Western Courier

Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: The Edge

Media Credit: Martyn Davis George Turner fires up the fretboard.

Media Credit: Martyn Davis Matt Warnock and George Turner bust out the blues.

Western Illinois University hosted a night of jazz at the College of Fine Arts and Communication Recital Hall Oct. 7 featuring guitarists George Turner and Western's own Matt Warnock.

The duo began the performance with a Sonny Rollins number, "Solid," that was, unfortunately, not very solid. Warnock's rhythm could barely be heard and Turner's melody meandered in the mid-tempo piece. Perhaps the musicians just needed a moment to warm up their fingers. The second tune, "Without a Song," made popular by Adam Rogers, was much more focused and organized than the first. The song was more complex and Warnock's intermittent bass runs made the rhythm much more interesting.

The third song, "You and the Night and the Music" by Howard Dietz, followed much in the same suit as the second. While the two found a pleasant medium to work with, one couldn't help but notice the physical differences in their styles. Turner played his hollowbodied guitar with eyes closed, locked in deep concentration, the music often getting the better of him. What would begin as a foot tap would quickly turn into a type of slow seizure - his legs would jitter and his body would affect passages dramatically.

His partner was just the opposite. As stiff as a mortician, Warnock strummed his Stratocaster with the steady deliberateness of a surgeon. The only emotion betrayed: a coy smile after executing a difficult riff.

The fourth tune, "Inner Urge" by Joe Henderson, was one of the most interesting. Whereas most songs incorporate a melody based off of and situated around the rhythm, this tune sounded the opposite. With quick off-beat strikes, Warnock seemed to play his chords around Turner's lead.

At the number's conclusion, the meager but energetic audience was introduced to the night's special guest, Jeremy Zima. The three got down to business on a song entitled "I Should Care" by Sammy Cahn. As a trio, the song seemed complete with Warnock fingering bass, Turner's accompanying rhythm and Zima on lead. The group toyed around with expressions, switching to and fro on the coveted lead space. While Zima's range was relatively narrow, his fluid style was patently unique from his more seasoned counterparts.

"But Not for Me," a classic Gershwin piece, was recreated into an aural kaleidoscope. For the better part of the song they used the same format as with "I Should Care," but all three began to play lead, trying to outdo each other, creating a little slice of insanity only to fall right back into a groove at the exact same time using what can only be jazz intuition.

The final number, "Shaw 'Nuff" by Charlie Parker, was similar in structure to its predecessor. Its off-beat tempo, combined with Turner's melodic mastery and Warnock's metronome-like sense of timing, provided ample space for Zima to experiment. As in "But Not for Me," the three went rounds, their competition for dominance creating an almost ethereal atmosphere, from lofty heights to epic lows, all on clean tones. The interwoven melodies created a type of hypnotizing cadence, its subtleties indiscernible. It forced audience to acknowledge the whole, inviting the listener to get lost in its intricacies.

Though the group seemed to start the night off cold, it quickly turned into a red-hot combination.

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