THE PARADISE CITY JAZZ BAND - University of New Hampshire

THE ARTISTS
THE PARADISE CITY JAZZ BAND
We hope thal th€r€ is something musically special about each ol our evsnls, but tonight lhal qualily
is furth€r enhanced by geographical considerations. Among ths announcsd plioriti€s ol lhis seri€s
lrom its start has b€sn a @mmitmsnt to New England artisls, and ahhough we have tappgd ihe
resourc€s of ths Wssl Coast and sevsral inlervening locations, lhe Paradlgo Clly Jazz Band is th€
lirst trom western Massachusstts to grac€ our slage.
The PCJB describes its€lf as daying an "ecl€ctic mix ol jazz and swing styl€s kom the 1920's,
'30s, and
'40s,...
wsllgfounded in the music ol Ellington, Armstrong, Beiderbscks, 8asi6...". Th€
most immsdiatsly arrosting attribute ol th€ group is lh€ relationship ol ils instrum€nlation to this
r€psrtoife; the lattsr would sesm to demand moro than th€ form€r can supply, given the mnspicous
abssnce ol a r€ed instrument. Howevor, any such apprshensions are swittly and dramatically
dispell6d;th€ imaginalive arranging of Tom Mcolung and Dave Pinardic,ombin€ with the improvisatory
s€nsilivily ot €ach individual to gsnerate results Mh satisfying and refreshing.
The key to this magic is the subtl€ uss ol lhe medlodic and ensemble possiblitities ol lhe guitar and
piano, a sort ol "sl€ight of €ar" (l), done with convincing musicaljudgement. (This writer recalls lirsthand
exp€rience in th6 1950s with a Dixieland-oriented unit whsr€ D€tens€ D€pl. prioriti€s caus€d
th€ replacement of th€ trumpet play€r by a guitarist; whatever transgr€ssions againsl traditional
morality may havs occurred thersby pal€ in light of more r€cent public usages of ths "lead guitar',
pres€nt company €xcluded.) Moroovsr, lhe interchange of banjo with guitar and luba with string
bass provid€s both contrast in color and authenticity in flavor. All in all, we ar€ constantly remindsd
ol lhe clngruity of ths New Orl€ans and swing idioms, whatsvsr their dslsclable diflerences.
Ths band's name r€l6rs to Northampton, Mass., its home base, and doubtloss has some mystical
significanco unknown to us hore on the ssacoast. Mor€ imporlantly, since its lormation in 1992 the
PGIB has been reaching over-wid€ning audisncss in New England and New York stat€, last y€ar
giving 150 p€rformances. This has happ€nod because of ihe group's capachy and eagerness to
communicate in a varisty of settings-concerls, clubs, dances, parties, cruisss, coff€€ houses,
educational programF, lhus demonstrating that this music can be respond€d to in numerous ways.
Ev€nls have include dales at the Stlcky Wlckel, Worc€tsrs's El lllorocco, lhe Clark Art Instltulo
in Williamstown, Channel 57 in Spingtield, and the Presldentlal lnauguratlon at Smith College.
And oarly this ysar lheir first recording, Blowin'the Blues Away, was issued on Paraphone
Records.
Ev€ry member ol this ensembl€ d€votss mosl ol his time lo the music profession, and this commitment
includes espousal of th€ values and vitality ol a perfoming tradition often thoughto be not
open lo lresh approaches. They €ngage in their art with enlhusiasm, originality, and above all,
lov€. Ths Paradls€ Clty Jazz Band is truly a band lor all ssasons, and wo wdcom€ lhem to UNH
with advance thanks for the very lact ol their salubrious enlerprise.