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"excerpt this!" by the man with a horn, Adam Unsworth |
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Written by Don Berryman
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Thursday, 16 March 2006 |
"An orchestra is like a museum. It
upholds tradition and history, replicating great classics as accurately
as possible, under the direction of a conductor. It’s like Bible
recitation. Anyone, whose music can be revered 100 years later,
deserves the reverence. It is, however, the antithesis of
improvisation." – Adam Unsworth
Adam Unsworth, French hornist for the Philadelphia Orchestra and
Instructor of Horn and Coordinator of Brass Repertoire for Temple
University, is soon to release his jazz debut, excerpt this! on which
Unsworth is joined by Philadelphia players Diane Monroe
(violin), Tony Miceli (vibes), Ranaan Meyer (bass), Cornell Rochester
(drums) and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and composer and
Unsworth’s former teacher, Les Thimmig (bass clarinet and flute). This
unusual configuration of horn, violin, bass clarinet and flute,
vibraphone, bass, and drums creates an unique sound, and the
performance
combines classical chamber music elements with improvisation. The CD
features six of Unsworth’s original compositions. In addition to six
songs for sextet, the CD includes three unaccompanied jazz works for
horn by Unsworth, Les Thimmig and a Temple University commission by
Dana Wilson.The release will be celebrated with two Philadelphia performances. On
Friday, March 17th, Unsworth takes the stage with his studio sextet at
the Philadelphia Museum of Art and on the 19th at Temple University’s
Rock Hall.
"After ten years in the French horn
sections of the Detroit Symphony and The Philadelphia Orchestra it has
become increasingly clear that for me, creativity, spontaneity, and
originality are fundamental to my musical well-being. Like all
classical hornists, I have spent literally hundreds of hours learning
and striving to perfect solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts
(passages of important orchestra music). As its title implies, the
Excerpt This! project is a conscious break from the world of classical
hornist into the role of creative musician/composer/improviser -- a
role I find very comfortable, gratifying, and rejuvenating."
– Adam Unsworth
The French horn (or simply 'horn' as musicians call it) is not unknown
to jazz; Hornist Julius Watkins performed with and recorded with many
jazz greats, including Monk. Most jazz aficionado collections
will have several examples in their libraries, including Miles Davis'
albums with Gil Evans' arrangements, and Coltrane's African Brass. (See
Harlan Feinstein's
Jazz Horn webpage for a complete list of Jazz Horn players and
discography). However, it is unusual to have the horn featured as
a
solo instrument and several songs on excerpt
this! feature unaccompanied horn which is extremely rare in a
jazz performance. Graham's
Crackers, a three song suite composed by Dana Wilson is such a
work and is performed on unaccompanied horn by Adam Unsworth performing
the songs in the suite: Ballad, Swing and Samba - each providing a
unique rhythmic and harmonic avenue for Unsworth to explore. Ballad is a bluesy 'Gershwin-esce'
tune that allows Adam to plummet the depth of emotion with some extreme
expressive playing, then Swing
romps through an up-tempo and the Samba
is almost a syntheses of the two emerging as completion of an emotional
journey.
Unworth's own compositions show another side of his talent, while also
allowing his band mates to shine. Violinist Diane Monroe
is wonderful whenever she plays, particularly stellar performance on
the title track which also gives ample solo space for each member of
the ensemble. Tony Miceli expertly adds a Hutcherson-like feel on vibes as
the harmonic anchor in the rhythm section.
" While I play an instrument thought
unwieldy for jazz, I have always felt a strong musical affinity for the
genre. The sense of freedom and ease inherent in jazz I wholeheartedly
embrace. In my opinion, the ability to improvise well is the most
attractive, inspirational quality a musician can have. My endeavor to
obtain this skill has opened my ears and imagination, as well as many
musical doors. I am convinced that it has brought facility and
expressiveness to my playing I could not have achieved otherwise."
– Adam Unsworth
The release will be celebrated with two Philadelphia performances. On
Friday, March 17th, Unsworth takes the stage with his studio sextet at
the Philadelphia Museum of Art and on the 19th at Temple University’s
Rock Hall.
“The recording and production of this
CD was one of the most liberating and thrilling undertakings of my
career. This might be the most fun I've ever had while music making.
I’m already thinking about the next one.” – Adam Unsworth
Visit www.adamunsworth.com for more information. |
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 Monday, 06 October 2008
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