On Sept. 6, two-time Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling and child prodigy on piano turned elite member of the finest jazz ensemble Joey Calderazzo performed in Sheslow Auditorium at Drake University through a partnership with the Civic Music Association for the CMA’s 99th season.
Calderazzo and Elling first collaborated in 2015, after Calderazzo was told over a phone call that he would be producing a record with the singer.
“I knew who Kurt Elling was. We had met a few times, and I didn’t think he liked me,” Calderazzo said from the stage between songs. “When I got the call for this [album], I still wasn’t sold.”
In December 2015, they recorded the Branford Marsalis Quartet’s album “Upward Spiral” with Elling. The album was released on June 10, 2016.
“It was single-handedly one of the most fun projects I’ve ever worked on, and the tour that proceeded was even better than the recording,” Calderazzo said. “I made it clear to Kurt that any time any place he wanted to play, call me, and I’m there.”
During the performance at Drake. Elling and Calderazzo riffed off each other during free jazz sections, piano solos and scat breakdowns.
“The voice plus the piano was beautiful, and the little bits of comedy thrown in were just so tasteful,” said Sarah Greiver, a senior at Drake who works with the CMA as a public relations and marketing intern.
The duo had clear-cut technical talent that made piano and vocals fill the auditorium.
“If I’m talking, it’s just talking, but if you’re playing, it’s art,” Elling said to Calderazzo during a break in a new composition the two had come up with the night before.
Drake has a long-standing relationship with the CMA, serving as a venue for the group’s performances. Over the years, these concerts have ranged from classical music to jazz to world music in an effort to represent a large variety of experiences.
“The goals are to bring high-quality music in an intimate setting to Des Moines,” said Ashley Sidon, executive director for the CMA and professor of cello at Drake. “Civic Music concerts are a small number of people on stage, usually between two to 10 people. When these concerts are in the Sheslow auditorium, people can feel connected to the stage.”
The CMA kicked off their 99th season with a very strong catalog of music.
“We call [Elling and Calderazzo] the luminaries of jazz,” said Greiver. “The two of them make such beautiful music, and it’s exactly what we strive to put on here.”
While not seen in this show, the CMA also typically makes an effort to highlight at least one emerging artist with every performance.
“CMA chooses musicians that are not only excellent performers but also educators willing to connect with the community,” Sidon said. “That’s really important for the music world, not just getting on stage and performing but also connecting with the community.”
CMA’s next concert will be Flutist Brandon Patric George and Aaron Diehl on Oct. 8 in Sheslow Auditorium and will be presented by Todd Jones and Uyen Cao Chu.
