By now, most students around campus have probably seen the eye-catching red and orange posters announcing the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble's upcoming winter performance. For those who have been out of the loop, you should know that this incredible performance group is preparing a Latin-flavored show for Saturday, Feb. 11, with special guests Conrad Herwig, Walter White and Robby Ameen on trombone, trumpet and percussion, respectively.
The Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble is currently made up of 19 student performers -- 18 undergraduates and one graduate student. This term, one alumnus will also be playing congas with the group. David Jiles '06 and Jessica Rawlins '07 are the Coast's vocalists, and they are accompanied by five saxophone players, five trumpets, four trombones, a piano, a bass and drums.
Don Glasgo has directed the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble for 30 years. Besides his musical direction for the ensemble, he has also taught courses in jazz history and music literature and composition not only here at Dartmouth, but also at Hamilton College, Lyndon State, Goddard College and the graduate music program at Vermont College. He is a master valve trombonist, having performed with Phish, the Oliver Lake Big Band and many others. The Barbary Coast has performed many of his compositions, and he leads his own group, Gusano, in performing blues, Latin and jazz music.
Glasgo said, "What makes the Barbary Coast different from other groups on campus is its repertoire. As the college jazz ensemble, we focus on music from the Afro-Caribbean and African American jazz traditions. We have one of the best jazz ensemble 'big band' libraries in the country. Several guest artists have also commented on the fact that we are probably the most eclectic college jazz ensemble in the country as well."
The Barbary Coast has had a unique history since its beginnings in the mid-1920s. The group started as a Dixieland band, and during the '40s and '50s, the students in the ensemble performed in towns and cities throughout the East Coast nearly every weekend, as well as on cruise ships during summer break. Glasgo said, "During that time, it was possible to work your way through Dartmouth by playing in the Coast!"
This weekend's performance will feature music from the Afro-Latin big band tradition, with music by Mario Bauza, Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri. Since 1979, the Barbary Coast has had many guest artists come to perform with the students in featured concerts.
"The guest artists normally come in for a week before the concert and work with the students in the ensemble during roughly 20-plus hours of rehearsals and workshops leading up to the performance. This workshop model has been highly praised and taken as a model for other institutions as well," Glasgo said.
This concert will feature Conrad Herwig, an accomplished jazz trombonist who has played for over 25 years, and has recorded 16 albums including the 2005 Grammy-nominated "Another Kind of Blue -- The Latin Side of Miles Davis." In his concert preview, Glasgo wrote, "On Conrad's suggestion, we also extended invitations to trumpeter Walter White and percussionist Robby Ameen to join us in our performance this evening. Walter White is generally considered in the business to be one of the finest lead players around. Robby Ameen is known both as a legendary teacher and as an incredible performer. Conrad, Walter and Robby all know how to bring the heat and lift the bandstand."
The Barbary Coast will perform at the Spaulding Auditorium in the Hopkins Center at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Students can purchase tickets for $3, and non-student tickets will cost $14. Students should also keep their eyes peeled for flyers announcing the Barbary Coast's next performance, a tribute to the five ensemble members who will graduate with the Class of 2006.
