Jazz concert a smooth blend of ethnic sounds

Four men quietly took the stage Tuesday night at the TIS Music Shop as the small crowd mulled about the store, browsing through CDs and waiting for the concert to begin. \nWith no introduction, the four embraced their instruments and broke into their first number. The audience's attention quickly shifted to the stage, and the seats were immediately filled. Thus began the two hour set of IU alumnus Kyle Quass and his band, as they delved into their own unique style of jazz music.\nThis music was more than just jazz -- it was an interesting blend of other types of world music. The two percussionists, Kenny Phelps on drums and Julian Douglas on hand drums, laid down eccentric beats not often incorporated into jazz music. Auxiliary instruments like cowbells and frame drums added a distinctly Latin sound to some of the pieces, while other songs had a more African feel from use of a djembe. \nOne of the unique aspects of the songs was the way the rhythm section seemed to switch off between the set player and bassist Jeff Hiatt. At times the set would be laying down a steady groove while the bass varied its pattern behind the trumpet solos. And in other pieces the bass line was steady and repetitive while the drummer would fly across the tom-toms in his solos. \nThis added an interesting twist to the sound of many of the songs as the music lost one single focal point, and it was easier to concentrate on the band in its entirety rather than just one soloist at a time.\nBut the bulk of the solo work went to band leader Kyle Quass on trumpet. His solos displayed his unique talent for versatility in musical form. Some were slow and involved sustaining notes and integrating them into some incredibly beautiful melodies. Others followed a traditional upbeat jazz style, using quick runs and intricate patterns of notation. \nOne solo continued for several minutes as the percussionists slowly faded out and the bassist sustained one low note while the trumpet solo wailed on. Eventually, the bass dropped out as well, leaving Quass to play completely alone in an eerie ending to the long piece. These transitions were the trademark of Tuesday night's concert. The songs had amazing segues, which transformed groovy tunes into sonorous serenades.\nMost of the selections played were off of Quass's new CD Eye of the Beholder by Rumi Records. The CD includes original pieces by Quass as well as his renditions of songs by other artists.