Harlem Quartet brings its classical take on jazz
to Joplin church, club
By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
A performance of classical music in a popular Joplin nightclub went over so well that another one has been scheduled for next week. But the string quartet that will play shows glimmers and influences from the jazz music that filled such places.
The Harlem Quartet will perform twice in Joplin next week: Thursday at St. Peter’s Catholic Church and Friday at The Kitchen Pass. The quartet appears as part of Pro Musica Joplin’s annual lineup.
Cynthia Schwab, founder of Pro Musica, said the quartet will play the same program at both locations. That’s perfect, because the quartet is skilled at selecting pieces that had influences on jazz.
“There will be totally different audiences at each location,” Schwab said. “The ability to play for such diverse audiences is a real plus.”
Members of the quartet were on tour in London this week and could not be reached for comment. It is composed of violinists Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez and cellist Desmond Neysmith.
Each member of the group is a first place laureate of the Sphinx Competition, a nationally respected artist development competition run by the Sphinx Organization. That group has a mission to increase the participation of black and Latino children in music schools, as professional musicians and as classical music audiences.
The four players debuted in 2006 at the Sphinx Organization’s Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall, where it earned glowing reviews from The New York Times. Audiences at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem have also raved about the group.
The program for its Joplin appearances reflects its own mission to highlight works by minority composers, Schwab said.
“Who knew that Wynton Marsalis wrote a string quartet?” Schwab said. “They have an outstanding skill of showing threads that come from classical music and affected jazz.”
The program features Marsalis’ “String Quartet No. 1, At the Octoroon Balls,” “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington and two string quartets by Joseph Hadyn and Robert Schumann.
According to liner notes for the program, the Marsalis piece is described as “a colorful work” that celebrates the spirit and air of his home town, New Orleans. Octoroons described people who had an eighth of black ancestry, and the Octoroon balls were places where they could mingle freely.
“Take the ‘A’ Train” is a legendary jazz piece that was the signature song of the Duke Ellington orchestra. The quartet performs a version arranged by Paul Chihara.
Mike Pawlus, owner of The Kitchen Pass, said he is excited for the quartet’s performance.
“Last year we had about 100, and that is a good crowd,” Pawlus said. “Our room has great acoustics, and I’m sure some of the crowd enjoyed being able to have a glass of wine.”
The bar usually features national touring acts and local bands. Styles range from blues to country, with some red dirt and zydeco mixed in.
Classical music has been “far out there,” Pawlus said, in terms of the musicians that usually fill the Pass with their songs.
