Jazz Piano Concerto 12 Page Booklet

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JAZZ PIANO CONCERTOSTEPHEN RUSHUniversity of Michigan Jazz EnsembleEllen Rowe, ConductorStephen Rush, piano soloist

World Premier, commissioned by Edgefest, 2013

I. The Mistress Weeps Interlude III. Or Nutty Interlude IIIII. Chuck Woodson Interlude IIIIV. Adagio Interlude IVV. The Moochinator Interlude V VI. Nawseanne Interlude VI VII. Septa Musette

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The Mistress Weeps Singer - Brendan AsanteTrumpet - Allen DennardPiano - Stephen Rush

Or Nutty Trumpet - Greg SimonAlto Saxophone - Yuma Uesaka Piano - Stephen Rush

Chuck WoodsonTrumpet - Davy LazarPiano - Stephen RushGuitar - Gabriel Wilk-Mizrahi

AdagioSoprano Saxophone - Yuma UesakaTenor Saxophone - Stephen Grady

The Moochinator Lead Trumpet - Greg Simon Soprano - Chris TabyczynksiTenor Saxophone - Stephen Grady Piano - Stephen Rush

Nawseanne Guitar- Will RachovskyPiano - Stephen Rush

Soloists

Production

Septa Musette Tenor Saxophone - Chris TabaczynskiGuitar - Will RachovskyBaritone Saxophone - Rachel Mazer Drums - Don Gozzard

Audio Engineer: Jason CoreyCD Package Design: Simon Alexander-Adams

ENV1601 © 2016 Stephen Rush

Interludes will occur between each movement, consisting of the realizations of four graphic scores/watercolors painted by Stephen Rush.

Interlude 1

Interlude 3Interlude 2

Interlude 4Interlude 5Interlude 6

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Conductor Ellen RowePianist and Composer Stephen Rush

SaxophonesAlto I Jordan VanHemert Alto II Yuma Uesaka Tenor I Chris Tabaczynski Tenor II Stephen Grady Baritone Rachel Mazer

TrumpetsI/II Greg Simon I/II Peter Walle III Davy Lazar IV Neal Anderson V Allen Dennard

TrombonesI Chris Smith PhDII Micah Smiley III Ryan Chen IV Je� Arredondo

Rhythm Section

Guitars Gabe Wilk-Mizrahi Will Rachofsky

Bass Jordan Schug

Drums/Percussion Nicole Patrick (The Mistress Weeps, Chuck Woodson, Nawseanne) Don Gozzard (The Moochinator, Septa Musette)David Alvarez (Adagio)

PerformersInterludes will occur between each movement, consisting of the realizations of four graphic scores/watercolors painted by Stephen Rush.

Interlude 1Interlude 2Interlude 3Interlude 4 Interlude 5Interlude 6

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I ended pretty much where I started – with a series of homages (or my detractors can call them “style studies” – fine!). My favor-ites are mostly all here – Cab Calloway, Woody Herman (well, probably more Fletcher Henderson, but…), Ellington/Louis/Min-gus, Erik Satie and Debussy from “that side of things”, and my dear loves, Ornette Coleman and Willem Breuker. The inter-ludes? I took a little more control here and painted graphic scores - I’ve been doing this for more than a decade now. The band responded wonderfully to all of it. Most of this music was outside their general milieu – and that’s just fine. They took to it like a fish to water – with humor, intentionality and fervor. Most of the credit is largely due to the serious intentionality and professionalism on the part of my age-old friend and colleague Ellen Rowe. She’s a wonder. Thank you Ellen!

A special note – a wrinkle in the process? When I returned from India in 2013, I had planned to do orchestrations and final editing for about 2-3 weeks, then give Ellen the score. My Mom died in the middle of that work – and as she faded from earth she would pat my hand and say, “let me rest, you go work on your piece. Thank you for your gift of music.” I did what she said. And I love you, Mom.

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Jazz Piano Concerto with Graphic Scores       by Stephen Rush

World Premiere, commissioned by Edgefest, 2013

University of Michigan Jazz EnsembleEllen Rowe, ConductorStephen Rush, piano soloist

Program Notes: When my dear friend Deanna Relyea approached me about writ-ing a Piano Concerto for Edgefest this year I definitely had a “sound” in my head, or an idea what direction I would go. I envi-sioned my Ornette/Cecil Taylor inspired Jazz playing driving a piece out of me that would be complex harmonically and rhyth-mically, and thoroughly “moderne” – and let me “show o� my stu�”. Well….the proof is in the pudding. I began to write this work in June of 2013, and my first sketches were all Mingus and Elling-ton – completely and unavoidably. I couldn’t escape. Ach, the burden of history! So I made a series of note cards with ideas for short movements informed by the deep past of Jazz History (and more – the present, and the future), with possible interludes that would be completely improvised.

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