Fish fry to feature music,
not seafood
By Anna Herkamp
Senior
Writer
The Saturday Night Fish Fry is not on Saturday
and will not have any fish.
But there will be good music.
The Saturday Night Fish Fry, which will take
place at 8 p.m. Friday at the Long Center for Performing Arts, 111
North Sixth St., Lafayette, will feature veteran jazz performers from
the "Chitlin Circuit" of the '40s and '50s.
The circuit refers to the chain of southern roadhouses
and clubs that many jazz performers traveled during the days before
rock 'n' roll.
The concert will feature veteran jazz performers
Hank Marr on the Hammond B-3 Organ, Grady Tate on drums and modern
jazz musician Russell Malone on guitar. Houston Person will also join
the trio on his tenor saxophone.
Person partnered will legendary vocalist Etta
Jones for many years and is one of the best-known saxophonists working
today, said Larry Sommers, director of marketing for Purdue Convocations.
Russell Malone, a younger jazz musician, works
with popular jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall.
The Hammond B-3 organ fell out of use as modern
electronic synthesizers began to replicate its sound.
Don Seybold, Purdue Convocations associate director,
said the organ trio was one of the most popular forms of music traveling
the circuit during the period between the '40s and '60s.
The organ allowed musicians to travel more economically
because it could easily replace a bass player.
Other than economics, the sound created by the
guitar provided listeners with music they could dance to, just listen
to or enjoy no matter what mood they were in.
In a recent press release, Seybold is quoted
describing this type of jazz as "the sound of soul."
"It's down, it's gritty, it's dirty — it's
the blues, but with the bite and taste of jazz."
The blues, said Seybold, is a feeling as well
as a genre of music. With jazz music, there is much more improvisation
during a performance. The jazz the group that will perform is heavily
dependent on blues.
Sommers said students would like the concert
because it will give them a chance to see and hear a style of music
they don't often get to hear — especially live.
"Students who are looking for something different
from pop and rock radio will find it very moving and interesting,"
he said.
"Students are looking for alternative forms of
music right now," he said. Pop music used to be for people 18 years
old (and a little older), but now it seems like it's for 12 year olds,"
he said.
"They will hear some people who can really play
their instruments. That is something you don't get very often with
many pop and rock groups today," he said.
< The Saturday Night Fish Fry will take place
at 8 p.m. Friday at the Long Center. There will be refreshments available
before and after the concert. Don Seybold will give a talk at the
adjacent St. John Pavilion one hour before the show begins. He will
discuss jazz and its place in history.
