Flute! – Where Jazz and Classical Meet

MC*2 at Jazz on Jay, Thursday, July 11

Jazz expressiveness meets rigorous classical composing as Melanie Chirignan leads her MC*2 quartet at Jazz on Jay: Max Caplan, keyboards, Andrew Hearn, drums; and David Shoudy, bass.

Chirignan’s father was named Claude after classical composer Claude Debussy, but another Claude – jazz flute star Bolling – inspired Melanie to play the flute and explore the border where jazz meets classical. In her family, “I’m the only one that plays an instrument,” she says.

Melanie Chirignan. Photo provided

She also plays with Caplan in Quintocracy and the classical ensemble Stringwynde; and in a duo with guitarist Scott Hill. Hearn plays with Catalyst (formerly the Jon LeRoy Trio) and quartets led by Dave Fisk and John Savage. Caplan also plays with the classical chamber ensemble Musicians of Ma’alwyck.

Michelle LaPorte taught Chirignan flute technique from sixth grade through high school, then Chirignan studied with Dr. Susan Royal in college, prepped for graduate school with Susan Deaver, then studied with Janet Arms in the Hartt School of Music. Chirignan says, “She’s so inspiring!” She later studied in New York with Kaori Fuji and Keith Underwood. Classically trained, Chirignan also says, “I really like (jazz flute masters) Hubert Laws, Dave Valentin and Yusef Lateef.”

Her earliest performances were at weddings, but she now plays both jazz and classical repertoire in theaters and festivals.

At Jazz on Jay, MC*2 will play Claude Bolling’s “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio,” Michael Mower’s “Opus Di Jazz,” Max Caplan’s “Three Jazz Preludes,” “Zoom Tube” by Ian Clarke, and sambas including “Girl from Ipanema” and “Black Orpheus.”

The quartet will play most pieces as written – “except for the sambas,” where there’s room to improvise.

Through the summer, she’ll play both classical and jazz dates, with Caplan, Melinda Faylor (under a Saratoga Community Arts grant), Laura Melnicoff and others; both locally and across the region. Details at http://www.melaniechirignan.org.

Jazz on Jay free concerts are noon to 1:30 p.m. at Jay Square, the new park space opposite Schenectady City Hall. The rain site is Robb Alley at Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. Seating is provided indoors at Robb Alley, but patrons are invited to bring their own seating and refreshments to Jay Square.

Jazz on Jay is presented by the ElectriCity Arts and Entertainment District and sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts, a Schenectady County Legislature Arts & Culture Grant, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation, The Schenectady Foundation, Price Chopper/Market 32, MVP Health Care, Schenectady County, Schenectady City Hall, and Proctors Collaborative.