Trio MôD at Crocker

Maquette Kuper, flute, Deborah Pittman, clarinet, Native American flute, Omari Tau, baritone

This is my second Trio MôD [pronounced mode] experience, and I find them to be a truly creative idea. Why would anyone think a flute, a clarinet and a baritone would make an ensemble? And yet they do.  This time the program was very personal.

Three Spirituals, arr. by Omari Tau (Good News, Give Me Jesus, De Gospel Train)

The World According to Earl by Deborah Pittman with Claire Hurni, puppeteer.

Stars with text by Owen Dodson, music by Omari Tau

Peter in the Hood, S. Prokofiev, adapted by Deborah Pittman.

My favorite part of this program was The World According to Earl.  Or Earl the Pearl.  Or various other names.  Earl was Deborah Pittman's father who lived most of his life in Brooklyn.  It was fun to see him sitting in the chair talking and to hear his wise sayings.

The only real problem was in the last piece where Omari Tau played percussion and narrator.  His part was so active that he could not use a microphone, causing me to miss some of the dialog.  A clarinet makes a great duck, and a flute is good for a bird.  There was also a cat and a taxi, if I remember correctly.

They are something fun to do in Sacramento.