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Jazzbeat

New arrangements highlight ensemble’s ‘Porgy and Bess’

Adaptation will be performed  Dec. 30 at Under Dog Cafe and Emporium Wines in Springfield.

Adam Alonzo/Contributed photo Organist Larry Halpern will lead a performance of new arrangements of "Porgy and Bess." Contributed photo by Adam Alonzo

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By Adam Alonzo, Contributing Writer 3:44 PM Saturday, December 17, 2011

The works of George Gershwin have been rich material for jazz musicians and arrangers for decades. His 1935 opera “Porgy and Bess” has been interpreted by jazz greats Gil Evans and Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson and Joe Henderson.

A group of area musicians will present selections from the work Dec. 30 at Emporium Wines and the Underdog Cafe in Yellow Springs. The ensemble is comprised of Larry Halpern (organ), Mike Teckenbrock (flugelhorn), Mark Smarelli (vibraphone), Erik Greiffenhagen (saxophone), Gail Keen (flute) and Lee McKinney (percussion).

“We’ve got a great group of players,” said Halpern. “They’ve all got distinctive individual voices, yet they work and blend well together.”

While developing new arrangements for this performance, Halpern trimmed the opera to a suitable size and translated vocal lines into instrumental melodies. In a jazz context, this may seem like a routine process, but “Porgy and Bess” isn’t just another pop song.

“This is an opera,” Halpern said. “Taking the tunes out of their original context can be challenging.” He added measures to “I Loves You Porgy,” cut portions of “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and changed other pieces as needed.

Halpern also had to reduce Gershwin’s orchestration down to instruments played by the six musicians in his ensemble.

“I’d like to have a trombone to use for Porgy’s bass parts,” he said, but the group doesn’t have one. “Some of Bess’s parts should sound nice on the flute.”

Although Gershwin’s name is often associated with jazz, he was not a jazz musician and his compositions were scored in advance rather than improvised. But in Halpern’s “Porgy and Bess” adaptation, the players have the freedom to improvise.

“Gershwin brought elements of jazz into the theatre and the concert hall,” said Halpern. “We’re hoping to bring elements of his opera into a jazz setting.”

Halpern undertook this large project seeking to create something musically distinctive.

“ ‘Porgy and Bess’ is about as distinctive as it gets,” he said. “Gershwin’s ballads are beautiful and his compositions still sound fresh.”

“When I listen to ‘Porgy and Bess,’ I feel like I’m visiting a national monument,” he said.

Adam Alonzo is a contributing writer for the Dayton Daily News. He can be reached by email at music@adamalonzo.com.

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New arrangements highlight ensemble’s ‘Porgy and Bess’

Adaptation will be performed  Dec. 30 at Under Dog Cafe and Emporium Wines in Springfield.

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