On Thursday, April 10, The Bank of New Hampshire Stage will once again play host to what is quickly becoming a flagship event in the Concord Community Music School calendar. Continuing the tradition of the popular “Jazz in January” series, CCMS’s April Jazz Night, now in its third year and featuring the CCMS Jazz All-Stars, has taken on a life of its own. This annual event,held at the Bank of New Hampshire State in Downtown Concord celebrates legends of the genre and raises money for the Music School’s financial aid program.
“This annual event is special for the school for many reasons – it gives our faculty an opportunity to perform together, showcase our enthusiasm for the genre to attendees, and socialize with the community before and after the event,” says CCMS jazz and popular music department chair Zeb Cruikshank, who is also the music coordinator for this year’s event, “A Jazz Milestone: A Miles Davis Tribute”.
Cruikshank was drawn to Davis, one of the most iconic jazz musicians of all time, thanks in large part to Davis’s most famous album, Kind of Blue. He explains, “With its personnel of legendary jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly, and track list consisting of popular jazz standards like ‘All Blues’ and ‘So What,’ the album has had a lasting impact on fans and performers of jazz for decades.”
Not wanting to just play the songs off Davis’ seminal work, Cruikshank implored his bandmates to help him fill out the set list. Because of the trumpeter’s prolific nature, the task was both intriguing and challenging.
“Miles is one of those artists who never stopped innovating – starting out in the 1940s playing alongside Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and ending his career working on a hip-hop record in 1991,” notes bassist Matt Hogan. “We’re going to try and cover as much as we can and hope to try and express in a small way just how much ground Miles covered during his incredible life.”
The CCMS Jazz All-Stars is comprised of CCMS faculty, alumni, and friends, with an aim to not only entertain but educate eager concertgoers. The rhythm section includes Hogan on bass and Jared Steer on drums; both have played all three of the April Jazz Night performances. Cruikshank (playing guitar) is making his second appearance at the event, debuting at last year’s tribute to the music of drummer Max Roach. Andrew Grosvenor (keys) and Russ Ryan (trumpet) will be making their first appearance at the event.
The group has become adept at not only performing exquisite jazz but utilizing the audio-visual capabilities of the venue to provide context to the music they perform. Displaying album artwork and historic images on a large screen behind the performers has become a signature style of the event, adding depth to the overall experience. Patrons can expect what has become a classic CCMS Jazz Night scene, replete with tapping feet, ah-ha moments, and a palpable adoration of jazz music.
“Jazz Night owes so much of its success to the hard work of the staff behind the scenes – there’s so much involved in making this night happen on top of the work everyone is doing every day at the school,” notes Hogan. “It would be easy to treat this like any other event, but the staff really goes the extra mile to make the evening special.”
To purchase tickets for “A Jazz Milestone”, visit ccanh.com.