Williams Jazz Ensemble

The Williams College Department of Music presents the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Andy Jaffe on Friday, March 11 at 8 p.m. in Chapin Hall on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public.

A jazz group never content to sit still, the Williams Jazz Ensemble proudly presents original material, in large part thanks to Rob Pasternak ’11, whose contribution as a pianist has delighted fans of the ensemble in recent years. He stands in the spotlight musically while being tested in an academic sense: his composition is also an important part of his senior thesis.

In its public debut, Pasternak’s Cinematic Suite describes in a jazz idiom the emotional arc of an epic film. This inspired musical take on a modern form of story telling features a number of sections and its form is recognizable by any fan of the silver screen. “Opening Credits” establishes the mood of the piece, building tension through its use of the sonata form, with a surprising final twist. “Evil Empire/Hello Hero” is a depiction of the hero as the lone beam of light in a world surrounded by darkness and chaos. “Our Journey” leads us through several disparate musical motifs, depicting the hero’s long and dangerous journey to the villain’s lair. In “Final Fight” our hero has reached the villain’s lair, and the two engage in a lengthy battle for the fate of mankind. In the end, when things look darkest, the hero vanquishes the villain and saves the day. The final scene is “Everlasting Peace?” With the villain vanquished, all is well…but is it really?  The question mark on any good film leaves the author with room for a sequel.

Complimenting this jazz interpretation of the movie experience, the ensemble presents some other short pieces. A Williams alum and composer, Douglas Boyce ’92, gives us “A Brief History of Acceleration.” Boyce is a professor for the Music Department at George Washington University in Washington D.C., and a recent visitor to campus as a Class of 1960s Fellow. “Wives and Lovers” by Burt Bacharach gets not one, but two interpretations. The first, as performed by “Five O’Clock Shadow” is arranged by bassist Jon Morgenstern ’11. The second version of the Bacharach classic is in big band arrangement by vocalist Valerie Tichacek that features vocalist Aspen Jordan’11. Finally, the ensemble presents “Dr. Beauchef, Penguin Dentist” by the group Kneebody, also arranged by Morgenstern.

As a reference point for jazz in the area, the Williams Jazz Ensemble vigorously pursues the possibilities suggested by the modern big band. This concert highlights just how special this is, and how creativity is nurtured tucked in the folds of the Berkshires.

Rob Pasternak is a native of Baltimore, MD, studying music and philosophy at Williams. His combined composition and performance thesis consists of two large-scale works: the Cinematic Suite (composed for the Williams Jazz Ensemble) and his Piano Concerto in G Minor (composed for Student Symphony). The Cinematic Suite is a five-movement musical representation of the story arc of an epic film, as well as an exploration of alternative forms of jazz harmony. The piano concerto will be performed in May and features the composer on piano. Rob extends enormous thanks to his parents, L. Reuven and Nancy Pasternak; his brothers, Andrew and Jordan Pasternak; and his thesis advisor, Andy Jaffe. He would also like to thank the music department for their support and patience over the years, as well as the members of the Jazz Ensemble and Student Symphony for loaning him their talents and time.

The flagship Williams Jazz Ensemble (big band) plays formal concerts on campus, and also travels each year, with performances ranging from the Boston area to New York as well as throughout the Western Mass. region. In January of ’08 the Ensemble was in residence at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico.

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