by Max Newman
Oberlin College and Conservatory is a school of sonic opportunity. No matter where you wander on its campus, no matter which of its corners you choose to explore, you are bound to find an abundance of music.
One of these many musical corners is the Birenbaum Performance Space, where on Thursday evening, November 20 in front of an intimately seated crowd, steelpan virtuoso Victor Provost strutted his stuff along with the Oberlin Performance and Improv (PI) Ensembles. The performance blended both genre and experience level in a delightful and holistic exploration of world music.
Considering the eclectic mix of instruments that were used, the spatial awareness of each member of the ensemble was impressive. Instruments seldom overlapped or obscured others. Indeed, there was a collective sound that could only be described as unbrokenly full.
Oberlin Conservatory’s jazz department has a storied and star-studded history, with alumni such as pianist Sullivan Fortner, trumpeter Theo Croker, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, as well as a faculty that includes saxophonist Gary Bartz, an NEA Jazz Master and two-time Grammy winner. There is clearly a pipeline of talent here that has not ended, as heard at the Oberlin Small Jazz Ensembles concert on November 19.