The first annual “Battle of the Combos,” held at Yoshi’s San Francisco on Thursday night, May 15, 2008, was a rousing success, as the Nial Djuliarso Quartet became the winners of the inaugural International Center for the Arts at San Francisco State University International Competition for Emerging Jazz Combos. The “Battle of the Combos” was a compelling show-down between the two competition finalists. The packed house at Yoshi’s gave the Djuliarso Quartet a hearty standing ovation as the young band finished their set. An hour later, the audience rose to cheer again for the announcement that the New York-based ensemble had won the competition.
The Nial Djuliarso Quartet wins first annual ICA International Competition for Emerging Jazz Artists in extraordinary night of jazz.
Quartet wows crowd with spirit and skill
The New York-based quartet won over the crowd behind the spirited clarion tones of trumpeter Bruce Harris and the swinging, fluid solos and exciting rhythmic energy of pianist Nial Djuliarso. The front men were propelled by the high-spirited, powerful work of drummer Carmen Intorre, Jr. and the limber, imaginative lines put down by bassist Yasushi Nakumura. The quartet offered a lively rendition of Tad Dameron’s “Our Delight” and an invocation of John Coltrane’s “Locomotion” taken at break-neck speed. But it was the camaraderie, four-way interplay and joie de vivre on display throughout the Djuliarso original “Mutiasari,” a funk-laced romp, that put the quartet over the top.
Worthy competition
The Nial Djuliarso Quartet won the competition over Meaningtone, an excellent sextet also hailing from the New York area who turned in a high-quality set of their own. With a classic front-line setup of tenor sax (Sam Dillon), alto sax (Andrew Gould) and trumpet (Max Darche), plus pianist Nick Consol, drummer Manuel Weyand and bassist Nate Allen, Meaningtone delivered a bright assured performance. Their set was highlighted by an exhilarating rendition of “Without a Song” which opened with a Basie-esque feel and morphed into a bebop cooker.
Generations Band brings star power and history to the stage
Adding fire to this extraordinary night of jazz were performances by the Generations Band, featuring drummer Jimmy Cobb, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, saxophonist Andrew Speight, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, pianist David Hazeltine and bassist Ray Drummond. This group of jazz stars, brought together to serve as performing ambassadors for the Generation Project and as mentors for the competition winners, opened both halves of the evening’s action. Perhaps the highlight of their two sets was an extended version of “So What” from the famed Miles Davis album Kind of Blue on which Cobb himself played drums. It was a stirring display of bravado jazz soloing and virtuosity, and the audience knew they were experiencing jazz history.
A week of jam sessions and learning in San Francisco
As exciting as the “Battle of the Combos” concert was for the two finalist bands, their Yoshi’s performances were also the culmination of a week of mentorship from veteran jazz stars of the Generations Ensemble. They also got out on the town. Guided by Generations Ensemble member and program Artistic Director Andrew Speight, the musicians got a tour of jazz spots in San Francisco and mixed it up with local players at several high-profile jam sessions around town.
A competition win and a dream come true
With their Generations Competition win, the Nial Djuliarso Quartet earned much more than a certificate, a handshake and the appreciation of the crowd. The group has earned a year-long fellowship at San Francisco State University, featuring intensive, hands-on mentorship by the veterans of the Generations Band. These young musicians will gain performance experience and career training and record their own CD.
Please note: During the course of the 2008-2009 Fellowship year, Nial Djuliarso left the quartet, to be replaced by the excellent young pianist Adam Birnbaun.
Contact: Matt Itelson, (415) 338-1442, matti@sfsu.edu, College of Creative Arts c/o San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Avenue San Francisco, CA 94132