The Cape Codder

Three jazz vocalists coming to Cultural Center

By John Basile

On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Cultural center of Cape Cod will once again come alive with the sound of jazz. Give Thanks For Jazz will feature three jazz singers backed by a trio of the Cape’s best players.

The singers — Dave Vanatter, Steve Wark and Reggie Moore — bring varied styles, but all share the ability to swing. Supporting the singers will be Fred Boyle on piano, Chris Rathbun on bass, and drummer Bart Weisman, who is also the organizer of the event.

Recently, Bart Weisman (BW) took some time to discuss his music and his interest in presenting jazz.

For you, being a jazz musician is more than just showing up for the gig. You are also involved in packaging the presenting the music. Is this something that comes easily for you? 

BW: I don’t mind being a sideman and playing with other groups, so I do not have to do it… I just find that I do it well and I can keep musicians working on the Cape.

By the time I market and book my group, set up the performance, hire the musicians, work on the set list, do the publicity, rehearsals, set up the equipment, do the sound check… I have to take a breath and say ‘OK, now we have to play the show.’  And this usually requires the least amount of time, but the music is what it is all about!

What's special about playing jazz as opposed to other kinds of music?

BW: I started playing drum set at 13-years-old and then went on to learn all of the percussion instruments. I studied with the principal percussionist and principal timpanists of the National Symphony Orchestra, but when the chance to play drum set for the Air Force Band Diplomats Jazz came my way at age 18, I jumped at the chance and never looked back. I love playing all kinds of music, but Jazz gives me the freedom to never play the same song, the same way twice. I can take a standard like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and turn into a samba. I love performing and arranging jazz standards, trying new things, and keeping the spirit of jazz improvisation alive and well.

As a drummer, what is foremost in your mind when working with other musicians?

BW: The most important thing I bring to a performance is my ears. I listen to everything that is going on… what the piano is playing, the bass player, the singer, and my job is to make this group experience the best it can be, every song, every note. The late, great bass player Keter Betts (he played with Ella Fitzgerald for 24 years) worked with my jazz group in Washington, DC and taught me that a singer is standing in front of the band, without [musical] clothes on, and it is our job to dress them up.

For many years, people have complained that jazz doesn't get the attention it deserves and that it's become sort of cult music. Any truth to this?

BW: Jazz is not pop, rock or hip-hop. There was a time during the swing era when it was mainstream, but that was moment in time. However, since Jazz is a true American art form, I believe it will be here for years to come. I remember seeing a Star Trek Next Generation episode where jazz trombone was the focus, so maybe there is hope that jazz will live on and be performed by future generations.  

How did you come up with the idea for a performance featuring three singers?

BW: At my Summer & Winter Jazz with Bart Weisman Concert Series at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (now in its fourth season), I have had a Guitar Summit and Clarinet Summit. Each one featured four instruments performing separately and together. So this is a variation on that theme, except we are using three instead of four.

Three great male singers from Boston and Washington, DC, performing on the same stage at a great venue on the Cape, and backed by a terrific trio, what else can I add, except you do not want to miss this concert.