Jazzmen to give concert of duets

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Dana School of Music will present a free recital of duets at 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at Butler North, Wick Avenue and University Plaza, adjacent to the Butler Institute of American Art.

The concert will feature faculty member David Morgan and guest artists Joe Augustine, Chris Anderson, Teddy Pantelas and Howie Smith.

“The art of the duo is a chance to do something completely different — to play duets with some of my favorite duo partners,” said Morgan. “In this concert, I’ll be emphasizing the role of the bassist as an accompanist. The four musicians I’ve chosen to play with have very different styles, so the real fun comes in finding ways to complement their individual approaches.”

Music will include selections from the great American songbook, pieces by jazz composers including John Coltrane and Benny Golson, compositions by the African vocalist Angelique Kidjo and original compositions by the guest artists.

“The most exciting thing about presenting a concert of this sort is that we really don’t know what is going to happen,” said Morgan. “We begin with some basic frameworks, but most of the performance will be improvised.”

Morgan, associate professor of jazz studies and double bass, is a member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. He often performs as a double bassist and electric bassist in pops concerts. His composition “Reflections and Meditations” was recorded by the Poland Philharmonic of Central Europe in July and will be released in the spring.

Augustine is a visiting professor of jazz piano at the University of Akron. He has appeared in a variety of musical settings from jazz clubs to symphony halls.

Anderson is one of the leading jazz trombonists in the region. He has performed with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Heritage Orchestra and many others.

Pantelas is a self-taught guitarist who has been on the faculty of the Allegheny Music Festival and Montessori School System and has been the musician-in-residence at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, and Northside Medical Center in Youngstown.

Saxophonist Howie Smith has received two Fulbright grants. He has twice served as co-chair of both the Jazz Fellowships and the Music Overview panels of the National Endowment for the Arts.