Piltzeker Plays to Proud Few

On Thursday night, the music of Tom Piltzeker and several Oberlin students transformed the mustard ochre walls and seats of Warner Concert Hall from a formal space into one of more casual, intellectual engagement with music.

The sound was reminiscent of a cafe in the breezy summer twilight of some city that is decidedly not Oberlin. And for just that brief hour, you could pretend that you had broken free from the oft-encroaching "bubble."

Piltzeker played some solo sets on his vibraphone, as well as some duos with junior Zack Hickman on bass and some pieces with a larger ensemble of Oberlin students. Hickman played in the ensemble, as well as senior Tob Bencivengo on tenor sax, sophomore Brian Wesolowski on alto, junior J.Q. Whitcomb on trumpet, sophomore Shannon McLeod on trombone and junior Josh Arenberg on drumset.

Approximately half of the pieces they played were actually arranged by Piltzeker, some of them never performed before. So, basically, they were given this newly-minted music to learn in the short time of about a week, and they did a fabulous job of it. "It was a chance for me to engage the ensemble," said Piltzeker.

The vibraphone is Piltzeker's special interest, and his passion for it is obvious in the way he throws his whole body into the creation of the music. "Once, I was introduced as a vibrationist," he said, laughing at the memory. "I didn't know what to do!"

The instrument adds an ethereal quality to some sections of the music, and to others a more playful attitude. He plays with two blue-headed mallets in each hand, but the way he plays, it sounds as if he had 8,000.

The concert was sparsely attended on Thursday night, possibly as a result of the the Peter Takács Beethoven concert in Finney Chapel, a lack of publicity or both.

"It's a weird feeling playing for 14 people," Piltzeker said. However, the small size of the audience brought a more casual, intimate atmosphere to the event. Everyone knew they were all there to enjoy the music, even, and especially, the musicians.

Originally from Manhattan, though he now lives in New Jersey, Piltzeker has won numerous awards, has had his music broadcast on National Public Radio, and has taught at several universities, including Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and, most recently, the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. His latest album, which came out in August, 1999, is entitled Unicycle Man. Incidentally, he does ride the unicycle, and he is a licensed pilot as well.

Today, he is traveling to Athens, OH, to play some more of his new music with one of his ensembles. Coming up this fall, he will be touring Florida and Brazil as part of the George Sheering Quintet.

With Piltzeker's extensive experience and active role in current jazz music, it is awkward, and perhaps more than a little embarrassing that less than 25 people showed up for a concert at a school that has 3,000 students and such a reputation of interest and involvement surrounding the students of both the college and the conservatory. And if the situation is such that Oberlin students are simply kept too busy to even avail themselves of opportunities like these to experience something of real value, though it might not have anything to do with any classes or lessons, that in itself is also a great shame.