From Start to Finish, Christina Wilson Shines in her Senior Recital at Cal State Long Beach
Prior to her junior recital last March, no one outside of her close circle of colleagues at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music knew exactly what to expect from Christina Wilson’s first extended solo performance. What she proceeded to do was deliver a stunning set that had friends and family buzzing for weeks. As her senior recital approached, the question was, what would she do for an encore? Could she possibly equal her remarkable performance of last year?
The answer was a resounding yes. But she did not simply equal her junior recital, she far exceeded it.
In front of a near-capacity audience on March 6 in the Daniel Recital Hall, Christina delivered a well-paced, balanced and heartfelt eleven-song set which she deemed “My Musical Journey.”
Appearing relaxed in a black sweater and white pants, Christina was ably backed by a group of tasty jazz musicians, including keyboardist Anthony Lopez, bassist Brad Babinski and drummer Andre Copher. Later in the concert, she was joined by guitarist Shane Savala, violinist Emily Kilimnik along with percussionists Paul Stengel and Jonathan Baer.
Christina opened the recital with swinging, swaying original composition called Rhythm N Booze, which spotlighted her ever-improving scatting skills. She followed with a slick rendition of Rosana Eckert’s I Know I’ve Seen This Thing Before. Christina then performed the stylish and playful Crickets Sing For Anamaria (Os Grilos), flawlessly executing the English and Brazilian lyrics. Three songs, three completely different styles.
And she was just getting warmed up.
Next was The Waking, a hauntingly beautiful duet with bassist Brad Babinski, in which Christina displayed near perfect technique of phrasing and interpretation. Another original composition, This I’ll Never Forget followed. Her sweet lyrics and easy vocal belied the song’s melodic complexity. For the next song, she was joined by guitarist Shane Savala, and percussionists Andre Copher, Jonathan Baer and Paul Stengel, who together effortlessly breezed through Basia’s Half a Minute. The tune was highlighted by some outstanding tambourine work from Baer.
The evening continued with perhaps the strongest section of the show. Christina’s arrangement of Ebudae, where she reiterated her affinity for Celtic music was a marvel to listen to. This tune featured a soaring violin accompaniment from Emily Kilimnik. The gorgeous Illusion, a Gregory Porter composition had the audience transfixed. She delivered the heartbreaking lyrics with such believability that one cannot help but think that she has lived some of the song’s sadness.
The strangely alluring Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin was included in the well-rounded program and again was delivered with such dexterity that she made it appear effortless. Christina brought a little funk to the recital with a head-bobbing, toe-tapping rendition of the Bill Withers classic Use Me. The night ended with a rollicking version of Michael Ruff’s You Don’t Love Me Like You Used To, which showcased the band, especially the rhythm section of Copher, Stengal, and Baer and a smoking sax solo by Dan Kaneyuki.
When the recital ended (after an impromptu encore that featured audience participation), Christina had succeeded in taking her audience on a journey. From jazz, to blues, from Ireland to France, from Brazil to a little R&B from the Mississippi Delta, it was surely a journey that the appreciative crowd was willing jump on board and let Christina take them along on.
Though no one number packed the emotional punch of last year’s bluesy arrangement of Que Sera Sera, this recital was more consistent, had much more depth and from top to bottom had a greater degree of difficulty. There were no weaknesses in this recital. Not only was she outstanding vocally, but she showed her growth as an artist and performer. In the outer lobby afterwards, Christina’s vocal instructor Christine Helferich Guter beamed like only a teacher can.
Among those in attendance were choral director, Dr. Jonathan Talberg and John Byun, her choral director at Riverside City College.
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