Tufts Jazz Show to feature cutting edge performers

This year's Winter Jazz Show, featuring Soulive and Joshua Redman, will showcase an off-the-beaten-path type of Jazz, with the qualities of funk, soul, and hip-hop incorporated into the older traditional jazz, which will push the tunes to new levels.

In past years, the Tufts Jazz Show has held the best of modern jazz performers as headlining acts, including performers like Grammy winner Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, the acid jazz likes of Medeski, Martain, and Wood, guitar greats John Scofield and Charlie Hunter, and last year's more traditional performers, Nicolas Payton and the Aaron Goldberg Trio. This year's show, to be held next Sunday, will feature three sets and is looking to meet and perhaps exceed past shows.

"Jazz is a broad term and people are always redefining it," said Ariel Santos, the chairman of the Concert Board, which organized the show. Soulive has been one of the leaders in the new movement of jazz, carving new roads in the industry and carrying the music to new heights. With their fusion of funk, soul, R&B, and hip-hop into the framework of jazz, Soulive has reached an array of different fans. Their name alone will most likely pack Cohen Auditorium.

While the trio's style is different from the accepted standard of straight jazz, their Blue Note label, which has a history of signing traditional jazz acts, proves otherwise. The Trio of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and brother Neil Evans (keyboards) appeared on the cover of this month's Downbeat Magazine, proving to the world of jazz that they are a leading force in the scene.

This new wave of jazz is "more of what the college crowed is looking for," Santos said. The opening act of saxophone extraordinaire, Joshua Redman, will feature new sounds of jazz as well. Redman "has always been on the cutting edge of jazz and he's playing the new funk that is really hot right now," said Santos on the issue of Redman's playing style. Of course with the lineup he has of Marcus Baylor on the drums and Sam Yahel on the Hammond B3 organ, the set looks to be very funky. Combined with Redman's years of jazz superiority, the set looks to be an enjoyable one.

If everything goes according to plan, there will be a third set of music with Redman sitting in with Soulive. The Tufts Jazz Show has sometimes been "less to do with style, and more of an attraction because of name recognition," said Santos. As Soulive is the bait for the Tufts community, they will be pleasantly entertained by the 70s-era funky jazz of the Joshua Redman Trio.

The Winter Jazz Show will be held from 7:30-11 p.m. next Sunday in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets for the event are on sale at the box office in the Aidekman Arts Center.