Valley Advocate: Bands on the Run
Aug 8, 2002

http://www.valleyadvocate.com/articles/bandsontherun.html

Excerpt:


A look at the winners of this year's Grand Band Slam Contest


By Gary Carra, James Heflin, Chris Kanaracus, Jonathan Keane, Amy Kroin
and Michael Manekin

True campaign finance reform -- the kind of measure that would forever
change the way politicians do business -- will never, ever pass muster
with the folks in Congress.

But while our elected representatives are likely to perpetuate the status
quo into the next millennium, we at the Advocate are a bit more
open-minded about the prospect of change. In fact, with this year's Grand
Band Slam we've engaged in a little campaign finance reform of our own --
radically altering the way we conduct this highly anticipated readers'
poll.

For the fourth year running, we asked Advocate readers to choose their
favorite local musicians in a variety of categories, from best bass player
to finest funk band. We added a number of new categories this year --
including best a cappella group and best free jazz/new music ensemble --
to reflect the sheer breadth of the local music scene. And, perhaps most
significantly, we broke with the tradition of listing various choices on
the ballot in each category; we wanted to be more inclusive, more
comprehensive, so we opened it up and provided no options at all.
The result is a glorious mix of familiar and not-so-familiar faces. While
there are several repeat winners this year -- including Viva Quetzal, the
Big Bad Bollocks and JazzoTree -- there are many more first-time winners.
It's clear that the regional music scene, which so many dismiss as a thing
of the past, is in fact alive and well, and brimming with energy.
So without further ado, here's a look at those who ranked number one in
the hearts (and souls) of Advocate readers:


JAZZ
Amherst Jazz Orchestra

Every other Monday for the past four years, the members of the Amherst
Jazz Orchestra have held court at the Amherst Brewing Company -- all 17 of
them.

That's right: The AJO, as its founder, UMass music professor Dave Sporny,
refers to it, is the Valley's only working jazz big band. The group is
composed of a potent horn section -- five saxophonists, five trumpets and
four trombonists -- along with musicians on guitar, bass and drums.
If you've yet to experience the AJO, know one thing: They don't play any
swing tunes. "We play things that focus on the music and the soloing,"
Sporny says. In other words, think Duke Ellington, not Benny Goodman.
Sporny formed the group about nine years ago, hoping to recapture the
magic of a similar band he headed while living in Michigan. Most AJO
members are full-time musicians. Others are music teachers and a few
simply accomplished enthusiasts.

While the AJO is large, it leaves plenty of room at the Amherst Brewing
Company for its fans, of which there are surprisingly many, Sporny says.
"There's nothing else like this going on. It's very rare that you can walk
in and hear this for free. We're all very surprised at the size of the
audience."

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