Jazz Musings
Jazz Speak
Published: October 2003 - Central PA Friends of Jazz Newsletter
Story: Lee Swartz, Central PA Friends of Jazz, President
Jazz Speak performed with George Coleman at the Hilton Towers, Harrisburg, PA on September 14, 2003. The September concert was a grand opening for the seven Fall-Winter Concert series. We are particularly indebted to the opening act- Jazz Speak. These young musicians have formed a group that presents a futuristic approach in an unobtrusive manner, which is anything but harsh. It gives us the opportunity to realize that the continued development of our music is not a bad thing when the musicians are serious about their art. This is not to say there is a disregard for the past... This music was original and yet I felt that just as Newton admitted that he stood on the shoulders of Galileo, this group took the best principles from another age and developed within them a new set of rules. Not "free jazz" but was structured within a well-developed yet imaginative mind stimulating style that gives the listener the opportunity to expand his or her horizons of appreciation. Their music flowed with the saxophonist playing melodies which while heretofore unknown was at the same time pleasant and provocative. Jazz Speak, who eagerly performed on short-notice should hold a special place in the future among the great bands emerging from Central Pennsylvania.