The Tom Wolfe Quartet will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 and 20 when the jazz group comes to Tech’s Bryan Fine Arts Building. Jazz guitarist Tom Wolfe composes his own music and performs with the quartet.
"Most of the pieces the quartet will play are originals of mine that are featured on my new CD, ‘Solerovescent,’" said Wolfe.
These pieces can also “change based on the musical interaction that the group has. That is an extremely important aspect of jazz performance,” said Wolfe. “When I compose a piece and give it to the group to perform, they will interpret the music in their own personal way and it becomes a unique embodiment of my composition.”
Wolfe and the Tom Wolfe Quartet will perform alone Wednesday night, and then with Tech students in the TTU Jazz Ensembles Thursday night.
"The students get a chance to play with these really top notch professionals," said Chris McCormick, director of jazz studies.
“He’s a jazz guitarist who tends to have a little bit of a modern feel, a little bit of a rock, I don’t want to say pop because it’s not-it’s more complex than most pop music, but it’s got that kind of feel… it’s kind of contemporary rock,” said McCormick.
Jacob Burgess, junior music education major, has been playing guitar for eight years and integrates aspects of different artists into his own music.
"I think I'm most excited about seeing his approach to the guitar,” said Burgess. “The guitar is such a versatile instrument that there are a lot of different ways you can play it, and each guitarist has sort of his own voice, especially at that professional level. He's established sort of his niche and like his voice in the guitar.”
Wolfe plays the bass guitar and used to play tuba, but he has been playing guitar since he was six.
“When I was young, I saw someone playing guitar on TV and told my parents I wanted to play the guitar,” said Wolfe.
Brant Poindexter, senior music education and performance major, says it’s really awesome to have a guest artist at Tech.
"People should stay, if for no other reason than to listen to him because it’s not every day that we get a true professional on campus playing music with the students," said Poindexter.
Wolfe and his quartet will be at the Wattenbarger Auditorium in the Bryan Fine Arts building on Nov. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. If students need to come in late, they should wait until the song is finished before entering.
