TAMARA NATASHA SPENC
Attempting to break the standardized mold for jazz music, two BYU instructors joined forces in the band Lark and Spur and have introduced audiences to a juxtaposition of musical styles they like to call folk-jazz.
Ray Smith, BYU director of jazz studies and professor of saxophone, is one of the five members in the band Lark and Spur. He feels that the band’s unconventional interpretation of jazz music in their new CD “Under a Softening Sky,” is an exciting new way to perform jazz.
“This CD is a combination of jazz standards and folk songs. It is kind of an unusual approach to these jazz tunes, it’s not the standard instrumentation,” Smith said.
Unlike the conventional jazz band where the nucleus is the piano, bass and drums, Lark and Spur uses different instruments to form the core of the band.
“Instead of the piano, bass and drums we have two guitars and a mandolin that create the harmony and there are no drums; there really isn’t a label for this type of music,” Smith said.
Jeff Whitely, a BYU French instructor and founder of Lark and Spur, has never been impressed with the status quo.
“The world thinks too much in terms of categories. When we’re performing I like to pick as wide a disparity of music as possible. We might play an old cowboy song and then and Irish folk song in the next set,” Whitely said.
A seasoned guitarist, Whitely has run the gamut musically, from rock and roll enthusiast to folk-jazz performer.
“I use to be a rock and roll guitarist for many years. I then became an acoustic guitarist. I went to France with my brother after I graduated from BYU in 1979 and we became street guitarists. We toured in Switzerland and France; my brother spoke German and I spoke French, it was great fun,” Whitely said.
Returning to America Whitely started Lark and Spur with his wife Lori Decker. “As time passed we started adding new members to the group and experimenting with our repertoire. We have a good time shocking people,” Whitely said.
No overnight sensation, Lark and Spur is familiar with the long and winding road to success.
“We first became the regular entertainment at Stein Erikenson Lodge in Deer Valley for two years. At that time it was just Chris, Lori and me. We then did the Riverhorse for another two years,” Whitely said.
Not exactly a household name in America, Whitely concedes that Lark and Spur has received greater acclaim in Europe.
“The people like us better in Europe than here, particularly in Paris. We’ve been on television in France, played in Switzerland and have been on the radio in Paris,” Whitely said.
Lark and Spur has also signed a management contract with a management group in France. “They want our next CD to be all Celtic folk songs,” Whitely said. Unfortunately, the band is not sure whether or not they will be able to go to Europe for any extended period of time to perform. “We are all married and have families to support so it is difficult to just pick up and go,” Whitely said.
One of the reasons Whitely has noted for their success in Europe is the
melodic voice of his wife Lori. “A classically trained vocalist, European audiences value her artistic energy. She has a voice that catches and stops them in their tracks,” Whitely said.
Lark and Spurs unique blend of jazz has earned them the coveted position of performing at the Montreux International Jazz Festival. The largest and most prestigious jazz festival in the world Smith along with the rest of the band is thrilled at the prospect of going to Switzerland in July to perform in the festival. “This is a wonderful opportunity and a great honor to be given an invitation to the Montreux Festival,” Smith said.
In addition to the exposure they will get by performing at the Montreux Festival, Lark and Spur is hoping that their new CD will warm audiences to their new, atypical interpretation of jazz.
“On our new CD there are a lot of old standard tunes that are done in a new way. `Since I Fell For You,’ `Laura’ and `Once Upon a Summer Time’ are just a few. `Mood Indigo,’ originally performed by Duke Ellington and `All of Me,’ by Billy Holliday are two classics that we also put a new twist on,” Smith said.
Ever changing, Lark and Spur’s “Under a Softening Sky” has even deviated stylistically from their first CD “Season of Light,” a Christmas CD. “Season of Light” was more a combination of classical and jazz styles. However, “Under a Softening Sky” is more a combination of jazz standards and folk songs,” Smith said.
To get a glimpse of Lark and Spur in action, they will be playing at the Salt Lake City Media Play Saturday from 3-5 p.m. “Under a Softening Sky” CD’s are available at the BYU bookstore, Media Play and Blockbuster. Lark and Spur has yet to find a distributor.
