“If it doesn’t look like we’re having fun, you get your money back.” – Ron Kearns

Well, no one got a refund at the kick-off event for the 2014 Jazz Samba Project at the Strathmore. Kearns, a jazz saxophonist who can play entire albums by memory, seemed to be having a wonderful time at The Mansion at Strathmore with his extremely talented friends and a captivated audience.

Paul Wingo on guitar, Kent “Thunder Fingers” Miller on bass, and Mark Prince on drums make up the rest of this charismatic quartet, and special guest Michael A. Thomas rounded out the evening on the trumpet. The Ron Kearns Quartet was formed in 2012 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Jazz Samba, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s definitive album for the genre, being released. The album was actually recorded in Washington, D.C., so it was fitting that the celebrations continue here. The classic beauty of The Mansion added to the feeling of history, so I felt like I was being entertained after a lovely meal at Downton Abbey.

Not that early 20^th century England society would have tolerated the funky island rhythms, mind you. The Brazilian influence that helped create bossa nova was unmistakable throughout the evening. Kearns’ smooth melodies were the audio equivalent of hips swaying, and the other instruments supplied the crashing waves, the fruity drinks, and the warm sun. Nearly half the attendees of the sold out show moved to the music in their seats during “Girl from Ipanema” and undoubtedly would have danced in the aisles if there had been space to do so. But just as the Mark Prince created a controlled explosion of sound with his drums in the intimate venue, we kept our composure.

It was a night of paradoxes, as the musicians were simultaneously humble and aware of their musical genius. The format of the songs seemed loose and focused on individual performances, but the sounds played off each other perfectly, like the comedic timing of an improvisation troupe.  Each man was free to explore where the music took him, with Wingo even slipping into the theme song from “M*A*S*H” at one point during the opening number “Day in the Life of a Fool,” better known as “Black Orpheus.” Whenever Miller showed off his range on the bass or Thomas wailed a long and soaring note, the other men onstage were the first to applaud and cheer.  They obviously enjoyed themselves and enjoyed being in the company of such accomplished artists, and so did the audience.

You can join the party by checking out Strathmore’s upcoming events (http://www.strathmore.org/eventstickets/calendar.asp) and joining Ron Kearns’ mailing list for more information on performances and available albums (www.ronkearns.com).

About The Author

Stephanie Taylor

Co-Editor/Entertainment Reporter

She may be a traffic engineer by day (hence the ‘stopsigngirl’ alias), but do not let her technical skills or multiple calculators fool you. Stephanie Taylor has a way with words. She will destroy any opponent in Scrabble, and get 50 points for using all 7 of her letters in the word “destroy.” She can a-n-n-i-h-i-l-a-t-e you in a spelling bee, having competed in no less than ten as a child. She uses correct punctuation in her text messages. It’s no wonder that copy editing comes naturally to her, and she is happy to fine tune the work of other writers before it reaches TRR readers.

Proofreading is not all that Stephanie loves to do. Regular reading without the proof is just fine, and she also loves to write. In fact, Steph has been writing since the tender age of 6 when she penned her would-be bestseller Mouse in Jail. It “would be” if all literary critics were in Kindergarten. Since elementary school, Stephanie has helped publish newsletters, yearbooks, and the Arts & Entertainment section of The Rice Thresher, Rice University’s student newspaper.

Stephanie’s other gigs have included singing her heart out in the chorus of My Fair Lady in Houston, doing improv comedy in front of hundreds of people in Atlanta, and teaching A.P. English in Los Angeles. She loves to travel and have cultural adventures like tubing down a river in Ecuador, dancing in a South Asian festival, or riding a ferry from Italy for 19 hours just to get real Greek food. Cooking and Yoga are also among Stephanie’s list of favorite things to do, but she cannot do them at the same time.

This native Texan genuinely adores reporting on entertainment as much as she loves to entertain, and is looking forward to learning more about what the D.C. area has to offer and sharing that news with you.

Stephanie Taylor also likes to write about herself in the third person.

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