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Starry Nights
At
American Museum of Natural History
Rose Center for Earth and Space
(Rose Center Website)
Central Park West at 79th Street
Featuring:
Marcus Strickland Quartet
(Marcus Strickland Website)
With
Marcus Strickland on Tenor and Soprano Saxes
E. J. Strickland on Drums
Robert Glasper on Piano
Josh Ginsburg on Bass
Rose Center Press: gaby@amnh.org
Added Publicity: Jim Eigo: jazzpromo@earthlink.net
Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
January 6, 2006
The American Museum of Natural History’s new Rose Center for Earth and Space has a unique concept, Friday nights at the astronomy education center with a jazz musician and band, tapas and drinks, and an open, airy feeling, at an early enough hour for families and elderly neighbors, alike. This is truly a community outreach project, one that can draw from the New York jazz community as well as the museum’s loyal visitors. Marcus Strickland performed tonight on tenor and soprano saxes, with his twin brother, E. J. Strickland, on drums, Robert Glasper on piano, and Josh Ginsburg filling in for Vicente Archer on bass. The ambiance is casual, esoteric (space media prominently displayed), and very airy (a wide expanse of stage, chairs, tables, catering buffets, sound booth, and media exhibits).
This second set opened with abstract, powerful music (all works were composed by Marcus Strickland), with visitors gazing on media screens, on the musicians, on the buffets, and on each other. Piano, bass, and drums took a riff, along with Marcus on sax, for wrap-around sound. The second piece evoked a repetitive, moody motif, with E. J. on cymbals, before Marcus entered with a prominent, complimentary theme, followed by the talented Robert Glasper on piano, echoing with higher and higher registers. This composition, called Amen, exuded soul and sophistication.
Splendor, with a long piano riff, seemed to build on the musicians’ strengths. Robert added an atonal swing to Marcus’ soprano sax, which found off-the-scale registers of exhilarating sound, before the piece merged to melancholy and meandering notes. E. J.’s syncopation was perfectly timed and toned. Thump and Cadence brought Robert’s rippling piano in line with some surprises on staccato sax, focused on higher tonalities. Sesame Street, with an upbeat, hardly childlike theme, energized Rose Center with fast swing, aided by E. J.’s drums and Josh’s solo bass, combining for a rapid waterfall of resonant sound. This racing rhythm through a melodic melody brought the piece to a close with a combined flourish of volume and vibrancy.
Marcus Strickland and His CD's at Starry Nights
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Josh Ginsburg, Marcus Strickland, EJ Strickland
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Robert Glasper on Piano
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Marcus Strickland on Saxophone
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Josh Ginsburg, Marcus Strickland, EJ Strickland
Photo courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
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