Letters to the Editor

The readers’ forum

Stellar, jazz-filled night

 

On the night of Jan. 11 I had the incredible pleasure of being in the audience of Jazz Roots at the Arsht. On the same stage were Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, Shelley Berg, Dave Grusin, Mark O’Connor, and Terence Blanchard — at one point, all at the same time.

Also starring were alumni of Young Arts: Eric Owens who sang an incredibly moving aria from a new opera written by Terence Blanchard; Elizabeth Roe who held her own with Shelly Berg in a two piano tribute to Gershwin; and Desmond Richardson, the master of ceremonies who also did a voice/dance duet with Bobby McFerrin that left everyone breathless.

The Henri Manicini Orchestra of the Miami Frost School of Music was led brilliantly by Scott Flavin. He took us through a journey of time and styles, ranging from the old European masters like Bach to the American masters like Copeland and Gershwin, with an entire rainbow of genres, composers and beats in between. The concert really showcased the mandate of this training orchestra.

What made the evening so memorable was not the individual artistry, which was stellar, but the fact that this was a collaboration between four different groups, each with their own vision and history; presenting seasoned soloists with those still studying; moving from the huge power of the full orchestra to the dialogue between two pianos.

Dave Grusin and Chick Corea improvising off each other — how much better can it get!

As the grand dame of Miami civic life, Ruth Shack, said to me afterwards, “A few short years ago, cooperation was a dirty word.”

Not this night, not at the city’s communal village green, our Adrienne Arsht Center. The result was magical.

Gabriele Fiorentino, president, The Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation, Miami

Read more Letters to the Editor stories from the Miami Herald

  • The readers’ forum

    ‘First 48’ exploits victims of crime

    Thank you for your recent coverage of the city of Miami Police Chief Manuel Orosa’s decision not to renew a contract with the reality show The First 48. For years the show’s film crew has roamed the streets of Miami’s urban communities searching for victims of homicide to feature on their show.

  • Spiritual or religious?

    Martin Slater’s May 17 letter, Changing beliefs, responding to Myriam Marquez’s May 12 column makes the common mistake of equating religion and spirituality. While religions encourage the development of our spiritual sense, religious dogmas are unnecessary to cultivate one’s own sense of spirituality. Many nonreligious individuals are highly spiritual, keenly in tune with their inner-self and the concept of a creative universal force.

  • DCF is disgraceful

    Re the May 21 article DCF deemed boy safe before he was left in vehicle: It’s unbelievable that the Department of Children & Families would do absolutely nothing about a woman who reportedly was drunk and driving, hitting walls and passing out while her young son was in the car untethered.

Miami Herald

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category