Barbary Coast, the College's jazz ensemble, will host alto saxophonist Oliver Lake and drummer Cecil Brooks III for their first concert of the term this weekend.
The concert, which is a tribute to the late saxophonist and composer Julius Hemphill, will feature Lake and Brooks playing Hemphill's compositions alongside the ensemble.
Lake brings a blues-drenched sound to his playing, but has brought plenty of innovation to the blues-jazz genre, blending the traditional style of Charlie Paker with Ornette Coleman's avant-garde vision.
Lake, however, is much more than a conventional mixture of be-bop and avant-garde. He is an adept jazz composer whose command over the tonal language of jazz is near perfect, a trait which is reflected in his impeccable control over the alto saxophone. He has the rare ability to bend musical convention according to his rules, allowing him to be an innovative musician.
Lake's long friendship and musical association with Hemphill makes him one of the authorities on the latter's original compositions.
Brooks, a relatively low key talent, has performed with an impressive group of musicians, including pianist John Hicks, organist Jimmy Smith and vocalist Billy Eckstine.
An experienced and reliable timekeeper, Brooks is perfectly suited for Lake's whimsical, spur-of-the-moment playing style, which is often punctuated with unconventional rhythmic patterns.
Tickets for Saturday night's 8 p.m. concert are available at the Hopkins Center box office. They are $2 for Dartmouth students, $4 for graduate students and $10.50 for reserved seats.
