Fri Nov 14
Bob Schwartz Quartet
7PM / $20 | $2.33 Fees Get Tickets
Bob Schwartz
Perhaps Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Betty Neals were right, in Theme for the Eulipions, that our music was a gift from interstellar travelers. But even so, only this country offered the ethnic and cultural diversity for it to evolve into swing, jazz, and R&B. Like his hero Duke Ellington, Kirk disliked the word jazz; he called it “Black Classical Music” – at once embracing and denying the diversity that created it. (He said that in his music he also embraced opposing concepts and cited this as a reason for playing more than one instrument at a time.)
Rahsaan was well aware of the roots – Northern and Southern African, Eastern and Western European, Latin, Brazilian – of our music. In The Return of the 5,000 Lb. Man he segued from Eulipions to Sweet Georgia Brown and then to Broadway and Hollywood. In this show we’ll also try to evoke our own favorites – Jimmie Lunceford, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa / Jerry Mulligan, Percy Mayfield – all in the context of our own theme: the 1945 Frank Sinatra movie short against ethnic discrimination, with lyrics by Abel Meeropol, The House I Live In.
BSQ (Bob Schwartz Quartet / Quintet) has been featured throughout the DMV for 17 years; we were also the band for this year’s Mr. Henry’s Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras show. In 2015 Mike West wrote in the City Paper:
“BSQ, the Bob Schwartz Quartet, has been holding down a biweekly gig at Twins Jazz for a couple of months now. And why not? The only thing more reliable than his gig is his swing. *** Two albums, a whole lot of elegant, straight-ahead jazz. *** His improvisation has the feeling of a lively raconteur, spinning yarns with witty asides and amusing details. *** ”
Bob started on flute with classical chops, added sax, and played with future leading jazz pros (David Berger, Andy LaVerne) through HS and college. But after too long away, found like-minded folks to form BSQ, now featuring Herb Nachmann Jeff Seigle. About 70 area musicians, including present and future full-time pros, have played or sung in this “quartet.” Alumni such as Rob Orwin and Steve Olsen, who formed their own bands, often come back to play with us.
We also feature Nina Schwartz. After being drafted early on to sing with us, she’s used her taste, study, and fabulous ear to take over as the band’s arranger.
7PM / $20 | $2.33 Fees Get Tickets