Program: Kendrick Scott Oracle

KENDRICK SCOTT ORACLE

at UC San Diego Friday, December 4, 2015, at 8 pm The Loft at UC San Diego

ABOUT ARTPOWER

ArtPower at UC San Diego builds creative experiences in music, dance, film, exhibition and food for our collective pleasure and inspiration. We engage diverse audiences through vibrant, challenging, multi-disciplinary performances by emerging and renowned international artists. Through extensive partnerships, ArtPower provides exciting opportunities for research, participation, and creation of new work, igniting powerful dialogue between artists, students, scholars, and the community.

ARTPOWER MISSION

1. To create co-curricular opportunities in the performing arts and film that foster learning and self-discovery, as well as personal and professional skill development.

2. To supplement and enhance the academic investigation of our students through collaborative explorations in the performing arts and film.

3. To add to the artistic and cultural life of the La Jolla and San Diego communities.

ArtPower presents

KENDRICK SCOTT ORACLE

Friday, December 4, at 8:00 pm The Loft at UC San Diego Kendrick Scott, drums Taylor Eigsti, piano John Ellis, saxophone Mike Moreno, guitar Ben Williams, bass

PROGRAM Set to be announced from stage.

ABOUT THE ARTIST “Kendrick Scott has become the Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams of his generation,” says the renowned trumpeter and bandleader Terence Blanchard of his longtime drummer who makes his own Blue Note debut with the release of a remarkable new album, We Are The Drum. “He’s a brilliant mind bringing innovation to the music at the same time as creating a safe place for young talent to develop and grow.”

That kind of musical apprenticeship is key to the development of young jazz artists as Blanchard well knows having himself spent pivotal years with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.

In the decade that Scott occupied the drum throne in Blanchard’s band, he had the opportunity to learn first-hand from an established master who gave him the space to find his own voice both on his instrument and as a composer. In turn, Scott took that experience and founded one of the premiere new ensembles in jazz: Kendrick Scott Oracle.

Scott originally formed Oracle in 2006, and the band currently features a top notch collective of young musicians capable of a wide range of musical expression: saxophonist John Ellis, keyboardist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Mike Moreno, and bassist Ben Williams. With We Are The Drum, Scott becomes the fourth alumni of Blanchard’s band to sign to Blue Note as a solo artist, following in the footsteps of other leading voices of his generation including guitarist Lionel Loueke, pianist Aaron Parks, and bassist Derrick Hodge, who produced the album.

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ABOUT THE WORK The new album kicks off with “We Are The Drum,” which was cowritten by the band. “It’s about each of us realizing one person’s power to make a difference in the world in which we live,” says Scott, adding that “it actually began as a chant.” The tune builds in swirls of sound, releasing the tension to make way for a spacious solo from Ellis on tenor saxophone before coming to its climax. “John Ellis’s range is amazing,” says Scott. “He’s extremely soulful and modern.”

Ellis’s “Make Believe” follows with a dreamy wash of melody, his soprano saxophone lines leading the way before eventually intertwining with Moreno’s guitar. The track flows beautifully into “This Song In Me,” on which vocalist Lizz Wright has never sounded better.

“Lizz’s sound is so organic and possesses a powerful transparency. I have long loved her voice and was quite thrilled to have her contribute to this project.” “‘Mantra’ is an old piece of mine we’ve been playing awhile,” explains Scott, “and it has evolved over the years. It’s much more expansive. As Wayne Shorter told me, ‘anything you write is always in progress.’”

“I was watching a documentary on Charles Lloyd,” says Scott as he explains the genesis of his ruminative tune “The Long Shadow.” “He said ‘the closer you go to the light, the longer your shadow grows.’ This is the long shadow of racial history. The drum signifies footsteps in a marching formation. The shadows are things in our wake that we can’t change.”

“Never Catch Me” is an intricate reinterpretation of a song by Flying Lotus which originally featured the rapper Kendrick Lamar. “It’s a transcription of Lamar’s rap, it traces the flow and rhythm,” says Scott. “Raps are an extension of what we do as drummers. So the melody was composed in the essence of the rap, with different pitches. A kind of a search for a new form.”

Maya Angelou’s poem “Touched By An Angel” is the inspiration for a Scott original of the same name, which appears here in two different versions. Dedicated to the writer, the performances are delicate and thoughtful. Scott says “it’s about how isolation makes us lonely. We can only be happy in the company of other people. A reminder that ‘we’ are the drum, not just ‘me.’”

Ellis’s memorable tune “Milton” is a tribute to the great Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento. “There are so many textures in this band. Each textural choice is different,” explains Scott. Here, a delicate keyboard and guitar intro leads into a passionate main theme played on arco bass by Sanders before the piano and guitar return with an insistent rhythmic figure that pushes the tune forward. “Milton Nascimento’s music is deeply connected in a spiritual way,” says Scott “There is not a full release to the song, but a lot of tension in a cyclical way.”

Moreno’s dreamlike “Lotus” is, in Scott’s words, “more textural than anything. The lotus plant seeds and blossoms at the same time, a beautiful synchrony.” Over a bed of bass, bass clarinet and acoustic guitar, the song enters and exits on a soft breath. “’Synchrony’ is a tribute to the 1960’s Miles Davis quintet, one of my favorite bands” says Scott. “The melody is shadowed, it’s kind of there and not there.” The performance cooks on a propulsive rhythm set by Kendrick’s driving drums and Sanders’ walking bass and features a searching guitar solo from Moreno.

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Program

The closer is a solo piano version of “Touched By An Angel” performed by Eigsti that Scott describes as “a breath of fresh air. He plays with plenty of space and adds a celestial element that allows the album to end on a still note.”

THANK YOU Yamaha Drums; Zildjian Cymbals; Remo Drum Heads; Vater Sticks; Craviotto Snare Drums; Reunion Blues Cymbal Bags; Blue Note Records; AMI; friends, family, and the management team.

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ARTPOWER DONORS 2015–16 VISIONARY ($50,000+)

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund of the Jewish

Community Foundation

CATALYST ($20,000–49,999)

Jon and Bobbie Gilbert George Clement Perkins Endowment The Weil Family Foundation

CREATOR ($10,000–19,999)

Epstein Family Foundation Sam B. Ersan Michael and Susanna Flaster Elaine Galinson and Herbert Solomon of

the Galinson Family Foundation Eric Lasley and Judith Bachner New England Foundation for the Arts

PERFORMER ($5,000–9,999)

Amnon and Lee Ben-Yehuda Joan Jordan Bernstein Hamburger Chamber Music Series

Endowment Fund

ADVOCATE ($2,500–4,999)

Ann Spira Cambell Ronald and Wynnona Goldman Mehran and Susan Goulian Renita Greenberg Alexa Kirkwood Hirsch Charles and Marilyn Perrin Edith High Sanchez and Paul Sanchez Lee and Judith Talner

GUARDIAN ($1,000–2,499)

Joyce Axelrod and Joseph Fisch Bjorn Bjerede and Josephine A. Kiernan Maureen and C. Peter Brown Nelson and Janice Byrne Carol and Jeffrey Chang Alain Cohen and Denise Warren Ruth Covell Martha and Edward Dennis Wayne and Elizabeth Dernetz Dr. Diane Everett-Barbolla Drs. Edwin and Wita Gardiner Norman J. Goldberg and Fusako Yokotobi Pat Jacoby Liz Lancaster and Eli Shefter Marvin and Reinette Levine Barbara and Robert Nemiroff Hans Paar and Kim Signoret-Paar Clayton and Susan Peimer Anne Marie Pleska and Luc Cayet 6

Program

Robert and Lauren Resnik Elaine and Jerry Schneider Ruth Stern and Mort Levy Arthur and Molli Wagner Zelda Waxenberg

SUPPORTER ($500–999)

Janice Alper and Charles Kantor Ginger and Ken Baldwin Douglas Bradley Sam and Teresa Buss Bill Coltellaro and Eric Cohen Bill Michalsky Nessa O’Shaughnessy Anne Otterson Edward and Arlene Pelavin Samuel Popkin and Susan Shirk

CONTRIBUTOR ($250–499)

K. Andrew Achterkirchen Connie and George Beardsley William and Wendy Brody Patti and Brian Carlos Jeffrey C. Donahue and Gail Donahue Meg and Allan Goldstein Carol Hinrichs Barry and Helen Lebowitz Robert and Arleen Lettas Athina Markou and Mark Geyer Rod and Barbara Orth Joani Nelson Carol Plantamura and Felix Prael Gary and Brenda Ratcliff Doug and Eva Richman Johanna Thompson Jim and Kathleen Stiven Mr. and Mrs. Eli Strich Sylvia Wechter

SPARK ($100–249)

Shirley Babior and Judith Richards Paulyne Becerra Geoffrey Clow Ed and Edie Drcar Carol Hobson Carole Leland Elaine and Howard Maltz Kate Oesterreicher Ina Page Luc R. Pelletier Stephen and Susan Shuchter Ellen Speert and Paul Henry Janet Smarr Jimmy Tran Carey G. Wall Shirley Weaver Anonymous, In honor of Jimmy Tran

ARTPOWER STAFF DONORS Molly Clark Carolena Deutsch-Garcia Jordan Peimer Jason Smith Joanna Szu Rebecca Webb

CORPORATE SPONSORS

GRANTING ORGANIZATIONS

MEDIA SPONSOR

POWERPLAYERS PowerPlayers are an exceptional group of donors that have made a three year commitment to support ArtPower. This multi-year support is crucial to ArtPower’s continued success and growth.

Joyce Axelrod Joan Bernstein Alain Cohen Martha Dennis Phyllis Epstein Elaine Galinson Bobbie Gilbert Norman Goldberg Renita Greenberg Eric Lasley Kim Signoret-Paar Hans Paar Robert and Lauren Resnik Arthur and Molli Wagner Zelda Waxenberg Pat Weil

A portion of funding for ArtPower is provided by the UC San Diego Student Services Fee Committee.

Donor list as of 11.16.2015

ARTPOWER STAFF

Molly Clark, Associate Director of Artistic

Planning & Education Carolena Deutsch-Garcia, Associate

Director of Development John Morgan, Box Office Manager Sean Nash, Ticketing Coordinator Jordan Peimer, Executive Director Jason Smith, Production Manager Joanna Szu, Associate Director of Marketing

and Communications Rebecca Webb, Film Curator

STUDENT STAFF

Grason Caldwell, Marketing Assistant Crystal K. Chan, Film Curatorial

Assistant Intern Minhtri Chu, Marketing Intern Riley Dewitt-Rickards, Production Assistant Austin Eamnarangkool, Marketing Intern Keita Funakawa, Film Curatorial Assistant Camille Latzke, Marketing Intern Aileen Liang, Marketing Assistant Joyce Liang, Marketing Intern Derrick Lieu, Marketing Intern Cliff Mann, Film Curatorial Assistant Connie Oh, Marketing Intern Kendra Quinlan, Marketing Intern Emily Small, Marketing Intern Maryanee Vargas, Marketing Intern Bryant Vu, Marketing Assistant Karen Wang, Production Assistant

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JAZZ / U.S.A.

JOSÉ JAMES

Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 8 pm Singer-songwriter José James is on a constant quest for new musical horizons, evolving and blurring the lines between genres as he does. His latest project, Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday, is a tribute to the legendary singer’s centenary.

JAZZ / U.S.A.

2015–16 UPCOMING EVENTS

ALICIA OLATUJA

Thursday, May 12, 2016, at 8 pm Blending elements of classical, jazz, gospel and pop, Alicia Olatuja’s unique and soulful musical style is refined and captivating.

INNOVATION / MEXICO

MAL’AKH ENSEMBLE

Friday, January 8, 2016, at 8 pm An electro-acoustic project founded by the multi-laureate Mexican composer Felipe Perez Santiago, Mal’Akh Ensemble creates an eclectic sound that combines elements of traditional, avant-garde, folk, contemporary, rock, free jazz, and improvisational music.

CHAMBER MUSIC / U.S.A.

CALDER QUARTET

Saturday, January 23, 2016, at 8 pm The Calder Quartet, called “outstanding” and “superb” by the New York Times, performs at an exceptional level, always striving to channel and fulfill the composer’s vision. Program: Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 12, Op. 127; Janáček’s String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters;” Daníel Bjarnason’s Sillshot; Andrew Norman’s Sabina DANCE / JAPAN

KOTA YAMAZAKI / FLUID HUG-HUG DANCE COMPANY OQ Friday, January 29, 2016, at 8 pm

Global traditions flow together in this latest work by Bessie Award–winning choreographer Kota Yamazaki. OQ is inspired by Japanese ritual poetry readings held at the Imperial Palace.

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