Spring Break
Futureman and the Black Mozart Ensemble revive classic genres
by Daniel Baron
Arts | 2/10/09
Posted online at 2:12 AM EST on 2/10/09
If I had to describe the Black Mozart Ensemble's performance in the Slosberg Recital Hall in one word, it would be "fun." If I were able to use more words, I'd go on to call it fast-paced, lively, vibrant and exciting.
The group is insanely talented; Roy "Futureman" Wooten, the conductor and the night's emcee, could not get over how skilled his violinist, Tyler Andal, was and continued to exclaim aloud that Andal's mom would have never expected her son to be so devilishly good with his instrument. But, come to think of it, no mother would really expect her son to be able to play so rapidly, precisely and rhythmically as Andal, who also managed to add his own flavor to the music while playing.
Most of the evening's selections were either written or inspired by Mozart and Chevalier de Saint Georges, though there were also African-American spirituals; the first thirty seconds of "Swing Low, Swing Chariot" were so beautifully executed by the Black Mozart Ensemble's cellist Jesse Hale that the vibrations sent shivers through my body.
The program also included a traditional bluegrass tune, "Blackberry Blossom." If you enjoy Nickel Creek, this was your song, and the same applies to fans of the musicals Spring Awakening and Floyd Collins.
It is fitting that a concert focusing on the Renaissance-a "time of enlightenment and a time of terror," as Wooten articulated-utilized the creations of a true Renaissance man. We learn that James Madison dubbed composer Chevalier de Saint Georges "the most accomplished man in Europe" in terms of riding, running, shooting, fencing, dancing and music.
Wooten himself is a kind of jack-of-all-trades, noted inventor of the "drumitar" (a "guitar-shaped instrument with a keyboard that generates the sound of a drum kit"), composer, conductor, percussionist and, to some extent, comedian. His funniest moments involved the different cackling noises that he produced while conducting and drumming at the same time. But I also got a kick out of his attire, which involved a captain's hat that made him look more like a Caribbean pirate than, say, an actor who portrayed one for Disney.
The group is insanely talented; Roy "Futureman" Wooten, the conductor and the night's emcee, could not get over how skilled his violinist, Tyler Andal, was and continued to exclaim aloud that Andal's mom would have never expected her son to be so devilishly good with his instrument. But, come to think of it, no mother would really expect her son to be able to play so rapidly, precisely and rhythmically as Andal, who also managed to add his own flavor to the music while playing.
Most of the evening's selections were either written or inspired by Mozart and Chevalier de Saint Georges, though there were also African-American spirituals; the first thirty seconds of "Swing Low, Swing Chariot" were so beautifully executed by the Black Mozart Ensemble's cellist Jesse Hale that the vibrations sent shivers through my body.
The program also included a traditional bluegrass tune, "Blackberry Blossom." If you enjoy Nickel Creek, this was your song, and the same applies to fans of the musicals Spring Awakening and Floyd Collins.
It is fitting that a concert focusing on the Renaissance-a "time of enlightenment and a time of terror," as Wooten articulated-utilized the creations of a true Renaissance man. We learn that James Madison dubbed composer Chevalier de Saint Georges "the most accomplished man in Europe" in terms of riding, running, shooting, fencing, dancing and music.
Wooten himself is a kind of jack-of-all-trades, noted inventor of the "drumitar" (a "guitar-shaped instrument with a keyboard that generates the sound of a drum kit"), composer, conductor, percussionist and, to some extent, comedian. His funniest moments involved the different cackling noises that he produced while conducting and drumming at the same time. But I also got a kick out of his attire, which involved a captain's hat that made him look more like a Caribbean pirate than, say, an actor who portrayed one for Disney.
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Vi Wickam
posted 2/11/09 @ 11:26 PM EST
These guys are awesome. You should definitely go see them if you get the chance!
Vi
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