The Alvin Trask Krewe'tet
Rockville, Maryland, United States | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
Blues Alley Serves Up A Little Soul Service
In celebration of the release of its record, the jazz quintet Soul Service was recently a featured performer at Blues Alley. The metro-based group of William Knowles, Mark Z. Saltman, Alvin Trask, Charles Langford and Mark G. Prince, marched through a rapid set of spirited original pieces during its appearance.
The group is led by partners Knowles and Saltman who… particularly relished their leadership roles on the legendary Georgetown stage. "We love playing here, the atmosphere is great and the people are really into it," said Saltman.
The crowd was immediately drawn to the hard breaks, stops and starts of the group's initial offering titled "Starch". Langford displayed a very warm tone on saxophone throughout the set. When the group performed the colorful composition "Daymare," he and trumpeter Trask really stepped it up and had the whole house swinging while Knowles took the supportive audience on a merry ride as he soloed using colorful notes with changing rhythms. The group returned and stretched out more with "Dreamcather" and the cut "and darkness fell." The latter featured some great interplay between Trask and Saltman.
When MetroconX caught up with Saltman for a brief chat, his focus was on the need for consistence and continuity in order for the group to grow and truly produce the kind of music of which it is capable.
"William, Charles and I met at the University of Massachusetts. (They were joined by Prince and Trask when the moved to the District.) It has been difficult to branch out , but we want to keep working as a group playing more often in more places," said Saltman. He explained that one of the key elements of the group's success is actually remaining together long enough to the continuity that it takes to move the music to another level. The seamless blending of sounds is a factor of time. "Part of the reason the Motown recordings were so great was because the rhythm section worked together for a long time," Saltman said.
Despite some slightly out of sync moment, Soul Service appears ready, willing and able to carve its name into the ranks of othere top notch players in the jazz field.
Lindsay Robinson
- Metro Connection
Blues Alley Serves Up A Little Soul Service
In celebration of the release of its record, the jazz quintet Soul Service was recently a featured performer at Blues Alley. The metro-based group of William Knowles, Mark Z. Saltman, Alvin Trask, Charles Langford and Mark G. Prince, marched through a rapid set of spirited original pieces during its appearance.
The group is led by partners Knowles and Saltman who… particularly relished their leadership roles on the legendary Georgetown stage. "We love playing here, the atmosphere is great and the people are really into it," said Saltman.
The crowd was immediately drawn to the hard breaks, stops and starts of the group's initial offering titled "Starch". Langford displayed a very warm tone on saxophone throughout the set. When the group performed the colorful composition "Daymare," he and trumpeter Trask really stepped it up and had the whole house swinging while Knowles took the supportive audience on a merry ride as he soloed using colorful notes with changing rhythms. The group returned and stretched out more with "Dreamcather" and the cut "and darkness fell." The latter featured some great interplay between Trask and Saltman.
When MetroconX caught up with Saltman for a brief chat, his focus was on the need for consistence and continuity in order for the group to grow and truly produce the kind of music of which it is capable.
"William, Charles and I met at the University of Massachusetts. (They were joined by Prince and Trask when the moved to the District.) It has been difficult to branch out , but we want to keep working as a group playing more often in more places," said Saltman. He explained that one of the key elements of the group's success is actually remaining together long enough to the continuity that it takes to move the music to another level. The seamless blending of sounds is a factor of time. "Part of the reason the Motown recordings were so great was because the rhythm section worked together for a long time," Saltman said.
Despite some slightly out of sync moment, Soul Service appears ready, willing and able to carve its name into the ranks of othere top notch players in the jazz field.
Lindsay Robinson
- Metro Connection
Discography
Saltman/Knowles "Return of The Composer" Pacific Jazz (2009)
Raddy & The Cats, “Re-Creation” Jazz From New Orleans (2007)
Fritz and The Duchess (2007)
Soulservice, “Sandcastles” (2003)
Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra, “A Work In Progress”. (2000)
Pan American Symphony Orchestra and Big, Band “Live” (1999)
Kwelismith, “Secret Meeting, Kwanzaa Songs and City Sounds” (1999)
Soulservice, “Dreamcatcher” (1998)
Clint Holmes, “Edges” (1994)
Federal Focus Jazz Band, “Renewing the Tradition” (1991)
Howard University Jazz Ensemble, “HUJE 90” (1990)
Photos
Bio
Louisiana has long been the birthplace for many of Americas elite jazz artists. Such is the status of jazz trumpeter Alvin Trask. Born in Baton Rouge in 1964, Trask began playing the trumpet at the age of nine, inspired by his uncle who played tenor sax. The influence of his uncles musical flair combined with steady encouragement to entertain at family events, church activities, and school programs brought Trask remarkable progress in playing the trumpet and perfecting his skills.
In 1989, Trask received his first major break with the Tony Kelley Royal Ambassador Big Band where he performed, toured, and recorded with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble and the Federal Focus Jazz Band. During his summer hiatus from graduate school, Trask studied and performed at the Thelonious Monk Institute and Jazz Festival in Dolo, Italy.
Besides studying with Eddie Henderson, Alvin Batiste, James West, Fred Irby and Webster Young, Trasks additional training and professional development includes work with the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Hartford Universitys Advanced Placement Music Theory, the Eastman School of Musics Jazz Arranging for Music Teachers, and the Essentially Ellington Band Directors Workshop.
Alvin Trask earned a Bachelor of Music Degree (Classical Trumpet Performance) from Louisiana State University and a Master of Music Degree from Howard University. As an educator, Alvin Trask is currently an Associate Professor of Music and Trumpet at Montgomery College. Previously, he chaired the Performing Arts Department at a private Episcopalian high school where he taught music theory and composition and conducted the spectrum of bands: symphonic, jazz, pep, ensembles and chamber orchestras. Trasks tenure also includes roles as Adjunct Professor of Music at Trinity College, Trumpet Instructor for a Music and Arts Center, Associate Conductor for the Pan American Symphony Big Band, and Brass Instructor for the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.
Links
