Bill Charlap spellbinds in Music Series

By: Soondos Mulla-ossman ~Staff Writer~ When Music Series Coordinator Polina Bespalko introduced Grammy Award winner Bill Charlap, she mentioned that the first word that came to mind when she heard his music was “refinement.” This image was proven true even before he began playing: He dressed in a suit and tie. Unlike most musicians before him, he had no listed program of the pieces he would be playing that Sunday afternoon. The moment he sat before the Steinway and Sons grand piano, he began playing. The audience mistook it for an actual piece and applauded when he finished—he was only … Continue reading Bill Charlap spellbinds in Music Series

Anat Cohen jazzes up Xavier stage

By: Soondos Mulla-Ossman ~Staff Writer~ At Sunday afternoon’s introduction of Anat Cohen, the jazz musician was described as the most faceted and multi-talented in the world. As just one example, she performed a Brazilian piece once and played it so authentically that a Brazilian listener was convinced she was born in the same country. Xavier University’s Music Series started this semester off with the Israeli born-and-raised jazz musician determined to bring the clarinet and saxophone into the modern world with her own flair. Prior to her performance on campus, Cohen had been invited to renowned jazz festivals around the world, … Continue reading Anat Cohen jazzes up Xavier stage

Jazz trio rounds out music series

By: Kevin Thomas ~Staff Writer~ The final note of the Xavier Music Series will be a positive one as The Bad Plus will come to Cincinnati for the first time in their career. They will be playing in the Gallagher Theatre at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m., with the JD Allen Trio opening. The band has been playing together since 1989, but has only gone by “The Bad Plus” for the last 16 years. Based out of New York City, The Bad Plus is an avant-garde jazz trio composed of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson … Continue reading Jazz trio rounds out music series