Kendall brothers enjoy music, sharing it with others
The Kendall Brothers Jazz Jam at the second annual Fayette County Jazz Festival on Saturday promises to be an exciting experience. “It’s designed as an open jam. We’ll have a set number of tunes, but there are other fine performers there and they are welcome to play,’ said Jason Kendall, 33, of Flatwoods, giving compliments to performers such as saxophonist Kenny Blake of Pittsburgh and trombone player Harold Betters of Connellsville. “I believe music is more exciting when you bring people together and they share talents.’
Jeremy Kendall, 29, of Smithfield agreed, adding, “Jazz is like a conversation. You add interesting personalities to the conversation, and it’s like sitting around a table – it takes a different turn depending on who’s talking.’
The Kendall Brothers Jazz Jam is slated for 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the jazz festival, which will be held at the Woodland Zoo’s Herald-Standard Pavilion, located on Route 40 in Wharton Township. During this performance, Jason will play the saxophone, Jeremy will play bass, Bob Mascia will perform on drums, Kevin Milliken on piano and Ralph Bill on trumpet.
The festival lineup also includes Quiet Storm, playing from 1 to 2 p.m.; Albert Gallatin High School Jazz Band, 2 to 3 p.m.; Kenny Blake, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.; RH Factor with Roger Humphries, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.; Lilly Abreu and Brazilian Jazz Trio, 7 to 7:45 p.m.; and Harold Betters from 8 to 9 p.m.
The Kendall brothers also are happy to see the Albert Gallatin High School students share this experience. Natives of Smithfield, they are both graduates of the school – Jason in 1991, when the high school was known as Tri-Valley, and Jeremy in 1994, when it took on the name Albert Gallatin.
Jeremy is now director of bands for Albert Gallatin Area Senior High School while Jason volunteers with the Albert Gallatin Jazz Ensemble.
Both graduated from West Virginia University, with bachelor degrees in music education, and Jason also earned a master’s degree. Jason is an instructor for Penn State at the Fayette and New Kensington campuses, teaching jazz history, American popular and Western music.
The brothers talked positively about Albert Gallatin’s own jazz festival last month, which featured Pittsburgh jazz guitarist Joe Negri and West Virginia University professor of saxophone Curtis Johnson. Coming off this experience, they are excited about the students participating in Saturday’s festival.
“I think it’s great to have young people at the festival, not only performing but hearing great players,’ said Jason.
The Kendall brothers themselves learned jazz while youths.
“Our dad, Lloyd Kendall, was in a band for 35 years, The Men of Chance. Their group was a popular group but they played a lot of rhythm and blues and that’s closely related to jazz. It’s improvisational in nature,’ explained Jeremy. “It inspired us to improvise, to be good performers and not just stand there and play. It started there, listening to his band. That encouraged us.’
“That background and at West Virginia University, we were involved in the WVU jazz band,’ said Jason. “I felt intimidated. It required a lot of practice, but Curtis Johnson encouraged me to arrange and compose for the Big Bands.’
Jeremy noted that Jason created a couple of numbers that the WVU Jazz Ensemble played and recorded.
Jason said, “We’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from such great people like Bobby Reed, Harold Betters and other great musicians from our area. Now we’re trying to bring it to students, many who are far more talented than we were at that age.’
“Quite often we’re amazed by the students,’ said Jeremy. “Some don’t even realize how good they are.’
The Kendall brothers know about performing. They began performing in 1988 when Jason was 15 and Jeremy was 12 in a band called Déjà Vu. Very popular performers, Déjà Vu stayed together until 2001 and then recently reformed in 2005 for a reunion tour.
“Our first gig was an oldies dance at Tri-Valley Junior High with Arnie Amber,’ said Jason.
The name came from a song the group members liked as well as the fact they were youths playing oldies numbers. As the group progressed, however, they began playing original music.
They have two CDs of original music and are working on a third.
Today, the Kendall brothers play in a variety of capacities. They perform as an acoustic duo and also have a jazz trio. Jason also plays solo piano.
Besides concerts, you can find them performing at weddings and local venues, such as Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington. Jeremy is choir director for Uniontown Church of the Brethren. Jason has given jazz improvisation clinics in the past and will offer one at Penn State Fayette for high school students this summer.
Jason plays guitar, saxophone, piano and clarinet and his brother noted that Jason is also a good singer. Jeremy plays trumpet, bass and piano. The first instrument for both was the piano.
The brothers are also looking forward to performing in the Fayette County Jazz Festival. “We feel honored to be asked to be part of the festival,’ said Jason. “Given the talent that’s going to be on the stage, we’re going to try to keep up.’
And they are encouraging others to attend.
“If you like jazz – even if you like good music – I think you’ll find something to enjoy,’ said Jason. “And the pavilion is beautiful, especially in the spring.’
“Some people are turned off by the term jazz because they pigeonhole it as a style they don’t understand or relate to,’ said Jeremy. “However, jazz is a blanket term that covers an array of sounds and music.’
The brothers listed the different styles as bebop, funk, big-band jazz, Dixieland jazz, New Orleans, free jazz and fusion.
“Part of the nature of jazz,’ said Jason, “is everyone has to sound unique in some way so you’re encouraged to be individualistic. Be who you are.’
They also talked about the interchange between jazz musicians.
“What I like is the way players react to each other,’ said Jason. “There’s a lot of depth to the music. That’s what a lot of jazz fans like to watch. It makes the music more exciting.’
For more information on tickets, call the Herald-Standard at 724-439-7569 or the Woodland Zoo at 724-329-1776.There is a discount on advance tickets.