Swept away by the Kurt Bittner Trio downtown

Those who attended the Kurt Bittner Trio performance downtown Saturday were left with more than just an understanding of the culture of jazz, but a feeling of personal enrichment.

I was swept away by the ensemble, leaving the Community Players Theatre floating into the streetlights on Main Street, softened and intrigued. “Romantic” is an understatement of the genre, as the music encompasses a history of its own, preserving a deeply rooted anthology of poetry, portrayed by themes that are difficult to recreate. The greatest jazz artists are a well-educated group of musicians who understand many layers of the human experience and promote the livelihood of our understanding of art through harmonies, bass lines and groove beats that have defined what music theory truly is - complex and ever-changing beauty. As Nina Simone once described, "jazz music is a way of life.”

As a lover of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, I understand that jazz strives to paint moving pictures in deep tones of auburn, bronze, amber and indigo. If you close your eyes, it fills the imagination with sounds of the soul; keeping you in touch with the rhythm of your heart. It sparks the sway of your soul, guiding you through the awareness of who are you are and who you want to be. It elegantly nudges you towards growth, leaving listeners with a desire to become a part of their surroundings. It is a culture that gets one excited to learn about the cultures of others. If you think you’ve heard every story, it is the mission of jazz to open you up to more.

Judging by the yelps, whistles, ‘yeahs’ and ‘woo hoos’ from the 60 plus attendees Saturday night, it is clear to see Sulphur Springs has strong following and a pas-sionate love of jazz. The trio opened their performance with “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” a song by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II from the 1928 operetta, “The New Moon.” Moving the audience to the feeling of yearning for a lost love, the night began with an intimate setting and a spot-lit stage that entranced interests beyond the bellowing music recreated by Kurt Bittner, Spencer Emmert and Ben Scarborough. The group conducted a dynamic set that truly taught the audience that although jazz is loose and intricate, it is well-organized when put into production.

Head Band Director at Sulphur Springs High School, Emmert, managed to mesmerize onlookers with his drum and conga solos reminiscent to that of artists who developed jazz drumming and its techniques during its prime in New Orleans. Emmert provided commentary of each song before playing, noting the titles, eras and some history and even breakdowns of their composition. He described jazz as a “moving target,” highlighting the challenge of crafting and reproducing the sounds of the classic genre.

Interweaving the layers of soul, blues, groove, bossa nova, bebop and swing, the Kurt Bittner Trio proved their excellence in musicianship. Jokingly, Scarborough stated, “as long as we start and stop together, we’re good.” Upon listening, you would think they play together in free-form, as the wavy, yet quick motion of their playing assumes each one of them to be haphazardly lost in their performance. Opposite the case, Bittner and Scarborough played along to the notes of music sheets placed in front of them, while Emmert seemed to have each strike of the drum committed to memory.

Emmert defined their seemingly random coordination as “integrated syncopation.” The audience laughed following his statement, as the trio subtly snickered about how technical the term came across, leading him to follow up with, “I’m a teacher, so…” Although technical, the music came out sultry and cool, only incorporating a modified upright bass, jazz guitar and drums.

Redefining Sulphur Springs as a place for events to relish, they offered a lineup stacked with major artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Toots Thielemans, David Brubeck and Johnny Mandel.

The hour and a half set decorated the auditorium with heavy down beat baselines, drums that drove the music forward, while lacing the tones with unabating harmonics from Bittner’s guitar. Bittner, truly a mastermind, never missed a note as the songs demanded a relentless effort on his part to keep the songs’ storylines going; transporting the audience through the historical markers of true jazz. Emmert, always maintaining the fluent connection between his quick riff changes with speedy drum rolls and solos, boomeranged space for Bittner's guitar to come back with sweeping arpeggios. It was incredible to watch.

The song “Misty” by Ella Fitzgerald won the hearts of attendees as it melted into soft melodies with solemn bass and guitar; with Emmert consistently switching back and forth between circular brushing strokes of the snare and high rise waterfalls. Continuing, they led into Autumn Leaves, written in 1945 by Joseph Kosma. They also performed several commercial and original hits by Miles Davis, including “Footprints,” “My Funny Valentine” and “So What.” Many know the song “So What,” but may not know the title upon hearing it. The piece identifies one of his signature bass lines, often tied to many of his songs; a commanding heavy-toned intro, which Scarborough perfected in his recreation of what is originally accompanied by piano. Scarborough played the notes perfectly and led the audience to pay tribute to his craftsmanship with resounding applause. “My Funny Valentine” was played with a slow, elegant, colorful and immersive sweetness – contributing to the understanding of the song’s title.

Impressively, they added the song “Take 5,” by David Brubeck, to their set list, which is intensely catchy and upbeat; with plucky bass lines and rapid guitar with plenty of high to middle of the neck chords.

Emmert stole the show with his minute long solo during the breakdown; leading the audience to hoot and holler like a group of seasoned beatniks.

During “Shadow of Your Smile,” a bossa nova tune composed by Johnny Mandel, if you closed your eyes, it was difficult to imagine there were only three people making the music, as it filled the entire auditorium with a full-bodied sound. The theatre, now an events center for all kinds, used to be an opera house. After hearing this song, I caught an air of confirmation that even a small and intimate setting like the Main Street theatre could hold the intensity of an opera in a very special way.

One of the crowd favorites was, “The Girl From Ipanema;” the perfect elevator music, the song is the second-most recorded pop tune behind “Yesterday” by The Beatles.

They played “Take the A Train,” a jazz standard written in 1939 by Billy Strayhorn, a song that immulates the sound of a locomotive, leading into a spicy and fast-paced run. I could not help but think to myself, the statement “cuttin’ a rug,” followed the release of this song. It was honestly hard for me to stay in my seat at this point. The show kept everyone’s toes tapping whether they were doing so on purpose or not

Finally, after a quick duck behind the curtains for an encore, the trio played a song I still cannot place the name of. If anyone would like to call us and inform us of the tune, you are more than welcome to.

During the concert, Emmert acknowledged his students in the audience who participate in the jazz band at Sulphur Springs High School. Trumpet player for Emmert, Levi Eaton, 16, mentioned his favorite song, "Take the A Train," after seeing the performance. "He did a really good job," he said of Emmert. His son, Brody Emmert, was proud of his dad as he noted his favorite song of the night was "Autumn Leaves."

Videographer for KSST, Doug Haston, stated "The high school jazz band are really good...and it's because of Spencer. He just knows how to teach them." Emmert used to be the Assistant Band Director at Quitman, and has been performing with the Kurt Bittner Trio for five years now.

Community Players Theatre at Main Street anticipate future events that showcase local and non-local talent. The Community Players Board is the organization that owns the facility, which reopened its doors January of this year.

The board received a grant to reconstruct their building downtown in exchange for a partnership with the city of Sulphur Springs, who asks they host events two weekends a month. They are still raising money and plan on bringing in concessions for patrons.In order to help the theatre thrive and grow, the Community Players Board brought on Executive Director, Phillip "Pip" Bickford, May 1, as their first paid member. "Pip," as people call him, has been the Contemporary Arts Director at the Methodist Church going on eight years.

He is also the standin Artistic Director with Greenville Theatre Works, a company he started. "My first love is music, so to bring in concerts to downtown Sulphur Springs is a dream come true," said Pip.

The investment is paying off; as the theatre has brought in crucial acts since his hire. Heroes of Commerce helped kick off their grand-reopening with a duet from Brad Davis and Joel Weaver. Davis is a Grammy-winning artist and has toured with country artist, Marty Stuart, for 11 years, including Billy Bob' Thornton's band, "The Box Masters." Weaver came back to perform for a special event, "An Evening with the Music of John Denver," at the Community Players Theatre. The event was filmed for a live tour. Showing me a picture of the stage, "I was proud of this one," as the stage was full of white candles in front of the performers; a sight reminiscent of most tribute shows in the past for famous artists.

So far, the Community Players Board has hosted two nights of jazz according to board President, Linda Mansfield, and Vice President, Jeannie Perkins. Unfortunately, there are no upcoming shows planned for the Kurt Bittner Trio, but after Saturday, I am sure there will be plenty more to come. Personally, I am hoping they play the entirety of Miles Davis' album, "Sketches of Spain." Of course, that might be asking too much.

As the community grows, Community Players Theatre plans to provide more shows, including the Memory Makers Clown Alley on Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 28, at 2 p.m.; a performance for kids to enjoy a ventriloquist. June 10-12 and June 17-19, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., there will be a oneact play by Susan Glaspell, directed by Tammy Vinson, called "Trifles."

There will also be a children's workshop event, "Cinerella's Glass Slipper;" performances taking place July 15-17, 22-24. For more information on upcoming events, contact the Community Players Theatre at Main Street at: 903-885-0107; or visit their website at communityplayersinc.com.