Jason Moran’s performances this weekend mark the latest collaboration between Duke and one of the most acclaimed pianists and composers in the jazz world. But it’s hardly the the first.
In 2007, Moran’s interest in North Carolina native Thelonious Monk led him to Duke for a performance as part of Duke Performances’ Following Monk series, dedicated to the jazz legend’s life and art. As part of his visit, Moran also participated in a multimedia arts festival at the Center for Documentary Studies. In their preparation, the CDS discovered tapes from Monk’s 1959 performance at the Town Hall in New York City.
“A critic from The New York Times asked me if I’d heard some of the tapes that were being unearthed by the Center for Documentary Studies,” Moran said. “After that, I started making trips down to hear them.”
Moran then worked as a visiting artist-in-residence at the university while developing In My Mind, a musical and visual reenactment of Monk’s Town Hall concert. Along with his Big Bandwagon, Moran premiered the work at Duke as part of Following Monk, then took it to the Chicago Symphony Center and the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
“In My Mind really pushes the envelope as far as what jazz can be,” said Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald. “It’s one of the projects that I am most proud to have been a part of.”
Now, Moran will return to Duke for two different performances. Thursday, he’ll perform with his wife, vocalist Alicia Moran, and classical guitarist Thomas Flippin as part of Duke Performances’ This House on Fire series. Moran’s concert is the second of six planned for the series; Sun Ra Arkestra and the Mingus Big Band played the first concert Sept. 26.
“This House on Fire is jazz music with the fervor of improvisation behind it,” Greenwald said. “There’s going to be a certain heat and intensity to these performances.”
Next, Moran, along with the Big Bandwagon, will collaborate with Alonzo King’s LINES ballet on their performance, “Refraction.” Moran wrote the score and will accompany the ballet live.
“My wife took me to see LINES five years ago,” Moran said. “This performance is based off some improvisations I sent to Alonzo in May.”
Moran, for one, takes pleasure in the immense variety of the work he has done at Duke.
“The older I get, the better the musicians I get to perform with,” he said. “The gigs are getting better, and my palette is becoming wider.”
Jason Moran will perform tonight at 8 p.m. in Nelson Music Room on East Campus. Tickets are $5 for students and $22 for non-students.
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