By: Anthony Danilov
On Thursday, October 10th, the jazz quartet Mr. Gone performed at BCC’s Anna Ciccone Theater, celebrating the 50th anniversary of renowned jazz composer Herbie Hancock’s widely acclaimed “Head Hunters.” The one-night event featured Bergen’s own Professor Peter Furlan and included a tribute to the late saxophonist Wayne Shorter.
Dr. Andrew Kirkun, the department chair and professor of music at BCC, began the evening by outlining what to expect from the performance and thanking the band for their continuous support of the college.
The jazz quartet consisted of Neil Alexander on keys, Charlie Dougherty on bass, Bryan Kopchak on drums, and Professor Peter Furlan on sax. “We always try to highlight the musicianship of our faculty,” Dr. Kirkun explained when asked about the department’s relationship with the band. “For the students to see their teachers actually performing is such an exciting thing.” The band’s focus, as stated on the college website, is “keeping the flame of psychedelic electric jazz burning.”
The first half of the performance featured the full cuts of all four tracks from the beloved “Head Hunters,” and the second half included several of Shorter’s pieces that the band admired. “Wayne Shorter is one of, if not the foremost, influence on Peter,” Kirkun informed me when asked about the tribute to the late saxophonist. “He’s always incorporated Wayne Shorter’s music whenever he performs.”
Professor Rob Sheppard, a frequent collaborator of Dr. Kirkun, stopped by to congratulate him on the success of the event. Dr. Kirkun also mentioned that Sheppard would be doing the music for Bergen Stages’ next production, “Harvey,” which debuted at the Ender Hall Theater on October 25th. “We’re trying to mix it up and do more with theater and interdisciplinary activities.”
Dr. Kirkun expressed his appreciation for the conversation, noting that the music department hadn’t been “highlighted as much as [it] should be.” He left off with this closing thought: “The most important thing about our music program is the diversity. The idea that we’re open to all kinds of music and exploring all different types of music—I think that’s the key.”
