along with some of the top
guest clinicians in the world, this year was no exception.
In addition to performances by jazz legends, outstanding up-and-coming jazz
performers and world-class clinicians spent three days immersed in
instrumental/vocal clinics and competitions.
Thursday night kicked off with trombonist Robin Eubanks and The Collective, one
of the most creative and versatile ensembles in the northwest. The
critically acclaimed Eubanks has worked with such greats as Art Blakey
and the Jazz Messengers, the Mingus Band, the Rolling Stones, Talking
Heads, and Barbra Streisand.
Friday night featured the Joshua Redman Elastic Band. Redman, referred to in the
Associated Press as "the crown prince of the tenor saxophone," has been
winning accolades since 1991, when he took first place in the Thelonius
Monk International Jazz Saxophone competition.
Scott Bergstrom, head engineer at Starsound
Audio in Reno, has been supplying audio systems for the festival for years. This year’s system consisted of
twelve MacPherson Monolith Version 2s flown in two line arrays (six per side), four MacPherson IS12s flown two per side on their own swivel
mounts below the Monoliths, eight Community Speakers mounted on eight Bag End Dual Series18 Subwoofers, and six EAW 500 stage monitors.
With concrete floors, a soaring ceiling, and a room capacity of 13,000, the acoustical challenges of this venue are
daunting. But the system performed beautifully. In a setup where any long throw boxes would have been useless, “the Monoliths sounded like
studio monitors, while the IS12s filled the floor with smooth, even coverage,” said Bergstrom. He plans on taking the system back for next
year’s Festival.
The Reno Jazz Festival is produced by the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Music and Extended Studies, with sponsorship from Premier
Percussion USA, Sabian, Maytan Music Center, the Nevada Arts Council, and many others.
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Starsound Audio
Telephone 775-331-1010
www.starsound.com
