Exemplary! Superlative! Outstanding!

There aren’t enough words to describe the experience of a great band in a great hall. I was wowed – on the edge of my seat, trying to get closer to the sound without tumbling over the balcony.  It was a symphonic approach to the big band genre:  close in sound and yet so far away.

They played several great tunes by DC native, Duke Ellington, but “Insatitiable Hunger” was my favorite tune of the night, written by sax player Sherman Irby. It was a quirky tribute to Dante’s Inferno – a big helping of fire and vice.

The last time I was at the Kennedy Center was in 1976 when I played with a big band from University of Wisconsin at the National Association of Jazz Educators conference. Next week, Pink Martini is playing for Valentine’s Day. Maybe I can get a ticket!

Wynton Marsalis at the Kennedy Center