September 20, 2024
Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, Clemson University
Clemson, SC – USA
Rodney Marsalis, Terry Everson & Jim Bettencourt, trumpets/flugelhorns; Blair Hamrick, French horn; Nick Marques, trombone, Manny Schubert, tuba; and Barry Dove, drums.
TRADITIONAL: Closer Walk
J.S. BACH: Contrapunctus IX
Harry JAMES: Concerto for Trumpet
Leonard BERNSTEIN: West Side Story Medley
John Philip SOUSA: Washington Post March
George Frideric HANDEL (arr. Calvin Custer): The Saints Hallelujah
Tielman SUSATO: Renaissance Dances
Fats WALLER (arr. Calvin Custer): Ain’t Misbehavin’
Elvis PRESLEY: Can’t Help Falling in Love
Rafael MENDEZ: La Virgin de la Macarena
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: Earth, Wind & Fire Medley
John Philip SOUSA: Stars and Stripes Forever
Paul Hyde | 25 SEP 2024
Imagine a brass ensemble offering a bit of intricate Bach counterpoint followed by a tune made popular by Elvis and later by some rousing funk by Earth, Wind & Fire.
That was the jubilant experience of the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass concert, which opened the 30th season of Clemson University’s Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on September 20.
Yes, Clemson University not only has a storied football team but also a terrific performing arts complex with fine acoustics and a capacity just over 900.
For travelers, the Brooks Center is well worth a visit for eclectic entertainment, particularly during this anniversary year. See some upcoming highlights below.
As you may have guessed by his name, trumpet player Rodney Marsalis is part of the jazz dynasty that includes his cousins Wynton and Branford and his late uncle Ellis Marsalis.
For the Clemson concert, Rodney Marsalis brought a quintet of brass players (supplemented occasionally by a sixth player) and drummer.
According to a biography, Marsalis’ group had its beginnings on the streets of New Orleans. That origin was evident in a mashup of “When the Saints Go Marching In” and the “Hallelujah” chorus. The joy and humor of the arrangement by Calvin Custer was infectious.
The group is not only technically impressive but hugely entertaining. Each member took a turn introducing a piece, joking with the audience all the while. All the players stood during the concert, engaging physically with the music. Stage hijinks of one sort or another were common.
The group prides itself on breaking the usual boundaries between genres. One piece had the group marching through the aisles, Dixieland-style.
The music reached back to the 1500s with “Renaissance Dances” by Tielman Susato. That piece and Bach’s “Contrapunctus IX” were crisply articulated in fine “legit” or classical style.
Following the Susato piece with a tasty swinging arrangement of Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” showcased the group’s versatility and desire to please the cultural omnivore.
Trumpet players Marsalis, Terry Everson, and Jim Bettencourt switched easily between trumpets, flugelhorns, and piccolo trumpets.
Marsalis was spotlighted in several solos, including a smooth flugelhorn rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” the ballad associated with Elvis. Stylistically, the arrangement seemed a cross between blues and baroque (with trills). It was quite lovely.
The group also dazzled on medleys from “West Side Story” and by Earth, Wind & Fire.
There were a couple of Sousa marches, too: The “Washington Post March” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” That last piece had tuba player Manny Schubert nimbly performing the famous piccolo descant — yes, on tuba. For the repeat of that final section, Everson played the descant on piccolo trumpet.
The other versatile musicians in the group were Nick Marques (trombone), Blair Hamrick (French horn) and Barry Dove (drums).
Brooks Center for the Performing Arts (source: clemson.edu)
Marsalis’ group could perhaps be seen as the embodiment of the Brooks Center entire arts season, one dedicated to eclectic tastes. This year features a characteristic slate of musicals, plays, dance, classical music and even acrobatics.
Among the highlights are the Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy (October 15), the jukebox musical “Cher Show” (November 10), and a tribute to Aretha Franklin called “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” (March 28).
The celebrated men’s vocal ensemble Chanticleer (January 17) returns to the Brooks Center while several other shows will take the stage for the first time, including the acrobatic troupe Cirque Kalabanté (October 1), the ballet company Collage Dance Collective (February 13), and the unique Vitamin String Quartet (February 7) which plays, among other things, arrangements of Taylor Swift tunes and pieces from the Netflix show “Bridgerton.”
The university’s student groups perform frequently as well.
Of particularly interest to classical music fans is the Utsey Series of admission-free concerts, returning for its 38th year. Lillian “Mickey” Harder founded the series and continues to schedule and host the programs.
The series tends to spotlight up-and-coming talent. It gave an early career boost to pianist and now classical superstar Lang Lang. The Utsey Series has been featured numerous times on American Public Media’s popular radio program Performance Today.
On tap this year:
- Sept. 26, 2024: Borromeo/Verona Octet. Two well-known string quartets combine to perform octet music by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Enescu. The Borromeo Quartet actually played at the Brooks Center during its first season 30 years ago.
- October 29, 2024: Windsync. The wind quintet is known for its versatility and lively engagement with the audience.
- January 30, 2025: Merz Trio. The three musicians perform classical works as well as their own arrangement of familiar and forgotten works.
- April 1, 2025: Ziggy and Miles, guitar duo, and Anthony Trionfo, flute. Two young Australian guitarists (and brothers) are joined by an award-winning flutist for this spirited concert.
A PDF brochure for the complete 2024-25 Brooks Center season can be downloaded here. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass: rmpbb.com
- Brooks Center for the Performing Arts: www.clemson.edu/Brooks
Read more by Paul Hyde.
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