Angelique Carson
Contributing Writer
I could feel the energy of the room before I could even sit down. Walking into Corthell Hall on Friday night, September 23rd, I knew my first jazz experience was going to be more than just a toe-tapping good time. As I took my seat in the warm room, I looked around me at the approximately 100 people filling the intimate hall. The stage lights cast a glow on the faces in the crowd. They nodded their heads in acceptance of the smooth beats infiltrating the space we shared. The reason smiles swept across mouths was this: Bill Street (saxophone) and Daniel Strange (piano) were performing at the Gorham Campus and were accompanied by Brandon Turner (bass) and Andrew Robbins (drums).
Street and Strange recently returned from Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece this past June as a part of the Maine Street Quartet. They went on behalf of the USM/Aegean Arts and Cultural Exchange Program. Street spoke with enthusiasm of the trip and experiences in between the smooth exuberant sounds perfected saxophone featured pieces. “The children were so gracious,” said Street. “I would teach them something on saxophone and they would squeal with delight. Nobody had ever taught them before.”
Each of the pieces performed were soulful and enjoyable by music connoisseurs and laymen alike. The pieces ranged from slow sultry sounds that had me looking for a slow dance partner like, “My One and Only Love,” by Wayne Shorter to upbeat vibrant pieces like “Songs for Sarah,” by Bill Street himself. Street calls this one his “hit” song and features the saxophone going up and down so many scales my arms became riddled with goose bumps. The piece works into a crescendo and all the parts just flow together. All of a sudden there is a forte that lasts long enough to feel like you have had a great ride and then it ends softly. Street was obviously proud of this piece and played it with enthusiasm and emotion moving his body to the ups and downs.
The concert was intimate because it was not only a performance by four very talented musicians but also a narration of a life changing experience by Street and Strange. The two are so comfortable together on stage, it seemed that maybe the trip helped the cohesiveness of the group and the energy that they created on stage. “Stage presence is key to me,” says Strange. “I’ve always had a natural knack for performing. I think that the trip really enhanced that. Being on foreign soil and being on stage, is all about presenting yourself for the first time. You are going to leave a lasting impression on people.”
It’s obvious that Strange is a seasoned performer when he is on stage. He is a jazz performance major at USM and performs in a number of ensembles. He has received numerous awards including the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2001, the Nathan Corning Jazz Prize, and the 2002 Emily K. Rand Piano Scholarship. He is charismatic and professional on stage.
Bill Street is an acclaimed saxophone teacher and eternal student of jazz. He coaches jazz ensembles at USM. He has played and recorded throughout New England including with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and with Dizzy Gillespie. On stage Street is personable and warm with the audience tapping his hands along to the beat whenever he is not playing and the first to clap for his fellow musicians.
Last night’s concert resulted in the same type of excitement and energy with the final piece being, “Can’t Take That Away From Me.” I melted into my seat as the skilled and crafted musicians floated their melodic harmonies towards me. Each musician performed his final solo to a crowd satiated and content with musical nourishment. The crowd stood in acknowledgement and hooted and hollered at the beaming quartet happy to have been able to share their gift and their stories of cultural exchanges and internal changes. As enriched as I was to listen to their jazz compositions and performance, I was equally enriched to experience the implementation of the true American spirit. They went to share with Greece the abundance of musical educational gifts that we enjoy in America. The people of that village will remember America as using its power and wealth for good. These fine musicians gave what they had and took a little home with them too. Myself? I spent my Friday night in search of a little jazz and I found a little hope as well.