07/13/2007

Special to the Record-Eagle
Interlochen alumni Jim Stephenson wrote a piece for friend Rodney Mack, picture above, and Mack's second cousin, Branford Marsalis.

Musical ties

Interlochen grad's piece for Marsalis, Mack premieres Sunday

By
Record-Eagle staff writer

Branford Marsalis

INTERLOCHEN — Rodney Mack and Jim Stephenson met as high school students at Tanglewood's summer program, where they played together in the trumpet section and became fast friends.

For a time they attended college together at the New England Conservatory and roomed in the same dorm.

So when Interlochen Center for the Arts was looking for a composer to write a piece for Mack and his famous second cousin, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Stephenson was the obvious choice.

"We used to work on playing duets and transposing them and would tape over the windows so no one could see who we were,” said Mack, an international trumpet soloist and principal trumpet with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. "He always had an amazing talent for sight-reading.”

The pair will reunite Sunday for the first time in 20 years when Mack and Marsalis perform the premiere of Stephenson's double concerto, aptly titled "Cousins,” at Interlochen's Kresge Auditorium. The work also will feature Interlochen's signature World Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jung-Ho Pak.

Jim Stephenson

"I think it's a beautiful piece and I mean that in the best way,” said Pak, who commissioned the concerto on behalf of Interlochen. "It's splashy, it's accessible, it's tuneful, it's technically challenging for both soloists, so it allows them to show off their skills.”

For Stephenson, a composer and arranger now living in Chicago, the concert will mark a return to the Interlochen campus, where he spent eight summers as a camper, four years as a high school student and a short time as a teacher. Currently on leave as assistant principal trumpet with the Naples (Fla.) Philharmonic Orchestra, he has had his music performed by almost every leading orchestra in the U.S. as well as by artists like mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, the Pointer Sisters and 98 Degrees.

"So much seemed to fit,” said the 1986 graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, "writing for Branford, writing for my old friend Rodney and writing for Interlochen, which I credit as a trumpet player for getting me where I am.”

In composing the new concerto, he said he was mindful of combining classical and jazz elements to give both musicians a chance to shine — anot her reason he titled the piece "Cousins.” While both are classically trained — Mack first took trumpet lessons with Branford's older brother, Wynton Marsalis, at age 11 — Branford is better known in jazz circles.

"Because Branford is known as a jazz musician, I wanted to make sure that there were jazz elements so that the audience would get their money's worth,” Stephenson said. "But I also wanted to make sure that Rodney had stuff that he was comfortable playing.”

The result, he said, is a 13-minute piece that hints at the blues and at an American landscape, all the while keeping the classical form.

"I think the audience will enjoy it at first listen, which often is a challenge for a new piece,” he added.

For Mack, who is coaching high school trumpet players at Interlochen's four-week All-State program this summer, the Interlochen concert also is a rare chance to get together with the busy Marsalis. The pair last performed together June 3 at a Philadelphia concert featuring the work of 1800s trumpeter Francis "Frank” Johnson, the first African-American to have his sheet music published.

"He's a great musician,” Mack said of the versatile saxophonist, the eldest son of the famous Marsalis musical family. "I've never played so in tune in my life, because he's got great ears. And he's my cousin. I've known him since I was 5 years old.”

Already the three are talking about future performances of the concerto, perhaps on the Lancaster (Penn.) Symphony's 2008-09 season, Stephenson said.

"I can't imagine that we wouldn't be doing this elsewhere,” Mack confirmed. "Any time the opportunity comes up to play it with another orchestra, I'm sure we'll do that. And to record it would it be a great idea.”

Sunday's concert also will feature WYSO in Leonard Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story” and Igor Stravinsky's "Greeting Prelude” and Marsalis in performances of a Puccini aria and lieder by Mahler.

"It's never performed with saxophone and rarely performed as an instrumental,” Pak said, "so it just goes to show his exquisite taste.”

Tickets are $24.50 and are available at (800) 681-5920, (231) 276-7800 or tickets.interlochen.org.