Playing It Cool: Marcus Roberts Trio Jazz Concert Feb. 10

A highly innovative and original piano style, creative imagination, philosophy of jazz improvisation, and deep respect for the great masters of jazz and classical music, all combine to make Marcus Roberts one of the most diverse and acclaimed artists in jazz.

The Marcus Roberts Trio, which also features Rodney Jordan on bass and Jason Marsalis on drums, will perform at Bowdoin College at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 10, 2010, in Kanbar Auditorium, Studzinski Recital Hall.

The concert is free to Bowdoin students, faculty, staff and members of the Association of Bowdoin Friends. Admission is $15 for the general public. Tickets are required and are available at the David Saul Smith Union information desk on campus, 207-725-3375.

Marcus Roberts grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where his early exposure to his mother’s gospel singing and the music of the local church left a lasting impact on his own musical style. Roberts lost his sight at age five and he began to teach himself to play piano three years later. Soon thereafter, he began playing every Sunday at the local Baptist church. When he was twelve, he had his first formal piano lessons and around that same time, he decided to be a jazz pianist after hearing the music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Mary Lou Williams and other jazz greats on the radio.

Roberts attended Florida State University (FSU) where he won his first of many awards and competitions (the young artist’s competition at the 1982 National Association of Jazz Educators annual conference). The next year he won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, followed by first prize at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 1987. He was honored to receive a National Academy of Achievement award in 1995 and in 1998 he received the award that he considers his highest honor, the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement.

Roberts joined Wynton Marsalis’ band at age 21 and toured and recorded with the trumpeter for the next six years. Roberts signed his first recording contract with BMG/Novus in 1988 and completed six recordings for them before signing with Columbia Records early in 1994. All of his recordings have been critically acclaimed, and several have reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s traditional jazz chart. Roberts’ recording legacy reflects his tremendous versatility as an artist-with recordings that include solo piano, duets, and trio arrangements of jazz standards, original suites of trio music, large ensemble works, and symphony orchestra, including his Grammy-nominated recording of Gershwin’s signature classic, “Rhapsody in Blue” (Portraits in Blue, 1996).

In the spring of 2009, after a self-imposed hiatus that found him concentrating on teaching, Roberts released newest trio recording, New Orleans Meets Harlem, Volume 1, on his own label. The recording continues to receive rave reviews, and was considered one of 2009′s best jazz albums.

Roberts is also a prolific composer and arranger and a tireless educator. He regularly provides master classes, workshops, school shows, and residency programs all over the world in an effort to expose as many young people as possible to jazz. There is a long history of mentoring in the jazz tradition, going all the way back to King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. “It’s essential that we build on that tradition not just to keep the music alive but to move it ahead to the next level,” says Roberts.

“Every time I sit down at the piano, I draw spontaneously from all of that history of great music that I have at my fingertips,” he notes. “That’s why I never stop studying great artistic achievement in music. It just gives me more to draw from in my improvisations. When I play, I play for the people. There’s no requirement that they know anything specific about jazz to enjoy my music. It’s important that we as artists embrace the people-jazz music is not an elite art form. It was created by and grew from the soil of our rich and, at times, difficult American experience, and its resonance will continue as long as our democratic structure exists.”

The Marcus Roberts Trio’s Bowdoin appearance is sponsored by the Donald M. Zuckert Visiting Professorship Fund.

Archaeologist to Discuss 300-Year-Old Scottish Coastal Disaster Feb. 10

excavation (1) Archaeologist Gerald F. Bigelow will speak about his research on Scotland’s Shetland Islands in an illustrated talk at 7 p.m. on Wednesday February 10, 2010, in the Beam Classroom, Visual Arts Center.

A little over 300 years ago a small, coastal township in the Shetland Islands, Scotland’s northernmost county, was buried in windblown sand and never resettled. Led by Dr. Bigelow, an international team of archaeologists, historians, and environmental scientists is investigating this catastrophe, trying to explain its causes and consequences.

In his talk, “Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Coastal Disasters: A Case Study from Northernmost Scotland in the Little Ice Age,” Bigelow will speak about his team’s efforts to understand how climate change affected Shetland Island communities. He will discuss the possible interactions of climate change, extreme weather events, and farming practices that doomed a prosperous coastal community on Europe’s northernmost margins and what we can learn from their history.

Bigelow’s presentation is part of the “Catastrophe and Adaptation” lecture series that is bringing archaeologists who study cultures’ past responses to climate change to campus. The series is organized by the Arctic Studies Program and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and is funded with assistance from the Mellon Foundation.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center at 725-3416.

DJ Spooky’s ‘Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica’ Feb. 11

DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid aka Paul D. Miller.

Composer, multimedia artist, and writer Paul D. Miller, Bowdoin Class of 1992, is best known under his constructed persona, DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid. Miller will bring his large-scale multimedia performance work, DJ Spooky’s Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica, to the stage at Pickard Theater, Memorial Hall, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 11, 2010.

Admission is free, but tickets are required and available at the David Saul Smith Union information desk. Call 207-725-3375 for ticket availability.

Sinfonia Antarctica is an acoustic portrait of a rapidly changing continent. It transforms Miller’s first-person encounter with the harsh, dynamic landscape into multimedia portraits with music composed from the different geographies that make up the landmass.

Miller’s field recordings from a portable studio, set up to capture the acoustic qualities of Antarctic ice forms, reflect a changing and even vanishing environment under duress. Coupled with historic, scientific, and geographical visual material, Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica creates a unique and powerful moment around man’s relationship with nature.

DJSpooky530Miller performing Sinfonia Antarctica. Paul Miller’s Bowdoin visit is presented as part of the College’s climate awareness initiatives. Sinfonia Antarctica is an example of how an artist’s work can blend the visual and performing arts with other disciplines to spotlight such issues as the environment and global warming.

“The conventional notion of the environment conjures images of wild species and places void of human influence,” says Phil Camill, director of the Environmental Studies Program and Rusack Associate Professor of Environmental Studies andBiology. “Entering the historical world of environmentalism has been through this narrow lens of wilderness—a world in which not all people can relate. New frontiers are inspiring people to define, in their own terms, what values the environment holds for current and future generations.”

Camill notes that the environment must become part of everyday conversation explored by everyone, rather than by just a few.

“It shapes all of our lives and all of our disciplines,” he points out. “It shapes how we think about humanity and how we relate to one another. By developing and celebrating linkages from Environmental Studies to programs, departments, and individuals at Bowdoin not traditionally affiliated with the environment, we open and encourage this conversation.”

Paul Miller’s Bowdoin visit is supported by the Mellon Foundation and is sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program, with additional support from the Africana Studies, Arctic Studies, Coastal Studies, and Gender and Women’s Studies programs; the departments of English, History, Music, Sociology and Anthropology, Theater and Dance, and Visual Arts; the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island; and the Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good, as part of the Seeking the Common Good: Innovation for Change series.

In addition to this performance, Miller will speak at Common Hour Friday, February 12, and meet with faculty and students. Common Hour is open to students, faculty and staff.

Sinfonia Antarctica comes on the heels of Miller’s highly acclaimed performance work, DJ Spooky’s Rebirth of a Nation, which he has performed more than 60 times around the world, including in Athens, London, Rome, Paris, Sydney, Auckland, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, at Dartmouth College, Harvard University, The University of Michigan, and numerous other festivals, universities and theaters.

His latest album, The Secret Song, will be released October 6. The new record marks DJ Spooky’s sixth full-length album, and will feature guest appearances by notable artists and musicians such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, The Jungle Brothers, The Coup, Rob Swift, and Mike Ladd.

In addition to the making of The Secret Song, DJ Spooky continues to bring his artistic output to fans across the world and dip his toes into other creative realms. He has played many festivals, from the main stage at Bonnaroo to Michael Franti’s Power To the Peaceful to the 2009 Bumbershoot Festival. Earlier this year, Miller performed before a crowd of 100,000 on the mall in Washington, D.C. for Earth Day, along with the Flaming Lips and others.

In the world of books, Miller’s Sound Unbound features essays from legendary figures like Steve Reich, Pierre Boulez, Chuck D, Daphne Keller (the senior legal counsel to Google), Saul Williams, Brian Eno, Moby, and many others.

In his reconstructing of the role of the DJ, Miller’s visual artwork has been honored with solo shows at such art venues as The Tate Modern, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Robert Miller Gallery.

Visiting Bowdoin

Visiting Bowdoin

Introduction

Bowdoin’s 215-acre campus, comprising more than 120 buildings, is a brief walk from downtown Brunswick, Maine. The town of 21,000 people is 25 miles from Portland, and approximately 120 miles from Boston. Brunswick, the state’s largest town, brings together elements of both city and country living, including cultural offerings, a variety of restaurants and numerous activities for the outdoor enthusiast.

The College Information Desk is located in the David Saul Smith Union, adjacent to Dayton Arena and Morrell Gym. Limited public parking for the Smith Union is available off Sills Drive, either behind Morrell Gym and Dayton Arena, or in the parking lot on the opposite side of Sills Drive. Smith Union is a major hub of information, activities and services, as well as one of the informal dining centers on campus. The building is home to the student activities office, a game room/recreation area, student mailboxes, the mailroom, lounges, and the Bowdoin Bookstore.

Free guided tours of the campus are available from the Admissions Office. For more information on the availability of these tours please visit the Admissions Web Site.

Live views of Bowdoin are available via webcams.

Important Phone Numbers:

  • Campus Switchboard (207) 725-3000
  • General Information (Smith Union) (207) 725-3375
  • Admissions (207) 725-3100
  • Hawthorne-Longfellow Library (207) 725-3280
  • Bowdoin College Museum of Art (207) 725-3275
  • Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum (207) 725-3416
  • Security (207) 725-3314; Emergency (207) 725-3500

Directions

Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine, a midcoastal town of 21,500 people, 25 miles from Portland and about 120 miles from Boston.

By car

Get a map to Bowdoin

Pick up a visitor parking permit at the Communications Center, 13 Bath Rd. Brunswick, ME 04011

More info about parking »

To reach Brunswick

From the south: Take the Maine Turnpike to Exit 52 (formerly Exit 9; 295 to Coastal Route 1). Continue on 295 to Exit 28 (formerly Exit 22; Route 1 North: Coastal Route, Brunswick/Bath).

From the north via the Maine Turnpike: Take Exit 103 (formerly Exit 14), then I-295 to Exit 28 (formerly Exit 22; Topsham-Brunswick, Route 1 North).

To reach the main campus and admissions

From I-295, take Route 1 North/Pleasant Street. Proceed to the third traffic light. Go straight (“To 201/123/24/Maine Street”). Continue straight for approximately 1/2 mile to the second traffic light. Turn right on Maine Street. Continue on Maine Street for approximately 1/2 mile. The Bowdoin campus begins at the intersection of Maine Street and Bath Road, near a large UCC Church.

To find the admissions parking area, continue on Maine Street past Bath Road. Turn left on College Street. Turn right at the second street (you’ll see signs for “Tower Drive Parking” and “Admissions Visitor Parking”) and follow signs to the Admissions parking lot.

To reach the McLellan Building (human resources, communications and public affairs, controller’s office, Upward Bound, and some art studios)

From I-295, take Route 1 North/Pleasant Street, proceed straight through 3 sets of lights, and at the 4th set of lights take a right onto Union Street. Travel 2 blocks to 85 Union Street, (3 story building on the left, immediately after the railroad tracks). Take a left into the parking lot, Human Resources is the first office on your right upon entering the building.

  • Maine Limousine Service The largest limousine service in the area. Registered, permitted, and insured with all area Airports.

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By Bus

  • Greyhound/Vermont Transit from Brunswick:
    Offers daily trips to and from Brunswick, Maine. Schedules and rates are available from the office at 206 Maine Street, Brunswick (1-800-537-3330). Buses stop at the 7-11 store on the corner of Maine and Elm streets, two blocks from campus. Limited service may be available from Bowdoin College. Call 1-800-231-2222 for more information.
  • Concord Coach Lines from Bath and Brunswick:
    When classes are in session, Concord Coach Lines makes a stop at Bowdoin College on Sills Road, by Druckenmiller Hall. Concord Coach Lines tickets may be purchased at the Mobil Mart/Puffin Stop (101 Bath Road, Route 24). You may also get on the bus at the College and purchase your ticket en route.

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By Plane

The Portland International Jetport which is served by most major airlines. Please visit the Portland International Jetport web site for a list of airlines serving Portland and lists of cities with daily direct flights.

Mermaid Transportation Co., Inc. provides daily service to and from the Portland Jetport and Boston’s Logan Airport. Coastal Transportation provides limited door-to-door bus service and a shuttle bus service operates in between Bath-Brunswick-Topsham.

Rental cars are available at the airport (Avis, Budget, Hertz and National), and in Brunswick (Enterprise) and other regional locations.

Private airports in Bowdoinham and Wiscasset offer charter flights and service to small, commuter planes.

Map from PWM – Portland Jetport

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By Train

Rail service to Portland Maine via Boston is provided by the Downeaster Amtrak Train. Rail service to Boston is currently available through AMTRAK.

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Shuttle Services

  • Mermaid Transportation provides service to Boston, Manchester, N.H., and the Portland Jetport on a regular schedule during the last few days of the semester. For more information and reservations call 1-800-696-2463 or 207-885-5630.
  • Mid-Coast Limo provides service to the Portland Jetport. For more information and reservations call 1-800-937-2424 or 207-236-2424.