John Hollenbeck at Towson U. Tonight

Towson University's jazz department keeps upgrading. After hiring the likes of trumpeter Dave Ballou and saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk, it brought in bassist Drew Gress for a residency last year, and, now, composer and drummer John Hollenbeck begins a week-long residency with a performance tonight. Hollenbeck, whose big band recently earned raves from The New York Times, brings his Claudia Quintet (which includes Gress) to Towson. That band's 2007 CD, For, is a stunner. Instrumentation = bass, drums, vibraphone, accordion, clarinet/tenor sax! Like a pensive Philip Glass hanging out at Henry Threadgill's house, Hollenbeck exhibits a restless and infectious creativity that adapts well to various settings. His Towson shows—there's another one Friday night, with a big band of students playing Hollenbeck originals—should highlight those skills. Tonight's performance starts at 8:15 pm.

[photo: Ssirus Pakzad]