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The word “ensemble” is defined as all the parts considered only in relation to the whole. In other words, each performer of a musical ensemble serves the music and not themselves – the jazz ensembles take their music very seriously. Even if jazz is not such a popular musical medium in this day and age; even if Armstrong, Coltrane and Mingus have been dead for more than a decade; even if the most college-age individuals are more interested in synthesizers than syncopation, the Lidral Duo and the Maine Chamber Jazz Ensemble are keeping it alive here in Orono.
Karel Lidral, director of jazz studies and associate professor of music, has launched a series of concerts and shows on- and off- campus in the coming months that is virtually a new beginning for jazz here on campus. His Maine Chamber Jazz Ensemble has taken the place of last year’s Maine Jazz Combo, which dissolved last spring after its final performance. The Chamber Jazz Ensemble differs from the Jazz Combo in that it is designed to accommodate a wide variety of skill amongst musicians, ranging from beginners with an instrument to trained and experienced musicians. The ensemble currently features 18 student members and Lidral himself, performing with the rest of the group on off-campus events only.
Lidral says that one of the main objectives of the group is “…to encourage more and better improvisation, one of the two salient features of Jazz, the other being swing feeling.” The ensemble has forthcoming performances on-campus on Nov. 2 in the North Pod of Memorial Union and on Dec. 1 in the Hauck Auditorium, as well as an off-campus evening performance to be announced on Nov. 3. The latter concert is free with a MaineCard.
In addition to the Chamber Jazz Ensemble, Lidral has a personal group that will be performing on campus frequently, The Lidral Duo. The duo consists of himself on soprano saxophone and his wife, Terry Lidral, on piano. The duo is performing every Friday from 4:15 to 5 p.m. in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union. Three performances took place in September and there are nine more scheduled during the rest of the semester.
And for an experience of the ultimate achievements of improvisation and the ‘swing feeling,’ the Jazz Movie Night Series presents films once or twice a month, in which both the jazz greats and modern jazz musicians can be seen in concert performances. These films are shown in the Bangor Room on a big screen with surround sound; the nearest screening takes place on Oct. 13 and the following one takes place on Nov. 10. Each film is shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights.
However, the event that Lidral anticipates the most is the dedication of “Jazz Corner” at the Union from 3-5 p.m. He mentioned that an exciting announcement will occur.
“We have, in addition to many ‘veterans’ in all sections a number of new faces as well,” Lidral mentions enthusiastically. Lidral has been at UMaine for 12 years now and has appeared on recordings with the Jeff Stitley Quartet and Birdhouse, among many others. His supreme love for the music is sure to be evident at all events, whether he performs or is staying behind the scenes. He wants to honor the greats and keep a general buzz of improvisation and swing alive this fall. Depending on how successful the events are, the buzz might just become a roar.
