by Max Newman
For students at Oberlin College, jazz is something that is always present. It floats through quads, down streets, over buildings, from speakers, and live from students in the Conservatory’s jazz department. That makes Oberlin a perfect destination for groups of jazz visionaries when it comes to performing, really strutting their stuff. And for the unbelievably talented collective Artemis, who performed at Finney Chapel on March 13, strutting their stuff is exactly what they did in a mesmerizing performance that will last long in the minds of all who were there.
Highly notable was the chemistry among the five musicians, who gave the impression of being a single living entity experiencing complex emotions as it moved through the world. When one musician moved forwards for a solo, it didn’t feel like a separate act, but rather an extension of this collective expression. It was impossible to look away.
Sometimes you find an old scrap of paper with ideas that may or may not have been worth writing down. (“Make friends through multilevel marketing” did not turn out to be a winner.) But if the idea holds real weight, then putting it in ink can have the effect of setting something valuable in motion.
Whatever piece ACRONYM is playing, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard it before. While the ensemble focuses on Baroque music, it’s not from composers the casual listener might know — instead, the group hones in on less-familiar tunes from the 17th century. Some of these pieces haven’t been heard in the 400 years since they were composed, but ACRONYM makes them sound refreshingly contemporary, bringing them to life in stunning splendor.