WOW! Silk Mountain Project rocked the house last night at SCO’s soiree, Fireside Jazz!
The classical/jazz crossover group comprised of violists Danny Seidenberg and his wife Daryl Silberman, cellist Noah Seitz, and jazz guitarist Christopher Woitach is a fairly new endeavor; this was only their third or fourth show in public. The group is a reincarnation of Danny’s band in Los Angeles, Unbande; the new name “Silk Mountain” comes from the English translation of “Seidenberg.” Danny is SCO’s associate principal viola, and was a long time member of the famous Turtle Island String Quartet. Daryl is the Director of Orchestras at West Salem High School. Between these two musicians, their classical and studio playing experience alike is formidable.
The group warmed up the crowd with a fairly traditional (if you can call this group traditional) version of “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” and moved through a fun and varied set of pop and jazz numbers that felt familiar and new at the same time. Danny and Noah played a moving and edgy duet of “My Funny Valentine” that was anything but schmaltzy. Noah and his wife Sara Greenleaf just opened the Keizer Academy of Music and Art, and being a traditionally strictly classical musician, is admittedly the newbie in this group – yet he was rockin with the best of them and even had some excellent banter with the audience and some great improv solos.
The group also tried out one of Woitach’s pieces, “Silence on the George Washington Bridge.” Woitach is an active jazz guitarist and composer in Portland, and is also an adjunct faculty member at Western Oregon University.
Silk Mountain Project also jumped into a fun and adventurous rendition of the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” a surprise deviation from jazz classics, but no less entertaining. They ended the show with a wonderful setting of “Route 66″ that was recognizable enough and yet pushed the listener to his boundaries, and then a rousing rendition of the jazz classic “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” in which they actually all exited stage left while playing.
The audience leapt to their feet in an immediate standing ovation. The energy in the room was incredible; everyone knew this was something special. The only sad thing is that you probably missed it!
Wish you’d been there? You can have another chance! Silk Mountain Project is currently scheduling more shows in the Salem area. Just keep in touch with SCO via our website and our Facebook page for more information! You won’t regret it!
I was there last night, to hear the Silk Mountain Project, and all I can say is they have a great future, not only in the Willamette Valley, but in the whole state! I have never heard anything like their brand of jazz, and I was, quite simply, knocked out by the talent, creativity and artistry of their work. The program didn’t last long enough for me, and I just wanted more!
New to the local music scene, It will be exciting to watch Silk Mountain Project’s meteoric rise in the jazz scene of this state. Danny, Daryl, Christopher and Noah have music so innovative and classy to offer, that it won’t be long before audiences will be beating down their doors for opportunities to hear them again and again. From just one hearing, I’m a big fan!