Jazz classics on display

Jazz music is finding a home at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

The Triangle Jazz Orchestra will be performing 20th-century classics Wednesday in an open rehearsal.

“This used to be something done every Wednesday,” said Art Menius, the center’s executive director.

“We’ve since dialed it back to only one night every few months, which makes it very exciting. The orchestra plays jazz standards largely from the big band age, and it’s all open for the public to come in and hear the classic tunes of the most popular era of jazz.”

Bob Brower, manager and bass player for the orchestra, said although it’s called a rehearsal, Wednesday’s performance will be more of a concert.

“It’s kind of an open performance for the public,” Brower said. “We have music to listen and to dance to, and it’s really a whole big band arrangement.

“We do (Duke) Ellington tunes, (Glenn) Miller tunes, tons of classics.”

Brower has been with Triangle Jazz Orchestra since its creation back in 2003, and he has been playing bass on and off for the last 43 years.

“Even in a smaller group, there’s an energy in this type of music,” Brower said.

“With big band especially, it’s like a freight train going down the tracks. There’s a lot of power and energy, and when everything clicks, there’s a lot that really comes alive. When you get all of these people to play together, and they all connect as one, it’s like a spiritual experience … Everyone’s doing their part and making it one.”

The jazz orchestra is composed of 17 of the Triangle area’s most prominent musicians, both on the amateur and professional level.

“Being in a big band really is like being on a team,” said Stan Levy, Chapel Hill dermatologist and a tenor saxophone player in the orchestra. “Every player has his role, and the sum of the players is always, hopefully, greater than the individual parts. Big band was developed as a dance music, and when performed live, the dancers and musicians really energize one another.”

Levy has also been with Triangle Jazz Orchestra since its beginning and has been a lifelong fan of this musical genre. Levy said when the band began it used to clear out his waiting room at Chapel Hill Dermatology and play into the late night.

“I’ve grown up with some of this music, and the chance to get to play it only enhances one’s appreciation of it,” Levy said.

“I don’t want to get into the benefit of music for one’s brain, but it really does have excellent value for preserving the mind.”

The performance will feature classic songs by artists such as Benny Goodman, Ellington, Artie Shaw and many of their contemporaries. There will also be a few more recent jazz and blues editions thrown into the mix, giving the show a wealth of variety and style.

The orchestra will hold another similar performance on Dec. 4, which will also be free to the public.

“It’s a creative experience, especially with jazz,” Brower said.

“You don’t always even have to play the notes when you’re with a huge band, you just play off of them. You can always make it a new thing even with these old songs. If you play it 500 times, chances are you’ll never play it once the same way.”?

arts@dailytarheel.com