Musicians:Danny Charvat - piano

Nils Andreason - tenor and soprano saxophoneGraham Ring - double bass

Elias Williamson - drums

Repertoire:

Fresh Air…………………...…….…….Danny Charvat

Dolphin Dance…………...……….….Herbie Hancock

By The C………….………..……….…...Graham Ring

Easy Living….………….….Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin

Look to the Sky…………....…..Antonio Carlos Jobim

Spain ……………………..….……………Chick Corea

Blue in Green…….…………....Miles Davis/Bill Evans

Phytoplankton…….…………...…...….Danny Charvat

Program Notes:This set list is compiled to demonstrate a well-rounded mix of temposand styles within the jazz idiom. I have chosen a mix of classic jazzcompositions along with more modern jazz songs in order to display thegrowth of my playing since coming to Lewis and Clark. The standards Ihave chosen relate to the feelings they give me when I play them. Someof them are lighthearted, while others inspire me to contemplate moreserious themes.

Fresh AirI wrote Fresh Air during the beginning of March, when we were gettingour first full days of sunlight. It was relieving to be outside and enjoy thebright days of early spring. With this on my mind, I came up with amelody that lends itself to a more spacious feel. However, spring isn’t allsunshine. Therefore the B section modulates to a minor key to representthe darker days, along with a falling melody which represents theever-present rain.

Dolphin DanceWritten by Herbie Hancock, Dolphin Dance explores harmonies unlikeany other song in my collection of tunes tonight. It was first recorded in1965 as the fifth and final song in the album Maiden Voyage. We’ll takethis one at a slower pace in order to explore the intricacies of Herbie’sharmonies.

By the CThis waltz was written by my bassist Graham Ring while he was studyingabroad in London, spring of 2020. He wrote it on the accordion, and itwas initially intended to be a string quartet. Yet he decided to arrange itfor this quartet, and after some workshopping, we have this transcendentversion. The name is a double entendre; on one hand he was living bythe sea, and on the other hand the melody and harmonies are alwayscircling By the C.

Easy LivingBillie Holiday was the first of many to record this uplifting ballad writtenby Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin back in 1937. Easy Living has a uniquemelody with large leaps, along with a chord progression that takes youback in time. I recommend a cocktail of your choice to go along with thissong.

Look to the SkyThis lesser-known Antonio Carlos Jobim tune captures the essence ofBrazil in the late 60’s. With beautiful harmonies and a distinguishabletriplet melody, Jobim has laid the foundation for us to explore the intricaterhythms that distinguish bossa nova music.

SpainOne of Chick Corea’s most well-known compositions, Spain explorescomplex rhythmic motifs at a brisk tempo. Chick passed away this pastFebruary at the age of 79, and his loss is felt heavily throughout the jazzcommunity and beyond. Tonight we will present to you our fastest andmost complex tune in honor of the great inspiration and innovator, ChickCorea.

Blue in GreenAlthough Miles Davis took credit for writing Blue in Green, it was actuallyBill Evans who constructed the majority of the song. As the story goes,Miles gave Bill the first two chords, and told him to write a song with it.What came afterwards is a beautifully simple yet intricate ballad. The 10bar form is unconventional and the chord extensions are juicy, yet themelody displays the ‘less is more’ aspect of jazz.

PhytoplanktonI first wrote this piece in February of 2020, and it has gone through ahandful of changes since then. No, I don’t only write one song a year, butthese are the only two that I feel were adequate for this recital. The piececame to be called Phytoplankton because when first conceiving of thepiece, I went for a surf session in northern Oregon. The water was murkybrown, and I was worried that it was pollution, but it turns out there wasjust a bunch of phytoplankton floating around. The piece lends itself to an

easy-going feel with some odd harmonies. Then comes the driving swingsection, emulating a phytoplankton being tossed around in a wave, justto come back up again and continue its mellow and somewhat oddlifestyle.

Biography:Danny Charvat grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, and

began taking classical lessons at the age of five from an elderlyHungarian lady across the street, named Ms. Marriane Csanky. Afternine years with her, he took a year off from lessons to pursue otherhobbies such as surfing and skateboarding. He then started solo jazzand classical piano lessons with another instructor from the area, DavidNuñez, before going into his last year of high school.

Upon arrival at the first Lewis and Clark jazz combo auditions in2017, Danny realized he had a lot of work to catch up on in order to stayafloat. Lessons with Randy Porter, along with advice and criticism fromDan Balmer, gave him the tools and motivation he needed to survive andlater thrive in the jazz program. Danny has played in seven Lewis andClark jazz combos throughout his time at this institution, along with ahandful of other house show bands. He is hoping to return to playingshows with audiences in the near future.

Acknowledgements:I would like to first and foremost thank my bandmates for

dedicating their time to learning and practicing these tunes without anincentive. I would also like to thank the Lewis and Clark MusicDepartment for providing me with the resources needed to become thebest musician I can be. In particular, I am grateful for Dan Balmer andRandy Porter who have provided invaluable feedback and knowledgethroughout my fours years at this institution. Lastly, but certainly notleast, I want to thank my parents for supporting me in this journey.