Sax stylings leave much to the imagination

The Bloomington Area Arts Council celebrated the 10th Anniversary of its John Waldron Arts Center (JWAC) last week despite the third consecutive gloomy and rainy Friday. \nThe rain's cool breezes were welcomed in the upper level of the JWAC as feature jazz ensemble "Ballin' The Jack" played to an enthused 50 person audience.\nThe performance, which is the part of their Midwestern tour, featured the stylings of Matt Darriau (Alto Sax and Clarinet), a Bloomington ex-patriot also known for his work with The Klezmatics in New York. \nDarriau said he was excited to be back in Bloomington. "It's just so good to see some good friends and play some good music." \nJust as Darriau implied, "Ballin' The Jack"'s performance was "good," not great or spectacular.\nBodies raised the temperature in the room waiting nearly twenty minutes for the performance to start, which featured the appropriate Duke Ellington opener, "Such Sweet Thunder." \nThe feature solo on this number came from Andy Laster on the Bari Sax, which prompted a thuderous applause from the audience.\nThe following number stayed in the genre of early Ellington, the little-known 1930 "Jubilee Stomp." \nTopping Laster's solo in this tune was the amazing and able-fingered Peck Allmond on trumpet. \nLaster outdid almost every member of the band, with the possible exception of Darriau, with his unique ability to pay detailed attention to the original orchestration while throwing in a creative slip or two. \nThe atmosphere felt like a true jazz sanctuary, where notes and rhythm are free from the noise of the harsh outside world. \nAt least, it did until "Ballin' The Jack" started playing its original compositions like "Tapped Out" and "Smokefish." \nThe percussionist, George Schuller, was using his keys and some bells on a string at one point while attempting to use his bare hands to play the snare. \nIf this wasn't weird enough, no one quite knew what the persistent odd smile on guitarist Ben Sher's face was about either. \nThe only "weird" musical component that was semi-impressive was trombonist Steve Swell's "talent" for playing while lifting the 'bone above his head, then quickly down to the floor, then up above his head, then back down in rapid sequence.\nThe band got back on track with Benny Goodman's "7 come 11," Ellington's "Dexter Digs In" and some great little big band tunes from the John Kirby book. \nAllmond showed his master skill on the trumpet in a smooth and styling solo from Kirby's "Rehearsin' For A Nervous Breakdown." \nTwo other songs of note from "Ballin' The Jack" were a fun and creative interpretation of Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" and the overly hip "Echoes of Harlem," a final Ellington tribute.\nThe one major disappointment is that the ensemble failed to delight the audience with its namesake tune, "Ballin' The Jack."\nOverall, my hearty applause goes out to "Ballin' The Jack," the John Waldron Arts Center, and the Bloomington Area Arts Council for their continued dedication to bringing "well-played" musical tunes from the '20s and '30s to both the community and the college campus, especially for the $8 student admission. \nI expect to hear lots of good things from trumpet player Peck Allmond, who sadly has no solo work out at this time. \nMy only caveat to "Ballin' The Jack" is that while they perform the old '20s and '30s greats to the tune that Ellington himself would admire, their original compositions are beyond the scope of jazz convention and are frankly quite scary.