Latest news with #BluesSymphony
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DSO celebrates first album in nearly a decade with Third Man bash — and vinyl records
The Detroit Symphony's big return to the album game got a triumphant hometown celebration Tuesday night. Ahead of the March 14 release of Wynton Marsalis' 'Blues Symphony' — the DSO's first new recording project in nearly a decade — a crowd of orchestra officials, musicians and guests gathered for a party at Detroit's Third Man Pressing as vinyl copies rolled hot off off the line. For those in the thick of the project since its conception, the sight of glistening new records emerging inside Third Man's colorful plant was a satisfying, tangible moment. 'To come here now and see them pressed in the back, seeing the final cover, seeing that shrink wrap on it — there's no better feeling,' said DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. 'It's been a long work in progress, and I'm so happy and so proud of the whole team.' The evening included a video message from jazz great Marsalis, who composed the evocative, history-sweeping piece and worked closely with DSO music director Jader Bignamini to finesse the performances, which were captured at Orchestra Hall in December 2023. 'I truly believe it's possible for an orchestra to do all the things that jazz and American vernacular music has done to excite people all over the world for so long — play the music with authenticity and feeling,' Marsalis said. 'And after hearing this recording, I truly believe this more firmly than ever.' More: Detroit Symphony Orchestra cuts jazz groove on Wynton Marsalis 'Blues Symphony' album As previously reported by the Free Press, 'Blues Symphony' is part of a renewed effort by the DSO to reclaim its storied recording legacy, a history that stretches back nearly a century. Bignamini and the orchestra have already captured recent performances of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, and more recording sessions are planned for the soon-to-be-announced 2025-26 season. Bignamini was among those on hand for Tuesday's festivities at Third Man, the retail and manufacturing complex founded by Detroit musician Jack White just down the road from Orchestra Hall in Midtown. Also attending were producer Blanton Alspaugh and engineer Mark Donahue, the multi-Grammy-winning team from the Boston firm Soundmirror, which oversaw the 'Blues Symphony' recording with 50-plus microphones and a makeshift control room. Artist Judy Bowman manned a table to sign copies of the LP, featuring her bright, Detroit-inspired cover design. Tuesday's event also served as a launch party for the Gold Record Collective, a DSO subscription service aimed at supporting the institution's ongoing album projects. The club will offer special-edition versions of Detroit Symphony releases — such as the new $25,000 framed copy of 'Blues Symphony,' pressed on gold vinyl and signed by Bignamini and Marsalis. 'Blues Symphony,' which will be submitted for Grammy Awards consideration, marks a proud moment for the DSO team and supporters — a chance to show off the orchestra's chops while paying tribute to the institution's prominent history in the world of jazz. DSO concertmaster Robyn Bollinger described Marsalis' symphony as a challenging though ultimately rewarding work. 'This piece is so virtuosic for the orchestra, and it's so dense as a musician. There are just pages and pages of black dots,' she said with a laugh. But more than anything, Bollinger said, the 'Blues Symphony' sessions were a chance for the Detroit Symphony to rise to the moment. 'It's heightened excitement,' she said of the recording. 'Everyone wants to give it their all.' "Blues Symphony" will be released by Pentatone on March 14. Along with the vinyl edition, the album will be available on CD, surround formats and digital services. Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DSO celebrates first album in nearly a decade at Third Man
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Better than Julliard': How Rodney Whitaker built MSU's jazz studies into acclaimed program
There he was in September, standing in front of the sign-in book at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge Massachusetts. Born on the east side of Detroit and now living in Lansing, Rodney Whitaker, 57, an internationally known jazz bassist, was being inducted as an esteemed member of the organization. The director of jazz studies at the Michigan State University College of Music shivered as he read the signatures of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and many others who came before him. 'It was quite an honor', Whitaker said. 'And, man, it is quite humbling to look at those who signed the book.' Although Whitaker was by himself in that moment, he was not standing alone. Surrounding him were the souls of his teachers, family, students, academic mentors, and graduates who went on to leadership roles in prestigious jazz programs throughout the U.S. Whitaker said he became a great musician through a system of mentorship. And he teaches that concept now like it is a part of a curriculum. Diego Rivera was one of Whitaker's students and mentees who now heads up the jazz program at the University of Texas in Austin. 'Rodney was an impactful and inspiring leader for me," Rivera said. "He taught me to make sure you make the most of every opportunity you are given. He also told me, whenever you say you'll do, do it.' More: Sphinx nonprofit founder's memoir examines race, the arts — and why Detroit is home base More: Detroit Symphony Orchestra cuts jazz groove on Wynton Marsalis 'Blues Symphony' album Now that Rivera, an East Lansing and MSU grad, has his own program, he gets to view Whitaker's work from a distance. 'Rodney was always an incredibly hard worker," he said. "At the core, that's always been one of his biggest attributes. His program is one of the best in the country. It exceeds the peer institutions, based on student successes, awards, accolades and recognition.' Whitaker's been called the Tom Izzo of jazz, a nod to MSU's Hall of Fame basketball coach. Both are known for building prize-winning programs and developing great players. A father of seven children, Whitaker made his name in the jazz world by touring the world with the greatest jazz artists and working with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for seven years. But the Detroiter was getting tired of being on the road and was gaining an interest in education. He also wanted to have a bigger role as a father and husband. Whitaker began at MSU as a part-time faculty member. At age 32, he was promoted to director of jazz studies. 'He seemed to be the best one for the job," James Forger, dean of the College of Music, said. "He was from Detroit, had an international reputation and was a committed educator. He was ready.' Forger recalls completing the hiring forms for Whitaker, particularly the question, "what is his terminal degree?" Whitaker didn't have a college degree, let alone a Ph.D. Forger asked Robert Banks, then associate provost for academic human resources and a jazz aficionado, how to handle that. Banks reponded, 'You tell anyone that asks that he learned to be a world class musician in the best nightclubs in the world.' Since that promotion, Whitaker has developed a jazz program that is respected nationwide. He also attained the level of University Distinguished Professor, the only current music faculty member to do so. When Whitaker came joined the faculty, MSU was struggling to get the jazz department off the ground. There were no jazz majors, just classical musicians who also played jazz. 'Many universities took a long time to accept jazz," Forger said. "In the early days, MSU didn't allow jazz to be played in the facility. It wasn't viewed as something you should do in higher education. It wasn't considered proper.' Now, the jazz studies program has 70 jazz major students and Whitaker has an eye towards developing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. But the early days at MSU were not easy for him. 'I thought it was way beyond my capacity, and I wanted to quit," Whitaker said. "And some people made me feel that way. But Jim Forger would not accept my resignation. He set me up with a mentor, Ruth Simms Hamilton, who I met with on a regular basis. I read many leadership books and I learned how to lead.' Etienne Charles was a trumpet teacher on the MSU faculty for 12 years. 'Rodney created a great jazz program by bringing his expertise as a performer and as teacher," Charles said. "He recruited good faculty and his wife, Cookey, was also on the staff to handle the organization and administration. But Rodney was the visionary.' Charles is now on the faculty at the University of Miami jazz program and is a busy soloist and successful recording artist. 'Today MSU is one of the most important jazz programs in the country, better than Julliard,' he said. Charles said what he appreciated most about his time at MSU was the family atmosphere Whitaker created. 'Everyone looked out for each other. Mentorship you saw on many levels," he said. "Rodney was a very caring individual. He cared for the music, how it was taught, how it was played and he cared for us as his family. There's a lot of love there. I'll always have a big part of MSU in me.' Whitaker built the program by bringing in world class artists as faculty members, such Branford Marsalis, Michael Dease (who has been rated Downbeat's best jazz trombonist for three years), and Grammy winner vocalist Carmen Bradford and many others. MSU Federal Credit Union funded a $1 million endowment in 2013 that brings in visiting artists who coach, teach master classes and tour with MSU jazz bands throughout Michigan. 'I like getting those students in the bus and on the road, to see how it feels to be a professional,' Whitaker said. Rivera remembers those trips well. 'There was a level of intensity that was arresting to some people we found around Michigan," he said. "In the schools, we displayed passion and pedagogic skills. We learned from one another and that was overwhelming to many people.' MSU's jazz bands have won national acclaim. They placed in the top three over the past three years of the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship held at the Lincoln Center and they had three tours to Japan. Whitaker said one important element of the program is that he teaches jazz as a part of the Black experience in America. 'We teach jazz music from the Black perspective," he said. "And that doesn't happen in a lot of universities because a lot of the people don't come from that background 'Our program is based on how people from Detroit learn how to play jazz and how they were mentored by a mentor. So that's integrated in our program as well – jazz history from a Black perspective. If you follow the history, you see that during slavery Blacks were not allowed to read English or music, so Blacks grew to be excellent sight readers of music.' Through the years, Whitaker has been recruited to take over the programs at Northwestern, Julliard and North Texas State. Each time, MSU increases the funding to his program, and he continues to grow jazz at MSU. And along the way, he collects accolades from hallowed institutions, like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, signing his name next to some of the greatest Americans who ever lived. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Rodney Whitaker, MSU jazz studies director, built powerhouse program
