IU graduate Michael Weiss brings excellence to Jazz Fables

Last Thursday, a skilled jazz artist filled Bear's Place with great music. Many students and Bloomington residents opened their ears for an evening of music presented by IU graduate, pianist Michael Weiss.\nWeiss's compositions were intelligent, intricate and intense. Bear's Place's back room was filled with the lively varied music of classical and original jazz. Most pieces were Weiss's originals but his group played a couple arrangements of other tunes. Notably, they played a great arrangement of the Disney tune "A Night in Tunisia." Weiss's wittiest piece was an old standard called "Old Folks," one that he jokingly said old people tend to like.\nWeiss's skill and artistry became apparent as his hands flew over the piano keyboard. During some of the faster pieces his hands played hundreds of notes a minute but no discernable incorrect notes were heard. Fabulous trills were played along with intricate chords as Weiss manipulated the piano to sound larger than life.\nPerhaps his skill as a musician and composer were best displayed when playing his own composition, the award-winning "El Camino," which won the Thelonious Monk Institute Composers Competition in 2000. It was truly a wonderful piece.\nOccupying the front of the stage was the crowd favorite, Tom Walsh. For Walsh, an IU assistant professor of music who has never shared a stage with Weiss, playing with him was "a wild ride." "A Night in Tunisia" tested Walsh's skill and he performed admirably.\nWalsh said one must really be ready for anything when playing with a master like Weiss. This was illustrated when Weiss decided to play "Jitterbug Waltz," a tune he had not played in over three years.\nUnlike Walsh's upfront presence, Deno Sanders beat away on the drums in the corner. The IU graduate student was featured in "Orient Express" and "La Ventana," and exhibited control and power over his instrument while matching Weiss's complex tunes.\nRounding out the quartet was IU alumnus Jack Helsley on bass. Helsley played wonderfully and added vital fullness and richness of sound to the quartet's music.\nCombining new players -- none of whom had played with Weiss before -- with Weiss's fast-paced jazz could have lead to out-of-sync playing, but not last Thursday. The skills of the other three were shown as they performed \nwonderfully. They truly sounded like a group and not just individuals playing complementary instruments.\nMy favorite piece was "Soul Journey," which was originally a ballad but evolved into a melodic if not ominous tune. Weiss played alone for much of this piece, which is probably why I liked it so much -- I'm partial to the sound of a piano.\nThe crowd overall was energetic and interested in hearing the jazz music. Loud music is normally a preference only of younger people. Apparently most of the patrons were young at heart. The clapping was loud and frequent, becoming as much a part of the atmosphere as the music being played.\nThe Michael Weiss Group put on a great show for everyone. His fast-paced music and varied tunes kept everyone on their toes. It was a treat to hear talented former IU students playing together and the crowd sure let them know that. If I ever hear of Weiss playing again somewhere, and I'm sure I will, I will definitely check it out. It made for a great evening.