Courtesy Duke Performances

Richmond, V.A.-based jazz ensemble Fight the Big Bull has made a name for itself playing thoroughly inventive big band music with collaborators such as trumpeter Steven Bernstein and clarinetist Karl Blau. This weekend, they’ll perform a series of shows for Duke Performances with Megafaun, Justin Vernon, and Sharon Van Etten based on Alan Lomax’s Sounds of the South, a collection of southern folk recordings that stretches from traditional hymns and raw Mississippi Delta blues to the call-and-response vocal music of the Georgia Sea Islands. Fight the Big Bull’s guitarist and bandleader Matt White spoke to Recess’ Andrew Walker about the upcoming concerts.

How did this collaboration with Megafaun, Justin Vernon, and Sharon Van Etten come about?

I met Megafaun on tour with another band four years ago, and I really hit it off with those guys. We just happened to be playing the same place the same night. Our starting point from the getgo was our love for old gospel and blues like the Staple Singers. Since then, we’ve constantly been talking about finding a way to work together. This project started after Brad [Cook of Megafaun] called me a few months ago and said that Duke was going to allow us to put something together.

In reality I think the source material for our music, even outside this concert series, is southern folk music. It’s not too much of a stress to combine these ensembles, because more or less we’re each pulling from that world anyway. Megafaun and Fight the Big Bull are kind of a match made in heaven, we’re soul brothers.

What is particularly compelling about this music you’re reworking?

All American pop music, from Jay-Z and Beyonce to whatever, comes back to southern folk music. Those are the roots of our culture. We all know how rock and roll shaped American culture, but southern music is the archetype of that. In the concerts you’ll hear everything from literal recreations of the music on Sounds of the South to complete reinterpretations. For me, it’s really interesting to see how much of what we play and listen to comes back to this music. In its purest form, the music that America exports to the rest of the world is southern African-American music. From a historical and cultural sense, it’s really fascinating. But it’s also interesting if you like Stevie Wonder or Duke Ellington or Jay-Z or Notorious B.I.G., because all of that stuff is basically coming from the same place. A lot of that music will be represented in the concert. Don’t expect to hear too much Biggie, though.

How did you come up with the arrangements based on the Alan Lomax recordings?

We met one week in May, we listened to the whole box set, and we pulled out thirteen things that we wanted to turn into performance pieces. Some of these things were certain songs from the collection, others were specific rhythmic or melodic concepts that we wanted to flesh out.  It’s really interesting putting this performance together, because we each have totally different ways of going about things. I’m dealing with these guys in my band that are very functional at reading music, so I charted everything out with full scores. Phil [Cook of Megafaun] or I are arranging most of the songs, and we communicate in a similar way because we’re both basically jazz school nerds. We can really focus on the particulars of harmony and form.

How much space for improvisation are you allowing?

Some parts of the arrangements are through-composed, and some parts are really, really open. Actually Megafaun tends to leave a lot of room for improvisation. It’s a situation for them where they’ve never really had the opportunity to work with horns like this before. They don’t approach them strictly. I know what I want and I lay it out for them, so the charts and the ideas are a lot looser. Although there’s plenty of improvisation, there’s definitely a cohesiveness to the whole performance based on the source material we’re using.

Does each show use different music?

We talked a little bit today about varying the arrangements a bit and trying different things out. There’s a lot of improvisation, so in music like this there’s always the adventure of hearing the way improvisation can take a piece to several different places over the course of a few nights.

Your latest album was a collaboration with David Karsten Daniels, and now you’re doing this set of performances with with Megafaun, Justin Vernon and Sharon Van Etten. Do you see a lot of overlap between these different indie rock, folk and jazz scenes?

It’s kind of funny how we got into these two things back to back. In January we recorded our record with David, and we just finished touring with him. You know, I don’t go out and try to find these middle-of-the-road rock/folk collaborations, these guys just happen to be my friends. There’s a skillset and a soudset that a lot of people in the rock and roll world don’t have and can’t gain access to. We’ve kind of hit on a little bit of this niche, because we can help people who want this bigger sound.

Musically, there’s only a few mutual interests between the heavily instrumental jazz community and rock and roll kids. One of the things that works well in both worlds is minimalism, stuff like Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Not only do both parties know those names, but each can apply that kind of music in different ways. That’s one thing that I was particularly interested in writing, playing and exploring.

Anything else you’d like to tell our readers about?

Tell all the Duke students I’m a really huge Bobby Hurley fan. When I was in the first grade, I was so into Duke basketball. When he got into that car accident, I cut out his picture and put it on the ceiling of my bunk bed and prayed for him every day.

Jan. 21 – Muslim Student Association Spoken Word Event, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Free
Jan. 23 – Benefit for Girls Rock NC with Scientific Superstar, Princess and the Criminals and Heart of Glass, 8 p.m., $5 suggested donation
Jan. 28 – Andrea Gibson (spoken word artist), price TBA
Jan. 29 – Max Indian, Ryan Gustafson, Light Pines, $5
Feb. 10 – Marco Benevento Trio, Nathan Moore, $10
Feb. 20 – Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood, $5
Feb. 25 – Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited (Presented by Duke Performances)

UPDATE: Vivian Girls will play at the Coffeehouse March 26 with Wet Dog and Happy Birthday.

Hallelujah Train – Images by Duke Student Publishing Co. Duke Chronicle

September
12, Saturday, 8 pm – New Baroque Ensemble (Reynolds)
Mozart:
Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285
Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478
Gran Partita in B-flat Major, K. 361 (Arranged by C.F.G. Schwenke)
Musicians: Krista Bennion Feeney, violin; Owen Dalby, viola; Phoebe Carrai, cello; Ilya Poletaev, fortepiano; Sandra Miller, flute; Stephen Hammer, oboe
*Chamber Arts Society Series
25, Friday, 8 pm – Corey Harris Quintet and James “Blood” Ulmer Trio (Reynolds)
*By the River Series
26, Saturday, 8 pm – Takács String Quartet (Reynolds)
Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 71, No. 1
Schumann: String Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 1
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1
*Chamber Arts Society Series
26, Saturday, 7 pm – Sun Ra Arkestra and Mingus Big Band (Page)
*This House on Fire Series

October
1, Thursday, 5 pm – Awadagin Pratt Master Class (Baldwin)
*Piano Recital Series
2, Friday, 8 pm –Awadagin Pratt (Reynolds)
Haydn: Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:37
Haydn: Sonata in B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41
Beethoven: Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110
Bach: Passacaglia & Fugue in C Minor (Arranged by A. Pratt)
Liszt: Sonata in B Minor
*Piano Recital Series
9, Friday, 8 pm – Dianne Reeves feat. Russell Malone & Romero Lubambo (Page)
*Voices Lifted Series
10, Saturday, 8 pm – The Hallelujah Train feat. Pastor Brady Blade Sr., Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Brady L. Blade Jr., Greg Leisz, Buddy Miller, Jon Cowherd, Chris Thomas, Ada Small (Hayti Heritage Center)
*By the River Series
11, Sunday, 10 am – Worship Service with Pastor Brady Blade, Sr. (Hayti Heritage Center)
*By the River Series
11, Sunday, 5 pm – The Hallelujah Train feat. Pastor Brady Blade Sr., Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Brady L. Blade Jr., Greg Leisz, Buddy Miller, Jon Cowherd, Chris Thomas, Ada Small (Hayti Heritage Center)
*By the River Series
16, Friday, 8 pm – Don Byron New Gospel Quintet feat. Rev. Kelly R. Andrews of Eastern Star Missionary Baptist Church, Tarboro, NC (Hayti Heritage Center)
*By the River Series
17, Saturday, 8 pm – Anonymous 4 (Duke Chapel)
Secret Voices: The Sisters of Las Huelgas Music of Thirteenth-Century Spain
*Duke Artists Series
18, Sunday, 12 pm – Anonymous 4, Master Class (Nelson)
*Duke Artists Series
19, Monday, 5 pm – Murray Perahia Conversation (Nelson)
*Piano Recital Series & Duke Artists Series
20, Tuesday, 8 pm – Murray Perahia (Page)
Bach: Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Schumann: Kinderszenen
Chopin: 3-4 pieces to be determined
*Piano Recital Series & Duke Artists Series
23, Friday, 8 pm – Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Waiting for Godot (Reynolds)
*At the Crossroads Series
24, Saturday – Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Waiting for Godot (Reynolds)
*At the Crossroads Series
25, Sunday, 3 pm – Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Waiting for Godot (Reynolds)
*At the Crossroads Series
29, Thursday, 8 pm – Louis Lortie (Reynolds)
Chopin: Études (Complete)
*Piano Recital Series
30, Friday, 8 pm – Gal Costa feat. Romero Lubambo (Reynolds)
*Voices Lifted Series

November
6, Friday, 5 pm – Master Class w/ Sharon Robinson & Jamie Laredo of K-L-R Trio (Nelson Music Room)
*Chamber Arts Society Series
7, Saturday, 8 pm – Miami String Quartet & Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson (Reynolds)
Boccherini: String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No. 5
Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81
Ellen Taafe Zwillich: Piano Septet (2008, Chamber Arts Society Co-Commission)
*Chamber Arts Society Series
12, Thursday, 8 pm – Urban Bush Women (Reynolds)
*Moved Series
13, Friday, 8 pm – Lambchop and Alejandro Escovedo (Reynolds)
*With These Hands Series

December
5, Saturday, 8 pm – St. Lawrence String Quartet (Reynolds)
Beethoven: String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
John Adams: String Quartet (2008, St. Lawrence String Quartet Commission)
*Chamber Arts Society Series

January
21, Thursday, 5 pm – Anton Kuerti Master Class (Baldwin)
*Piano Recital Series
22, Friday, 8 pm – Anton Kuerti (Reynolds)
All-Beethoven:
Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux”
Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”
33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli in C Major, Op. 120
*Piano Recital Series
23, Saturday, 8 pm – Luciana Souza feat. Cyro Baptista & Romero Lubambo (Reynolds)
*Voices Lifted Series
28, Thursday, 8 pm – Jason Moran feat. Alicia Moran (Nelson)
*This House on Fire Series
29, Friday, 8 pm – Alonzo King LINES Ballet feat. Jason Moran’s Bandwagon (Reynolds)
Moran & Scheherazade
*Moved Series
30, Saturday, 8 pm – Alonzo King LINES Ballet feat. Jason Moran’s Bandwagon (Reynolds)
Moran & Scheherazade
*Moved Series
30, Saturday, 8 pm – Orpheus Chamber Orchestra feat. Angela Hewitt, piano (Page)
Stravinsky: Concerto in D Major for String Orchestra, “Basel Concerto”
Bach: Concerto for Piano and Strings in D Minor, BWV. 1052
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: “New Brandenburg No. 5”
Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22
*Duke Artists Series

February
5, Friday, 5 pm – Orion String Quartet Master Class (Nelson)
*Chamber Arts Society Series
5, Friday, 8 pm – Peter Serkin (Reynolds)
Works by Bach, Brahms, Chopin & Charles Wuorinen
*Piano Recital Series
6, Saturday, 8 pm – Peter Serkin & Orion String Quartet (Reynolds)
Bach: Art of the Fugue, Contrapunctus 1
Leon Kirchner: String Quartet No. 4
Beethoven: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
Brahms: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
*Chamber Arts Society Series
11, Thursday, 8 pm – Miguel Zenon’s Esta Plena Septet (Reynolds)
Singers: Hector “Tito” Matos, Juan Gutierrez, Obanilu Allende
*This House on Fire & Wail Series
12, Friday, 8 pm – Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (Nelson)
*This House on Fire & Wail Series
13, Saturday, 8 pm – Ravi Coltrane’s Quartet (Reynolds)
*This House on Fire & Wail Series
19, Friday, 8 pm – Punch Brothers feat. Chris Thile (Reynolds)
“The Blind Leaving the Blind” suite
*With These Hands Series
25, Thursday, 8 pm & 10:30 pm – Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited (Duke Coffeehouse)
*By the River Series
26, Friday, 8 pm – lions will roar, swans will fly, angels will wrestle heaven, rains will break: gukurahundi: Nora Chipaumire feat. Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited (Reynolds)
*Moved Series
27, Saturday, 8 pm – lions will roar, swans will fly, angels will wrestle heaven, rains will break: gukurahundi Nora Chipaumire feat. Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited (Reynolds)
*Moved Series

March
5, Friday, 8 pm – Rafal Blechacz (Reynolds)
Bach: Italian Concerto, BWV. 971
Mozart: Sonata in B-flat Major, KV. 570
Karol Szymanowski: Variations in B-flat Minor, Op. 3
Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47
Chopin: Mazurka in B-flat Major, in E Minor, in A-flat Major, in A Minor, Op. 17
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61
*Piano Recital Series
13, Saturday, 8 pm – Artemis String Quartet (Reynolds)
Beethoven:
String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95, “Serioso”
String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132
*Chamber Arts Society Series
19, Friday, 8 pm – Farber Foundry’s MoLoRa, An Adaptation of The Oresteia feat. Ngqoko Cultural Group (Reynolds)
*At the Crossroads Series
20, Saturday, 8 pm – Farber Foundry’s MoLoRa, An Adaptation of The Oresteia feat. Ngqoko Cultural Group (Reynolds)
*At the Crossroads Series
25, Thursday, 8 pm – Los Lobos and Leo Kottke (Page)
*With These Hands Series
26, Friday, 8 pm – Antares Piano-Clarinet Quartet (Nelson)
Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114
Caroline Mallonée: New Work (2010)
Peter Lieberson: “Tashi Quartet”
*Chamber Arts Society Series
27, Saturday, 12 pm – Antares Master Class (Nelson)
*Chamber Arts Society Series
27, Saturday, 8 pm – Antares Piano-Clarinet Quartet (Nelson)
Ravel: Piano Trio in A Minor
Bartok: “Contrasts”
Messiaen: “Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps” (“Quartet for the End of Time”)
*Chamber Arts Society Series

April
10, Saturday, 8 pm – Kronos Quartet (Page)
World premiere of Maria Schneider’s new quartet for Kronos
Program, other than the Schneider commission, TBD
*This House on Fire Series
14, Wednesday, 5 pm – Mark O’Connor Master Class (Nelson)
*With These Hands Series
15, Thursday, 8 pm – Poets & Prophets: Rosanne Cash and Mark O’Connor (Page)
*With These Hands Series
16, Friday, 8 pm – Academy of St. Martin in the Fields feat. Julian Rachlin, violin (Page)
Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40
Beethoven: Sonata in A Major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer Sonata” (Arranged by R. Tognetti)
Britten: Lachrymae, Op. 48
Piazzolla: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
*Duke Artists Series

May
8, Saturday, 8 pm – Han, Setzer, Finckel Trio (Reynolds)
Schubert:
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 99, D. 898
Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 100, D. 929
*Chamber Arts Society Series

Ciompi Quartet – Duke University’s Resident Chamber Ensemble – 2009/10 Season:
Tuesday, September 15, 12noon-1p, Rare Book Room – Lunchtime Concert #1
Haydn: Opus 20, No. 3, from the “Sun Quartets”
Thursday, October 15, 6p, Nelson – First Course #1
Composer Max Raimi discusses his premiere
Sunday, October 18, 3p, Reynolds – Concert #1
Haydn: Quartet in G Minor, Op. 20 #3 (1772)
Max Raimi: Quintet for Saxophone and Strings (2009)
Dvorak: String Quartet No. 11 in C Major, Op. 61 (1881)
Guest artist: Susan Fancher, saxophone
Tuesday, November 3, 12noon-1p, Rare Book Room – Lunchtime Concert #2
Beethoven: Opus 59, No. 3
Thursday, November 12, 6p, Duke Gardens – First Course #2
Prof. John Supko discusses Bartok
Saturday, November 14, 8p, Nelson – Concert #2
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