What happens when the elements of musical theater, science fiction and original student creativity are combined into one? The product is “NOVA: An Original Music Drama.” The 2013 recipient of the UC Berkeley department of music’s annual Musical Theater Prize, NOVA is an original music drama written, directed and produced Read More…
On Sunday, world-renowned trumpet player, bandleader, composer and music director Wynton Marsalis returned to Zellerbach Hall, performing for one night only. His band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, is highly regarded as one of the best big bands in the world today. JLCO is a 15-piece ensemble composed of Read More…
In a small studio in the basement of Cesar Chavez Center, three dozen people sit and watch as a jazz combo plays John Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice.” The guitarist, bassist and drummer take solos and add a flourishing end to the climactic tune. There is applause and then someone speaks. “That Read More…
If you read my last post about The Piano Guys, you saw how two ambitious musicians worked together to cover popular tunes on a small scale, using nothing more than a piano and cello. Today, we take a 180 degree turn — and talk about a cover tune on the Read More…
When the idea of a cover song comes to mind, most people expect to hear a new version of an older, well-known tune with perhaps a new singer or new soloist. Very seldom though, would anyone expect to hear a piano and a cello doing covers of artists like Coldplay, Read More…
When asked about your summer plans, answering “staying in Berkeley” may seem pretty plain compared to your jet-setting, globe-trotting friends. But take a moment to think. You’re in Berkeley — known for radical ideas and protests — in the beautiful Bay Area. Its neighbors are Oakland and San Francisco, ripe Read More…
