Harvard Jazz Orchestra Review: A Splendid Night with Ted Nash

The Harvard Jazz Orchestra took the stage at Arrow Street Arts on Feb. 21 in a sold-out performance featuring two-time Grammy Award-winning arranger and former saxophonist in Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Ted Nash. Throughout the night, the group played a set of standards and a couple of less familiar pieces, offering their own unique take on all of them. Under the direction of conductor Yosvany Terry and with the solos and arrangements of Nash, the night was a satisfying exploration of the genre.

HJO began with two songs before Nash joined. In Ralph Peterson’s “The Art of War,” the strong start, excellent bass and drum hits, and shout section demonstrated the prowess of the student ensemble, although the brass hits were not completely clean. In George Cables’ “Dark Side, Light Side,” Terry showcased his creative abilities, opening up the piece with a solo on shekere — a dried gourd with beads in a woven net which is prominent in West African and Latin American music. Commanding attention with the intensity of his solo, he then added vocals before bringing in the rest of the band. The tenor sax solo of Zeb B. Jewell-Alibhai ’27 added to the mood of the piece, also showing off his technical skills through his complicated licks. At the loud end of the song, the lead trumpet rang out for less than a second longer than the others, creating a perfect effect for the style.

Dylan J. Goodman ’25, one of the managers and drummers in the ensemble, introduced Nash as he joined the group for the remainder of the concert, emphasizing the power of Nash’s talent for weaving storytelling and compassion through his music. During the remainder of the concert, the group played the arrangements that Nash wrote while playing with Marsalis’ big band, featuring a series of standards. Nash’s takes on the tunes created a chill yet upbeat atmosphere that fit well with the long solo sections and size of the band.

One highlight of the performance was McCoy Tyner’s “Ballad for Aisha.” Although the balance of the band was sometimes off throughout the pieces — the trumpets tended to be too loud in comparison to the other sections — this piece had incredible blend and balance, created by the airy mix of the alto flute and the muted trumpets. Additionally, the short guitar solos throughout the song by Dries Rooryck ’26 kept it simple but nailed the chill vibe. In “Peri’s Scope,” sections in the band passed around a melody which was Nash’s transcription of Bill Evans’ solo, showing off the ensemble’s coordination — as Nash aptly said, “the saxes killed it.” And, in Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge,” which Nash called the “quintessential jam session song,” the playful bass and piccolo melody and the soprano sax over the end made it a strong close to the concert.

The performance was more than solid throughout, but none of the pieces with Nash had a huge “wow” factor — perhaps a consequence of the relatively short time the band was able to spend practicing with Nash.

Throughout the night, Nash switched instruments, from tenor sax to soprano sax, alto flute, and piccolo. The variety of woodwind instruments added greatly to the tone of the pieces in what Nash called a “private tribute” to his uncle — also named Ted Nash — who was a prominent jazz multi-instrumentalist. Given the amount of soloing Nash did during the program, the range of timbres from his many instruments provided a satisfying diversity in his sound. Whether in his effortless licks and soft outro on Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance” on tenor, his piccolo and soprano sax in Chick Corea’s “Tones for Joan’s Bones,” or the low range he played around with during his alto flute solo in “Ballad for Aisha,” Nash’s solos were a testament to his comfort with the songs and instruments and proved his status as a renowned arranger and musician.

Complete with technical aptitude and improvisational creativity that successfully captured the mood of the songs, the night was a testament to the strong jazz presence at Harvard.

—Staff writer Hannah M. Wilkoff can be reached at hannah.wilkoff@thecrimson.com.