SYMPHONY NOTES Bassist Kevin Jablonski talks about the

BY KEVIN JABLONSKI

"Outside the Schermerhorn, we are also playing in the community and in schools to bring our music to different venues and audiences."

are in the thick of the 2019-2020 season now at the symphony, and a lot has been happening, as always. We had a change in board leadership back in October, as Kevin Crumbo, our board chair at the time, was appointed as Metro Nashville’s new finance director in the administration of Mayor John Cooper. Crumbo decided to step down from the board, and our immediate past board chair, Dr. Mark Peacock, agreed to step in and serve out the rest of Crumbo’s term, which expires on July 31, 2020. We are grateful to Crumbo for his service, and we welcome Peacock back into his former position, which has made for a smooth transition. We

Performances abound, in the hall and around town The Schermerhorn is continually humming with a wide variety of concerts and performances. Our Classical Series has combined traditional standards with newer American music, some of which we are recording for future commercial releases. In October, we finished recording the repertoire for a CD of music by John Adams, and in November, we began recording music for a new CD featuring our fantastic organ at the Schermerhorn. Our Pops Series opened with a bang as the orchestra performed with Trisha Yearwood and several special guests. And, our new Movie Series is off to a great start with popular films like Coco and Return of the Jedi. Outside the Schermerhorn, we are also playing in the community and in schools to bring our music to different venues and audiences. So far this season, the full orchestra has performed at Plaza Mariachi in Nashville and at the Renaissance Center in Dickson.

Smaller ensembles also go out to perform in the community as well.

Educational initiatives bring NSO musicians to area schools Among our many educational initiatives, I’d like to shine a spotlight on our long-standing program of Ensembles in the Schools, for those who may not be aware of it. This program involves several chamber ensembles traveling to area schools to perform primarily for students from pre-K through fourth grade. This program has been in operation for many decades, certainly long before I joined the orchestra, and it continues to be a popular way for our musicians to connect directly with young students. It is especially useful for those schools that cannot make the trip downtown to hear our Young Person’s Concerts at the Schermerhorn.

The ensembles and programs are mutually formulated by the musicians and our education department, and there are currently seven ensembles regularly performing around Middle Tennessee this season. The ensembles include a brass quintet, a woodwind trio, a string quartet, a violin and bassoon duo, and a mixed trio — in which I play — that consists of an oboe, a viola, and a double bass. So, the students are exposed to the wide variety of instruments in the orchestra, and they get to experience them in a close setting. Throughout the roughly 45-minute performance, students learn about how the instruments work and hear a number of short pieces. They also have the opportunity to ask questions, and they always have many!

Starting in the past two years, schools have had the opportunity to enroll in a residency in this program, where they receive a visit from up to five of our ensembles over

TNM the course of one year. This provides a more immersive and complete experience of the different instruments of the orchestra, and a handful of schools have participated in this way each season. This year, five schools are in residency, and they also receive educational materials to help prepare the students for the ensemble performances. This includes a lesson plan to introduce the instruments, a playlist to familiarize them with the pieces they will hear, and access to Naxos' online music library. More recently, schools also receive social stories which are geared toward students with disabilities, and that makes them more comfortable to come experience the performance.

The impact of these efforts is palpable, as we constantly receive positive feedback from the schools and many handwritten thank you notes from the kids, testifying to the excitement and enthusiasm generated by the visit. The students are genuinely inspired by the music and for many of them, it is their first ever encounter with classical music.

Although the setting of these performances is more intimate, the reach of the program is quite vast and continually expanding. Last year, the program reached around 5,000 individual kids, and this season is on pace to reach thousands as well. The recent residencies have helped build longer relationships with specific schools, and the number of requests for visits from other schools has been increasing. It’s heartening to see that even in a time when music education programs have been or are being cut from public schools, there is such an eager interest in bringing musicians into the schools, so that we can share our passion for the power of music.

Brubeck Brothers Quartet

ooks like we'll start the new year with a basic roundup of news. There's one major story, along with the usual lineup of events. So, let's get started. In the schools Perhaps the biggest news on the jazz scene this winter is the relocation of the Nashville Jazz Workshop. The organization’s many loyal fans and students will be celebrating their 20th anniversary as a nonprofit by following them to their new home at 1012 Buchanan St., a developing artsy neighborhood with some cool cafes and shops. Several designers are working on the chosen building and it promises to be a state of the art educational and performance facility. Watch for grand opening festivities this spring, and a continuation of NJW’s popular combination of classes and various musical and artistic events.

The Middle Tennessee State University Jazz Artist Series continues with legendary hard bop drummer Roger Humphries (classic albums with Horace Silver and others) featured Feb. 6, and the Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival offering tenor saxist Cord Martin March 20. The virtuoso baritone saxist Gary Smulyan will appear March 21. All concerts are at 7:30 p.m. in the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. At Blair School of Music, the jazz faculty performs in concert Jan. 21 at 8 p.m., and the Blair Big Band hits on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m.

As of press time, Belmont University had not posted its 2020 concert calendar. Around town Schermerhorn Symphony Center has several jazz events scheduled. On Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Grammy and Tony Award winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater puts her unique spin on standards and jazz classics. This fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition will be joined by Bill Charlap, one of today’s leading jazz pianists. Together, for one very special evening, they’ll explore a wide range of material with impeccable style, skill and sensitivity.

A tribute to jazz legend Nat King Cole takes place Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. Nat King Cole was a trailblazer in music, television and film. This celebration of his legacy will feature an all star band led by Grammy winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, along with vocalists Nikki Renée Daniels and Brandon Victor Dixon, and full orchestra, Gerald Clayton on piano, Mark Whitfield on guitar, and historic video footage. Cole's iconic hits include “Unforgettable,” “Route 66,” “Mona Lisa,” “When I Fall in Love,” “Embraceable You,” “L-O-V-E,” and more.

Then on Friday, March 24 at 8 p.m. the Blakeford Jazz Series presents The Hot Sardines. Formed over a mutual love of Fats Waller, Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, the New York City group brings a contemporary flair to classic jazz.

The roots of American music will be well displayed this quarter at the City Winery when Taj Mahal comes in for two shows on Friday, Jan. 31 (6:30 p.m. and 9:30 pm.). Saturday, Feb. 1 features Sarah Potenza in the lounge L Dee Dee Bridgewater Terri Lyne Carrington BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR

Taj Mahal

at 7 p.m. and Delbert McClinton in the main room at 8 p.m. The legendary Mahal brings his traveling quartet plus the dobro/guitar duo of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. McClinton's out-of-Texas sound is well known in Music City, while Potenza is a newer artist with two solo albums. These shows are presented by WMOT/Roots Radio. Two months later watch for one night with the New Orleans based Subdudes on Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. The Franklin Theater hosts the Brubeck Brothers Quartet on Friday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Chris (bass, trombone, composer) and Dan (drums) Brubeck will be celebrating their legendary father Dave's centennial with stories and tunes from his long career. Expect creative renditions of classics like "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Remember New Age music? Pianist George Winston, a legend of the genre, takes the Theater stage on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.

On the radio You can still hear jazz and blues on radio with the right setup. Although WMOT 89.5FM went Americana about three years ago its digital channel broadcasts pure jazz 24 hours a day. They also broadcast Steve Cushing's long running show Blues Before Sunrise from Chicago every Friday from 12 midnight to 5 a.m. You can also listen to their jazz channel via streaming audio by going to www.wmot. org. Click on the arrow to go to channel 2. In case anyone misses the popular JAZZ On The SIDE show, it can still be heard on the internet via streaming audio from University of Memphis radio station WUMR The Jazz Lover. Go to www.memphis.edu/ wumr. The show plays Sundays at 9 a.m. and Wednesdays at 3 p.m.