Byron, who was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the winner of the 2009 Samuel Barber Rome Prize for Composition, gave his first performance with the New Gospel Quintet in New York City last April. The gospel ensemble is the latest step in Byron's constant musical evolution.
From his debut album, "Tuskegee Experiments" (1992), through his latest release, "Do the Boomerang" (2006), Byron's approach to both his instrument and the genre of jazz has been incredibly diverse.
With the New Gospel Quintet, Byron turns his attention to the rich tradition of black gospel music, and, in particular, the work of composer Thomas Dorsey. The group's sound, honed over a summertime tour through Europe, could best be described as a jazz-laden conversation about gospel music using the structure and feel of gospel as a jumping-off point for embellishment and improvisation. Traditional tunes like "Precious Memories" are extended and morphed into jazzy celebrations of each band member's virtuosic skill, while still retaining their soulful cores.
Though Dorsey's compositions are a central focus of the New Gospel Quintet musical direction, Saturday's performance will certainly not slavishly adhere to the notes on the page.
Byron is "a chameleon-like artist," according to Hop programming director Margaret Lawrence. The collection of musicians he has gathered to be a part of his ensemble reflects his genre-crossing tendencies: artists like vocalist D.K. Dyson and bassist Kenny Davis have covered many musical styles throughout their respective careers.
Saturday's show will not be Byron's first time performing at the College. During an earlier tour promoting his 1996 album "Bug Music," Byron was scheduled to travel to Burlington, Vt., after his show at the Hop, but an ice storm hit, Lawrence said. Stranded in Hanover, Byron wandered around to various dorms on campus with a boombox, meeting with students and sharing his musical tastes and inspirations with them.
Constant assimilation and adaptation are the most defining elements of Byron's sound, and this Saturday's performance provides the ideal venue to observe his creative process.
