Wynton Marsalis' map of accomplishment commonly runs through two points: his birthplace in New Orleans and his adopted home of New York City, where he serves as music director for Jazz at Lincoln Center. However, he maintains a special relationship with Washington, D.C., as well.
In April 1997, Marsalis premiered his oratorio "Blood on the Field" in D.C., the first jazz composition to ever receive the Pulitzer Prize in music. On Friday night, this relationship bore fruit once again when Marsalis premiered his new "Suite for Human Nature" at the historic Lincoln Theatre.
Executing his work would fall to the seasoned hands of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the internationally renowned voices of the Harlem Boys Choir. Additionally, vocalists Milt Grayson, Allan Harris and Jennifer Sannon were highlighted at specific sections of the suite.
The "Suite for Human Nature" is a collection of jazz-inspired movements grouped into two acts and tied together into a narrative through a spoken-word fairy tale of the creation of humanity's most dominant traits. Actress Nancy Giles served as narrator for the spoken portions, relating the story of Mother Earth, Father Time and their troublesome offspring of emotions. Giles successfully added whimsy and a degree of warmth and fluidity to portions that bordered dangerously close on becoming silly and overly irreverent.
The musical suite itself began roughly, diving into the universe's creation in a roots-based Dixieland prelude titled "Monkeydoodle" - a good idea that didn't pan out fully but provided for some good interplay within the orchestra. Much more effective was the expression of Aunt Nature's desire for motherhood with the growling Delta blues style present in the song "Deep Down Longing."
From there the "Suite" took a page from Peter and the Wolf by assigning each of Mother Earth and Father Time's children a specific instrument to fit their personality. Each spawned from an exotic, Mingus-like movement titled "Mating Dance." Greed, Hate, Envy and Fickle were each represented by a solo instrument meant to evoke the humor and menace associated with each voice. This strategy in composition struck a startlingly good balance between purposely overblown theatrics and great musical nuance and subtlety. The highlight of this technique was Sannon's sultry vocals for Fickle in "Whose Heart Shall I Break Today," overlapping elegance with a hint of cruelty.
Such a balance between theatrics and music would, however, not have been possible if it weren't for the sophisticated swing and samba beats in movements scattered about the "Suite" that were intended to portray the changing of the seasons. During these portions, the Harlem Boys Choir stepped up tremendously, adding a thin layer of wistfulness and complementing the light reed voices of the orchestra.
The second act brought with it an extra degree of menace as well as excitement. The different winds for whom Mother Nature seeks to have a fifth (and it is hoped, more benign) child were also given life through solo instrumental voices. Most notably, Marsalis himself took the role of the cool Northern wind articulated through an unmistakably Miles Davis inspired solo.
"Windjammer," the culmination of the winds' competition for Mother Nature's approval, was without a doubt the high point of the entire suite, combining exciting improvisation with hard-driving swing. Eventually the birth of Love in the form of twins settled the story in a satisfactory way, although the movements dealing with Love's taming of its siblings were slightly too saccharine at times. The final movement, "March of the Brats," was also somewhat subdued, even though Marsalis sought a celebratory emotion.
The genius of Marsalis shines through his "Suite for Human Nature" like a bright beacon in the distance. Although, there were times of rough interpretation and heavy-handedness, the pure musicianship on display and the talent of all those involved were enough to lift the suite to the level of Marsalis' lofty reputation in the realm of art.
For a full schedule of the Washington Performing Arts Society's winter events, including special holiday performances, visit www.wpas.org.
