The University of Massachusetts Lowell presents:

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The Senior Recital of Devon Hurt, May 3 , 2013
Student of Charles Gabriel

Wail

-Bud Powell (1924-1966)

It's Alright With Me

-Cole Porter (1891-1964)

Tear Gas! Dynamite! Mustaches!

-Devon Hurt (b. 1990)

From Poems, Portraits, Ballades and Blues:

Segovia

-Bertram Turetzky (b. 1933)

Nancy
Mingus

What Goes Around

-Dave Holland (b. 1946)

-Intermission-

Do You See the Same Moon?

-Charles Gabriel

Man in the High Castle

-D. Hurt

Thirteen

-Robert Wasserman

Chronology

-O. Coleman (b. 1930)

Squarepusher Theme

-T. Jenkinson (b. 1975)

Devon Hurt: Bass Guitar, Mike Dettorre and Derek Hayden: Drum Set & Vibraphone, Seth
Bailin: Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Brett Battistelli: Trombone, Austin Condee: Electric
Guitar.

Wail: I'm willing to bet that every musician in this room is familiar with the feeling of
plateauing. You know what I mean... That awful period where you're stuck at a certain level
of playing, and no matter how hard you practice, you can't seem to make any tangible
progress. I was stuck on a particularly bad plateau a couple years ago, and it got so bad that I
didn't even want to practice, because I was so sick of hearing myself. The thing that finally got
me out of it was a recording of this tune by the Danilo Perez trio. They took what is a relatively
simple (for bebop, anyway) rhythm changes-based tune, and turned it into a lurching,
unpredictable thrill ride, something both unmistakably classic and startlingly modern. Our
version features Derek Hayden on Vibraphone, and Mike Dettorre on Drum set.
It's Alright With Me: Fred Buda assigned this song to Derek, Brett, and I when we were
playing as a trio for Derek's lessons. I'll be honest, when we first looked it up and saw that it
was a Cole Porter tune, I definitely thought Aw man, this is gonna be lame. But as it turns
out, it actually works fantastically as a latin tune, and is a whole mess of fun to solo over. Not
too bad for a piece that was originally a middle-of-the-second-act afterthought in Can-Can.
Featuring Seth Bailin on Tenor Sax, Brett Battistelli on Trombone, Derek Hayden on Kit, and
Mike Dettorre on Vibes.
Tear Gas! Dynamite! Mustaches!: This is the first original on the program, and one of the
first tunes I wrote that utilizes the lydian chromatic concept. In western music, a piece will
often have a single key, and the harmony will be determined by that key's scale. For example
if a piece is in Bb major, it will likely use the Bb major scale. The lydian chromatic concept
rejects this idea, and instead utilizes a different scale for each chord in the piece, relying on
the changing notes between the scales to create interest, while using the common tones of
the scales to create continuity. The title of this tune is from a poem by Allen Ginsberg, entitled
I Beg You Come Back & Be Cheerful, and it features Seth Bailin on Tenor Sax, Brett
Battistelli on Trombone, Derek Hayden on Kit, and Mike Dettorre on Vibes.

Selections from Poems, Portraits, Ballades and Blues: This trio of pieces for solo bass by
bassist and composer Bertram Turetzky was certainly an adventure. If there's one situation an
electric bass player doesn't encounter often, it's playing something alone, so learning these
pieces was definitely a new experience for me. Each one is meant to highlight a specific
concept, and that shows in the personality of each piece. Segovia is a tribute to it's
namesake, and is written in the style of a classical guitar piece. Nancy is a beautiful ballad
that makes use of harmonics to great effect. Mingus is also a tribute to it's namesake, and
invokes the style of his piece Better Get Hit in your Soul.
What Goes Around: With most of the giants from the golden age of jazz either dead or a
shadow of their former selves, and the current scene as crowded as it is, there are very few
current players that fans can all agree are masters of the art form. Dave Holland is one of
those few undisputed modern masters. An equally talented bassist and composer, Holland
has put out scores of groundbreaking recordings, both with his own groups and as a sideman.
This piece, from the album Not for Nothin', features an extensive use of layering for effect, as
well as an 11:4 time signature that gives the piece it's off-kilter charm. Featuring Seth Bailin
on Soprano Sax, Brett Battistelli on Trombone, Derek Hayden on Vibes, and Mike Dettorre on
Kit.
Intermission: So yeah... That was the first half, I hope you liked it. There's some pizza from
Fio's in the lobby, and my mom made some really awesome salsa, so take this time to stretch
your legs and fill your stomach.

Do You See the Same Moon When

You're Looking Out the Window of a
Mansion on the Other Side of the World?: I'm not entirely sure if Chuck knows this, but I
was a fan before I was his student. I got his album Blueprints my senior year of high school at
the suggestion of my band director, and I was just blown away. So when I needed a ballad for
my program, I immediately knew I wanted to do this tune. Featuring Seth Bailin on Tenor Sax,
Brett Battistelli on Trombone, Derek Hayden on Kit, and Mike Dettorre on Vibes.
The Man in the High Castle: This one takes both it's title and it's character from a Phillip K.
Dick novel of the same name. The premise of the book is an alternate reality in which the axis
won World War II instead of the allies, and uses a variety of characters to show how society
as a whole reacts to totalitarianism. It's a unique and thought-provoking book, and I definitely
recommend it. To try to translate the books spirit into music form, I used a dense, tension-

heavy harmonic treatment, as well as an angular, unpredictable melody, to try and get across
the constant sense of unease that must come from living in a police state. Featuring Brett
Buttistelli on Trombone, Derek Hayden on Kit, and Mike Dettorre on Vibes.
Thirteen: This is another solo piece, by Grammy-winning bassist Rob Wasserman. It
presents a unique challenge, in that it's got a melody line and a bass line going on at once,
which is uncommon. It also grooves a lot more than many solo pieces.
Chronology: I can't overstate the influence Ornette Coleman has had on me. A (aw, who am I
kidding... THE) driving force behind the creation of free jazz, Coleman's music took the
vocabulary of blues, swing, and bebop, and put it to use in an exciting and innovative new
way. In traditional jazz settings, the musicians are responsible for improvising solos and
accompaniment, but the harmony and form is predetermined. In free jazz, the musicians are
responsible for improvising every aspect of the music, which simultaneously gives the
performers an immense amount of freedom, and places the burden of creation squarely on
their shoulders. Featuring Mike Dettorre on Kit.
Squarepusher Theme: Tom Jenkinson (aka Squarepusher) is far-and-away my musical idol.
I was going to try to explain his music to you, but I really don't think I can. To call it drum &
bass is selling it short. Jazz fusion doesn't really work either. Avant-garde comes close, but I
think that downplays the undeniable dance-ability of his music. All I can say is that he uses
bass guitar and electronic instruments to make some absolutely genius pieces. This one is
from his first album, titled Feed Me Weird Things, and this version features Austin Waterbury
Condee on Guitar, and Mike Dettorre on Drums