Tonight the Hop will come alive with the eclectic music of the Bang on a Can All-Stars. At 8 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium, this group will light up the stage with a variety of musical fusions.
Part chamber ensemble, part rock band and part jazz ensemble, the All-Stars came together in 1989 by way of the third-annual New York Bang on a Can Festival. Comprised of members Mark Stewart, Wendy Sutter, Lisa Moore, Steven Schick, Evan Ziporyn and Robert Black, their unique instrumentation features clarinets, saxophone, electric guitar, cello, bass, keyboards and percussion.
Because of their popularity and original sound, they enjoyed their first performance at New York City's Lincoln Center in 1993. Since then, they have performed at numerous festivals such as the Meltdown Festival in London's South Bank Centre and the Holland Festival at Tanglewood. In addition to exciting the musical desire of listeners at those sites, the All-Stars have performed all over the world.
"Industry," their first recording, was released in 1995. They have continued to release albums, each one more innovative than the last and have followed with supporting tours. Their supreme dedication to music has won them recognition and earned them appearances on CNN, MTV and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."
For this particular show, the group will be featuring works by jazz legend Ornette Coleman and a tentatively pronounced "score" to an old television episode from Ernie Kovacs.
The New York Times refers to the All-Stars as, "A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble."
There is still some doubt about the definition of this mixed genre. Bang on a Can, based in New York, is an organization dedicated to the creation of a forum for innovative music.
Since its inception in 1987, Bang on a Can has developed from a one-day festival into a versatile and groundbreaking organization.
The All-Stars derive their sound from the minimalist movement, which emerged during the late 1960s in New York and focused on not only music but visual art as well. Michael Gordon, Bang on a Can co-founder and composer, is one of several who helped to create the unorthodox sound of the group that blends many musical styles into one interesting creation.
Minimalism is a trend in music toward the simplicity of rhythm as well as tone, including sustained or recurring cadences and melodic patterns that produce a trance-inducing effect.
For all music lovers, this show is not one to miss. There are not many opportunities at Dartmouth College to experience an original and creative performance like this one.
