College of Musical Arts

The Billy Taylor Trio and
Turtle Island String Quartet

Friday, October 9, 1992

“Billy Taylor–pianist’s pianist” – New York Post

“By any standard, the most intriguing new group of the year.” – Los Angeles Times

Pianist, composer, recording artist, arranger, conductor, actor, author, teacher, lecturer, radio and television personality…Billy Taylor is all of these. He, more than any other single jazz artist, can be credited with bringing jazz to the forums of national radio and television. A consumate performer and teacher, Taylor is as comfortable in front of a classroom as he is on stage with his trio. This performance is a unique collaboration with the hottest new string quartet around and promises to “stand tradition on its civilized ear.” Join us for an exploration into new jazz territory with what Downbeat says may be “as much fun as you can have with a string quartet.”

American Indian Dance Theatre

Sunday, November 1, 1992

“The Indian Triumph, an evening of beauty and power” – Washington Post

The American Indian Dance Theatre provides a new, authentic look at an often-misrepresented aspect of Indian culture. The company presents 21 dancers from 17 tribes in dances usually reserved for tribal competitions or ceremonies. These dances, handed down for generations, have influenced modern dance choreographers such as Martha Graham. They range from ceremonial to sacred, from the acrobatic Cherokee Hoop Dance to hte delicate Zuni Rainbow Dance. Come explore the roots and rhythms of these Native Americans.

Malcolm Dalglish and the American Boychoir with Glen Velez

Saturday, November 21, 1992

“…a brilliant achievement…the American counterpart of Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Ceremony of Carols’…a moving and inspired work.” – National Public Radio

Malcolm Dalglish draws from a unique blend of musical and literary sources to create a work for choir, hammer dulcimer and percussion entitled “Hymnody of Earth.” The project includes original compositions by Dalglish, with lyrics by Kentucky poet Wendell Berry, traditional Shaker songs, and early American shape-note hymns. The partnership with the internationally acclaimed American Boychoir and virtuoso percussionist Glen Velez began in 1989 and has received standing ovations around the country. Pull up a rocker on the front porch and remember a slower, more gentle time…a slice of Americana.

Kodo

Wednesday, February 17, 1993

“The music of Kodo releases an incredible energy and has a solidity and physical precision that come from a mysticism of the body.” – Le Monde

Kodo, the Japanese percussion company whose performances on the “taiko” (traditional Japanese drum) have electrified audiences on five continents, has become one of the world’s most celebrated and popular performing companies. Drawing from its country’s rich tradition of music and performance, Kodo has created a vital sound and tradition of its own, one which is decidedly contemporary in presentation. In ancient Japan, the taiko was the symbol of the rural community. It is said that the village limits were not solely determined by geography, but by the farthest distance at which the drum could be heard. It is Kodo’s desire that its “One Earth Tour” brings the sounds of the taiko to the ears of the world so that we might all be reminded of our membership in that much larger and more important village of the world.