Classical Music and All That Jazz

Collier County is host to a great deal of musical talent. Some of the area’s most accomplished musicians performed two shows in East Naples this past week, delighting devotees of classical music, jazz, and the interplay between the two. This classical-jazz “fusion” was on display most prominently in the performance Friday night of the “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio” by Claude Bolling, which in his original recording with flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, stayed on the Billboard charts for over ten years, one of the most popular recordings ever. 

Jodie DeSalvo and Glenn Basham have had long and distinguished careers, primarily on the “serious” side of music, the classical repertoire. Jodie DeSalvo has toured extensively as a piano soloist, appearing with the orchestras of Chicago, Geneva, Lucerne, and San Francisco, as well as many solo performances with the Naples Philharmonic.  

Violinist Glenn Basham was the longtime concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as appearing as soloist with orchestras and music festivals around the world, and has served as concertmaster at music festivals nationwide, including the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, the Colorado Music Festival, the Hot Springs Music Festival, and the Pine Mountain Music Festival. Glenn also has a “secret weapon,” his wife Leelo Basham, a classical flautist who played for many years with the Naples Phil.  

Jodie and Glenn both excel at playing serious music, but they don’t take it too seriously. And they are also accomplished jazz musicians, performing and recording individually, with each other, and a number of notables. So, their concerts, when they have the flexibility of creating the program, feature both “classical music – and all that jazz.”  

The programs the past week, just down the road from Marco Island, were cases in point. On January 19, Jodie and Glenn played at East Naples United Methodist Church to a “packed house of worship.” The concert was free, but a love offering was taken at intermission.  

Beginning with the “Winter” concerto from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” they moved on to pieces including a Brahms sonata and Massenet’s “Meditation from Thais” featured in the film “Titanic.”  

After intermission, the pair let their jazz chops out – but even during the classical portion of the show, their enthusiasm and joy in the music was infectious. Both are “showmen” as well as virtuosi, and the fun they have on stage makes the music accessible and enjoyable.  

The format was somewhat similar Friday night at Unity of Naples, but the cast of performers now included, along with Jodie and Glenn, Leelo Basham on flute, plus J.R. Erb on string bass, and Rick Costa on drums. The group played in various combinations, and for the piece de resistance of the Rampal/Bolling Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Glenn Basham sat out the performance backstage. Leelo Basham took center stage with the flute, and she and Jodie showed the meaning and the beauty of jazz-classical crossover on the beloved standard. 

When he was onstage, though, Glenn Basham’s showmanship came to the fore. He swayed as he played his violin and even came down from the stage to play, gypsy fiddler style, up close and personal with audience members, and then kneeling in front of DeSalvo at the concert grand. Jodie also played solo, two etudes from Chopin’s Opus 10, and then threw in one more. And both of the concerts included crowd favorites, Gershwin’s “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess,” a smattering of “Fiddler on the Roof,” and the whimsical “Hot Canary.” At the Methodist church, the duo played the haunting “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar, featured in Ken Burns’ Civil War series. 

Speaking of whimsical, the Jodie and Glenn duo got outside their comfort zone at the shows’ ends, taking requests from the audience, often without any rehearsal or advance notice other than agreeing on what key to play the number in. At Unity, they even took on the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” which Jodie kept on calling “wild roses,” showing that even her musicianship has its sweet spot.  

Both Jodie and Glenn have performed on Marco Island in the past. Glenn Basham played both with the Naples Philharmonic and in smaller ensembles with the Phil’s principal bassist, Kevin Mauldin. Jodie also gives a series called “Piano Talks” at the Naples Phil. February is sold out, but seats are likely still available for March and April. And later this spring, “Jodie and Friends” will return to East Naples United Methodist Church for a performance on May 4.