Berklee Performance Center Concerts

SPRING ‘86

April 2  PLAY FIDDLE PLAY — Berklee String Department Chairman
Matt Glaser presents an eclectic concert of improvised music for
acoustic violin. Styles and settings will include swing tunes with big
band, quartet, various trios and duos and unaccompanied violin
as well as various ethnic (Appalachian, Balkan, Indian) influenced
pieces.

April3 Double Concert — FLYIN' HAWAIIAN PRODUCTIONS II/LOOK
TO THE SKY — Keyboardist/arranger Lester Gantan opens this con-
cert with a set of funk, fusion and funk-rock for a large ensemble
with special guest trumpeters, faculty members Dave Johnson and
Roy Okutani. In the second half, vocalist/composer Vatrena King
presents “Look To The Sky,” a program of original contemporary
pop songs including compositions and arrangements by Evie Nelson,
Monika Englund, Chris Horvath and others.

April 7 SOUTHERN COMFORT — Faculty quitarist Mike Ihde presents his
annual country rock concert with the student group Flat Rats and Sail
Cats performing western swing, bluegrass, country and rock styles.
Special guest will be Hiro Arita, winner of the National Bluegrass
Fiddle Competition.

April 11 JIGGS WHIGHAM AND THE BACK BAY BRASS JAZZ ORCHESTRA
— Internationally known jazz trombonist Jiggs Whigham joins the
Back Bay Brass, directed by faculty trombonist Ben Elkifs, to cele-
brate Sackbut Week with an evening of original big band jazz compo-
sitions by Elkins as well as arrangements by Whigham.

April 14 Double Concert — RETURNING TO THE PATH/FUSE FUNK —
Senior guitarist John Dirac brings a quintet to the Performance
Center for a set of original modal jazz featuring saxophonists
Donny McCaslin and Alex Zepada. In the second half drummer
Paul Tavenner leads the quartet Fuse Funk performing contempo-
ary jazz fusion.

April 15 Double Concert — DOWN TO EARTH/GOOD MUSIC SHOULD
BE TAX FREE — Drummer Gordon Grottenthaler presents “Down
to Earth,” contemporary jazz compositions by Ellington, Shorter,
Benny Baily and others performed by his quintet with special guest
faculty bassist Whit Browne. This will be followed by composer/
arranger Kazuhiko Toyama leading a 16-piece big band in a concert
of original straight-ahead jazz with arranging contributions from
Atsushi Kosugi and Johannes Prischl.

April 17  SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE Il — Faculty members Pat Pattison and
Mike Ihde present the twelve winning songs from the Second Annual
Songwriters Competiticn at Berklee. This concert of original pop
songs will showcase many of the college’s most talented songwriters,
arrangers and performers.