The Barbary Coast jazz ensemble's vocalist, Neisha Powells '95, joined the Coast's rhythm section last night at the Lone Pine Tavern for an evening of standards and ballads.
Backed by pianist Luis Scheker '95, bassist Todd Miller '95 and drummer Rob Roses '97, Powells began the set with Cole Porter's classic "You'd be so nice to come home to," a medium-tempo number. Immediately evident from this song was Powells' extraordinary range and "feel" for a song.
Her voice was equally unstressed and as fluid in the highest registers as it was in the low ones. After a brief solo by Scheker and Miller, Powells finished the song with a rising crescendo.
The group then went on to perform the ballad "Stars fell on Alabama," one of the highlights of the set. Trumpeter Donald Byrd once said that "to play a ballad straight ahead without any ornamentation is one of the hardest things to do in jazz." The group, however, showed no signs of hesitation during the song. While Roses switched to brushes for this tune, Miller and Scheker continued their solid support, accenting Powells' melody lines with rich chords.
Other noteworthy interpretations of standards were "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," and a song familiar to most Dartmouth students, "If I Were a Bell." During both songs, Roses provided sensitive support for Powells as well as the piano and bass. He fully utilized the drum set, using the bass drum in contrast with the cymbals effectively, while always maintaining a sensitive touch and unobtrusive sound.
Scheker, the pianist for the Barbary Coast, displayed a sound understanding of the piano. His solos, though they were brief, were controlled and expressive. His style of playing seemed perfectly suited for Powells, and his use of space was well adapted to back a vocalist.
Miller was equally impressive on the acoustic bass, an instrument which is ignored all too often because of its low-key presence. The bass, however, remains the center of every rhythm section, keeping sure reference to meter and tempo at all times. His steady, clear playing contributed to the overall tight sound of the trio.
Scheker, Miller and Roses will be joined tomorrow night by Senior Lecturer in Music Fred Haas, who currently teaches saxophone and piano at the College. They will begin their first set at 10 p.m. at the Lone Pine Tavern.
