony of Woodstock, N.Y., immersed in blues, jazz and rock. He has toured worldwide since 1980.

Lamb, who adds composer and percussionist to his role of pianist, has performed with many musical greats. They have included the Woody Herman Orchestra, Bela Fleck and Dave Holland.

The rest of Friday’s Jazz Winterlude schedule includes the Bill Crain Quartet at 6 p.m. and Crosscurrent at 7:15 p.m. A one-day pass for Jazz Winterlude’s Friday concerts is $20 and includes the Brubecks.

Tickets $20, $5 for JCCC students with an ID 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries

Latin jazz legend serves up kaleidoscope of sounds Poncho Sanchez grew up in a Los Angeles suburb in the 1950s and ‘60s on an eclectic blend of sounds that included Latin jazz, soul and salsa.

By the time he was a teen, his musical consciousness had been solidified by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and James Brown. He taught himself to play guitar, flute, drums and timbales before settling on percussion, specifically the congas.

This year, Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band are spotlighting Sanchez’s 24th recording on Concord Records called Psychedelic Blues. The group will perform at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College.

In many ways, the recording is a reflection of the sounds of Sanchez’s youth.

“There’s room for a lot of different sounds in our music,” Sanchez said. “I think people have come to know that that’s what Poncho Sanchez is all about. We put it all together in a pot, boil it together and come out with a big stew.

“This isn’t some marketing strategy to sell records. These are the sounds I grew up with. So when I play this music, I’m not telling a lie. I’m telling my story.”

Psychedelic Blues, released in 2010, takes a straight-ahead Latin jazz approach, contrasting with a couple of previous recordings which were heavy on soul. Sanchez enlisted guitarist Andrew Synowiec to change up the sound on a few tracks. Otherwise, the album features the same lineup that has backed Sanchez on several records and many live shows: keyboardist/arranger David Torres; saxophonist Javier Vergara; trumpeter/flugelhornist Ron Blake; trombonist/arranger Francisco Torres; bassist/vocalist Tony Banda; timbalero George Ortiz and percussionist/vocalist Joey De Leon.

The title track is a fast-moving mambo, originally written by

Sonny Henry and arranged for the band by Francisco Torres, who added a surprise ending.

“Francisco really souped it up,” Sanchez said.

“The song has some nice horn lines and some great jazz riffs and then it ends in a bolero. So the song burns almost all the way through and then at the end it shifts into a ballad.”

After the band played in Brooklyn, N.Y., in March 2010, a reviewer for The Epoch Times said Sanchez and his musicians easily established a strong rapport with the audience.

“Indeed, this is fun music that anyone can relate to,” the reviewer wrote. “Some more assertive souls even started dancing in the aisles, even though the hall is not optimal for audience participation.”

The concert takes place during Jazz Winterlude, a three-day jazz festival at the college. If you’re attending the festival, ask the box office about a discount for the Sanchez concert.

On Saturday, Jazz WInterlude’s schedule includes Jazz Disciples, 12:30 p.m.; Brandon Draper Group, 1:45 p.m.; Lynn Zimmer and the Jazz Band, 3 p.m.; Matt Otto Quintet, 4:15 p.m.; Will Matthews Quartet, 5:30 p.m. and Kansas City Bass Quartet, 6:45 p.m. A one-day pass for Jazz Winterlude’s Saturday concerts is $25. Poncho Sanchez is priced separately.

Tickets $45, $35 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries

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Please everyone on your holiday list … give a gift of the Arts!

Box Office: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday • Call 913-469-4445 Tickets are required for most events in Polsky Theatre and Yardley Hall. Programs, dates and times are subject to change.

Discounts are available for students.

Performing Arts Series Gift Certificates

PAS Administrative Office: Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday • Call 913-469-4450 A request for interpretative services must be made 72 hours before a performance. Call the box office at 913-469-4445 or TDD/TTY 913-469-4485.

Persons with disabilities who desire additional support services may contact services for patrons with disabilities, 913-469-8500, ext. 3521, or TDD/TTY 913-469-3885.

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Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band 8 p.m., Yardley Hall, $45, $35 28 Simone Dinnerstein, piano 8 p.m.

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* For prices and schedule, visit jccc.edu/music/jazz-winterlude.html. Festival goers should ask the box office about ticket discounts for Poncho Sanchez.

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 12345 COLLEGE BLVD OVERLAND PARK KS 66210-1299

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Johnson County Community College

jccc.edu/TheSeries also hit that top spot, as did her latest album, Bach – A Strange Beauty.

The latter one, released in January 2011, also made the Billboard Top 200, which compiles the entire music industry’s top-selling albums in all genres.

The San Francisco Chronicle called Bach – A Strange Beauty “unadorned but profound bliss” and The Washington Post said, “Dinnerstein’s readings may be said to plumb these works’ genuine depths … poised, elegant, wonderfully played.”

Dinnerstein will play selections from Bach and Schubert during her concert at JCCC. She will host a piano master class for students Wednesday, Jan. 25. Capacity is limited. For details, call 913-469-4450.

Dinnerstein wows classical fans with Bach interpretations Simone Dinnerstein’s unlikely path to fame started with a commitment to learn to play Bach’s Goldberg Variations during the months of her pregnancy.

She found the keyboard piece calming, she told Billboard, and that helped center her during that time of anxiety and excitement. After her son was born, she began performing her interpretation of the composition and eventually raised enough money to record it. When Telarc released Dinnerstein’s Goldberg Variations in 2007, she became a sensation in the classical world virtually overnight.

Dinnerstein lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband and son, who was born in 2001. She graduated from The Juilliard School and studied at the Manhattan School of Music in New York and in London with Maria Curcio.

Dinnerstein’s performance schedule has taken her around the world.

Recent and upcoming performances include her recital debuts at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Vienna Konzerthaus and London’s Wigmore Hall. She also has performed with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic and the Czech Philharmonic, to name just a few.

She has been featured in Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, Time, Slate and numerous other media in the United States and abroad.

Dinnerstein has played concerts across the United States for the Piatigorsky Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing classical music to nontraditional venues. Among the places she has played are nursing homes, schools and community centers.

Dinnerstein will appear in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College. The pre-concert speaker will be Dr. William Everett, professor of musicology at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Missouri-Kansas City. He will speak at 7 p.m. in Polsky Theatre.

In addition, she founded Neighborhood Classics, a concert series open to the public and hosted by New York City public schools. The concerts raise money for the schools’ parent/teacher associations.

The Telarc recording zoomed to No. 1 on the US Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales. Dinnerstein’s follow-up album, The Berlin Concert,

Tickets $35, $25 913-469-4445 jccc.edu/TheSeries