Newport jazz a hit at Green Bay

THE Newport Jazz Festival, celebrating its 40th anniversary with a first-time- ever tour, upheld the tradition of the festival with a concert last week at the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay that closed with two standing ovations and an encore.

The concert opened with a jam session filled with one remarkable solo after another. The first featured soloist was also the eldest, Doc Cheatham on trumpet. His vocals, in addition to his trumpet playing, set a tone of tremendous quality for the evening and gave the audience much to look forward to.

To end his featured section, Cheatham was joined by John Faddis on trumpet and Warren Vache on cornet to play "Three Little Words." This delightful little tune was made better by the combining of three distinctly different solo styles and plenty of energy.

Then came Red Holloway and a chance for a reed player to outdo the musical wizardry of the others. He accomplished that with his heart- rending version of "Love for Sale." This piece was, by far, the tightest and most flowing bit of playing done on that stage that night.

The opener of the second half was a rhythm section feature titled "Summertime." The four youngest musicians showed they could do just as well as anybody. The sounds came in sheets of feeling, ceasing to be merely music and projecting forth a great wave of emotion.

Mike LeDonne whipped out a complex solo that danced from his fingertips. One wanted to just listen with closed eyes to such beauty.

Just when it seemed that there wasn't anything left to play and no solo ideas left to think up, Urbie Green and Bill Easly answered. Urbie's smooth tone and generally mellow appearance were overshadowed by the forcefulness in his playing. And Easly just took over the tiny little clarinet that he chose to be featured on, once again assuring the audience that they would get their money's worth.

And much, much more.

Copyright 1995
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.