Presented by the Redwood Jazz Alliance, Tuesday’s show includes bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Johnathan Blake in their second Humboldt State performance. The trio will offer up plenty of McCaslin’s original compositions featured on his latest effort, Recommended Tools, which is available now on trumpeter Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf Music label.
“All three are guys who are very prominent on the New York jazz scene,” says Professor Dan Aldag of HSU’s Music Department.
The tenor is a rising star in the jazz world, having worked for years as a sideman with various groups including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, which led to a Grammy nomination in 2004.
Wednesday’s workshop will also take place in the Fulkerson and is open to the public.
“With maybe one exception so far, those workshops are with the entire band. They’ll play one or two tunes, and depending on the artist, it’s very open and free form or sometimes the artist has something very specific in mind,” says Aldag, adding, “You never know exactly what’s going to happen. They’re really exciting vibrant events.”
According to Aldag, the workshops have an intimate atmosphere, with both participants and artists seated together on the stage of the recital hall. The discussions can range from general to highly technical, but even non-musicians end up walking away from the discussion with a greater appreciation for the craft.
Perhaps the best aspect of the guest artist workshop series is the chance for music undergraduates to interact one-on-one with leading artists. “Students ask, ‘I’m trying to get to where you’re at. What do you do?’ And they can ask direct questions about practice and career building. And beyond that, when you’re actually in the room with artists like these, you’re still amazed by their talent, but you realize they’re still a person, you can do this, too. You just have to work as hard as they do,” says Aldag.
McCaslin grew up in Santa Cruz, Calif. and at an early age began playing with his vibraphonist father. By the time McCaslin was a teenager he had logged time with the Kuumbwa Jazz Center and the Monterey Jazz Festival’s California All-Star Band.
After attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music, McCaslin toured for four years with Berklee professor (and vibe legend) Gary Burton, then moved to New York where he joined the group Steps Ahead.
Those “traditional” credentials provided the anchor for McCaslin’s much-admired work in more adventurous realms, specifically on his latest album, which has DownBeat magazine calling it McCaslin’s “finest record as an improviser.”
Tuesday’s show starts at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall. Tickets are $15 general/$10 students & seniors. For more information, contact Professor Dan Aldag of the HSU Music Department at 707-826-5447.