Jazz cats launch premiere concert

Tomorrow night the Cosmopolitan Music Society unveils a new treasure from its jewel box. The newly revised Cosmopolitan Jazz Orchestra is set to debut its premiere performance at Edmonton’s McDougall United Church.

Without a previous barometer, this is the first time in decades Cosmo audiences will be musical test subjects. This will be the first of three planned concerts.

Cautioning against false expectations, jazz orchestra conductor Allen Jacobson says, “We require everyone to read music at a certain level. All the musicians play professional level charts.”

As Jacobson explains it, Cosmo operated two successful jazz bands and a jazz dance program in the early 1970s under founding conductor Harry Pinchin.

But in the ’70s the public schools took the jazz band programs under their umbrella and Cosmopolitan restricted itself to adult programs.

“A lot of the Monday and Tuesday band musicians were squawking for a big band. We auditioned about 30 and chose 17.”

Jacobson, who has more than 25 years experience as a musician/composer/conductor in Canada and abroad, was tapped to conduct.

As a fully nuanced orchestra, the jazz orchestra includes five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, a bass, piano, drums and guitar.

“Count Basie always had a guitar. He just loved that texture. And we’re going to be playing a lot of rock and pop arrangements for jazz ensemble.”

For the first concert, Jacobson is veering away from a Christmas theme.

“We just want to do some originals, some jazz standards, something from the ’40s, something modern and something from my colleagues in Europe. We want to provide a nice introduction that represents the scale and scope but also the musicianship that is required.”

The concert kicks off with In Your Own Sweet Way, a Dave Brubeck bossa nova.

“It’s a great tune – challenging yet not overly taxing. We wanted to start off with something comfortable for the musicians and the audience. And this chart has great harmonies.”

It flows into that golden standard In the Mood.

“We wanted to show we acknowledge and respect that part of the jazz repertoire.”

Jacobson has also included German composer Arno Klassen’s ballad Beautiful Nights, featuring alto sax.

And St. Albert’s Barth Bradley, as featured alto sax player, has the opportunity to really goose it in Manteca, a popular Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban jazz chart.

“These are all professional level calibre pieces. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at what we’ve been able to accomplish after two months of rehearsals. We have good musicians, strong soloists and an excellent rhythm section which is critical for this kind of band.”