Local jazz quintet breaks out of the box

Though he has been performing contemporary jazz with his quintet for years, guitarist and music professor Richard Nelson is trying something a little different for his group’s new season of performances.

“We’ve been diversifying our repertoire recently,” said Nelson, who teaches in the University of Maine at Augusta’s jazz program, and will perform with his Richard Nelson Quintet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the college center at University College of Bangor. “We’re doing things that involve blues and gospel and reggae, as well as the modern and traditional jazz that my group normally does. It’s a wide range of music.”

It was his son’s interest in American traditional music that inspired Nelson to explore other genres besides jazz.

“He helped to rekindle my interest in that style of music,” said Nelson. “We went from more of a focus on jazz and modern classical into a deep exploration of American music – Woody Guthrie, the Carter Family – things like that.”

Nelson found a kindred spirit in Josephine Cameron, a songwriter and vocalist from Topsham who works primarily in folk and bluegrass traditions, and who will perform with the group as a guest vocalist throughout the year.

“I knew that she was a great person to work with and brainstorm with, so I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can put these two [styles] together,'” said Nelson. “I had been wanting to engage my jazz group with what’s often the more direct communication of having a singer involved, and she seemed like a great person to give that a try.”

Nelson’s group includes fellow UMA professors Don Stratton on trumpet and Steve Grover on drums, as well as alto saxophonist Tim O’Dell and bassist Stu Mahan. Together, the six began to rework some traditional songs.

“We’re taking songs like ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ or ‘Peace in the Valley’ and bringing it into a place where it’s being used in its original shape, but then also being infused with jazz improvisation,” said Nelson. “It gives it a new perspective. We like to break down some of the barriers that separate music groups into limited niches and categories, and bring a big musical palette to our audience.”

In addition to the reworked traditional songs, the group will perform several originals, including the premiere performance of O’Dell’s “Ancient Pines Suite,” inspired by Maine’s natural landscape.