Jazz Celebration of W*O*M*A*N

This past Saturday, a free jazz concert took place in the Washington Room. Officially titled, "The Many Colors Of A W*O*M*A*N," this concert was a part of the ongoing programming centered around Woman's History Month. Sponsored by a slew of Trinity offices and departments, this concert brought in musicians from Hartford and the surrounding metro area. Although the ideals of this concert, most importantly the affirmation of black women, were noble, poor execution severely hampered the night's festivities.

The evening began with an animated performance of the story of creation. A dramatic storytelling of the first seven days had the audience enraptured. Interestingly, God was referred to as "she," which, given the context of the performance, is not unbelievable, but was nonetheless startling. Alanis is not the only one it appears.

After this exciting and engaging piece, Libby Richman, an alto saxophone player, led the first musical number of the evening. The sounds of the saxophone, a beautifully smooth instrument when played properly, filled the Washington room, and the entire audience was tapping their feet and moving to the beat.

The following two numbers, "Make Some Kind of Magic," and "Twisted," were also enjoyable because they featured some wonderful solos. These solos ranged from the flute to the saxophone to the clarinet, and each artist handily proved her talent. The next number, "Certainly," had an extremely smooth, cool, and controlled feel, with feminist lyrics to boot. The final highlight of the first act was "Be Sweet." As an added touch to this number, when the lead singer sang, "Be Strong," the entire ensemble of musicians stood.

After an enjoyable intermission complete with fondue, tortilla chips, and brie, the concert took a decidedly downward turn. My hopes for the second half started off high after a rendition of Maya Angelou's "Pickin Em Up and Laying Em Down," a very funny poem deservedly mocking of men. However, the two pieces following, "Besame Mucho" and "Itapua," were extremely slow. Given that the audience had just eaten, and the house lights were off, I seriously question the rationale behind the placement of these numbers. It was at this point that the audience began to leave in small groups.

Here I would like to point out a few of the weaknesses of this concert. There were a lot of musicians, perhaps too many. It was clear that these musicians had not rehearsed together, or at least not extensively. Between pieces, there was a general confusion as to what was coming next, and some awkward and wholly unnecessary pauses.
Furthermore, the lighting and sound management was poorly executed. Leaving us either in total dark, or harsh light, the ambiance was not conducive to a "jazzy" mood. The sound was also disappointing; the entire string section was practically inaudible throughout the entire evening.

Having disposed of this concert's shortcomings, I would like to touch upon some of its strengths. Many of the solo performances were really top notch, and it was readily apparent that there were some very talented, and up incoming musicians within the group.
Furthermore, the decidedly African ethnic overtones were very pleasing, both visually and through the spoken word. Some of the most enjoyed pieces were the ones that combined poetry with music, as charismatic storytellers spoke the text through the music.

What struck me the most, perhaps, was the audience. Composed mostly of black families and couples, the bulk of the audience was not composed of Trinity students and/or faculty. This was a bit disappointing from my perspective as a student. Although the concert was not excellent, the lackluster turnout from Trinity students was very telling as to where most students' priorities lie.

Although flawed, this concert was a wonderful learning experience, and worthy of at least an hour of Saturday night prime time. The whole production would have been served better if there had been fewer musicians, clear delineations between the numbers, and a more organized technical program.

Weighing the various shortcomings of this program against its noble aspirations, "The Many Colors Of A W*O*M*A* N" was a worthy event.