Group accomplishes mission

By Douglas Watts
Special Correspondent

 The nonprofit organization JAMinc did what it does best yesterday in presenting Neighborliness in a Jazz Ambassadors Concert at the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School.

According to its mission statement, JAMinc was founded to bring fine, nonmainstream music to Richmond, support talented musicians and "open minds, hearts and ears to music deserving a wider audience."

The group managed to accomplish the mission as Neighborliness displayed extraordinary talent playing music that was once mainstream, all the while proving they deserve a wider audience.

In fact, they will get that audience soon. Winners of the 2004 Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador's contest, Neighborliness has been selected by the State Department to tour the Far East for five weeks this spring.

Also known as The John Winntet, Neighborliness used this show to prepare for the upcoming tour by presenting jazz, R&B and blues selections written by American composers such as Dike Ellington, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong. However, while the tunes were familiar, many of the arrangements were not.

Gershwin's "Summertime" was given a funky treatment with a powerful bass line over a driving drumbeat. John Winn sang a scat vocal style in a call-and-response interplay with Daniel Clarke on piano. Armstrong's "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues" was done in a traditional swing fashion but limited the solos to bass and drums. The effect worked as Curtis Fye's tasteful acoustic bass playing proved here that less is more.

Clarke, who also is a JAMinc board member, provided a soulful vocal to Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?" His slow expressive piano solo accompanied the R&B feel of the song.

Another highlight of the show was Winn's smooth vocal on "Stand By Me" done in a slow, bluesy fashion. Clarke's elegant piano solo subtly expressed the melody. The set closed with Ellington's "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me." Done in a rousing style in the vein of "Rock Around The Clock."