Devin Grant

Charlton Singleton on trumpet.

To say Charlton Singleton is a musician is basically the same as saying that an alligator is a reptile or that the sea is salty.

I truly believe that if one were to look at Singleton's DNA under a microscope, one would see actual musical notes connecting the strands together. All through high school and college, and on into the working world, Singleton has made music his focus. He can be seen playing in the popular local cover band Plane Jane, and he has been a music educator for several years, first in the local public school system, and now with the College of Charleston.

Jazz has always been Singleton's passion, and at last Saturday evening's show at the Charleston Music Hall, the Charlton Singleton Orchestra, a group of musicians hand-picked by Singleton over the course of a year, performed a near-perfect two sets of jazz music, all of which had a South Carolina flavor.

Singleton started things boldly with the Freddie Green/Count Basie composition "Whirly Bird," which featured an extended drum solo by another of Charleston's biggest purveyors of jazz music, Quentin Baxter. Baxter, along with bassist Kevin Hamilton, guitarist Lee Barbour, and pianist Richard White, Jr., formed a great rhythm section. The rest of the orchestra, including Singleton, packed the power of a 14-piece horn and reed section onto half the stage. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and the occasional flute all worked in unison to deliver a powerful sound that was perfectly suited for the excellent acoustics at the Charleston Music Hall.

After another Green/Basie collaboration, "Corner Pocket," the band honored South Carolina native and jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie with "A Night in Tunisia" and "Woodyn' You." Singleton is one of those conductors who refuses to stand still while conducting. When he wasn't playing his own trumpet alongside the other musicians, the conductor could be seen dancing away at his podium, as well as enhancing his hand directions with the occasional elbow or hop in the air for extra emphasis. His enthusiasm proved to be contagious, spreading to both the band and the audience. For another Gillespie number, "Jelly, Jelly," Singleton brought out vocalist Anthony "Tony" Burke, who wowed the crowd with his rich, deep voice. Later in the first set Ann Caldwell, who was introduced as "Charleston's First Lady of Jazz," lent her sensuous vocals to Buddy Johnson's "Since I Fell For You" and Fud Livingston's "I'm Through with Love." As a special treat, John Tecklenburg, Fud's great-grand nephew, played piano with the orchestra on "I'm Through with Love."

After a brief intermission the second set began with what was billed as an "Untitled Mende Song," which show narrator Jack McCray said was recently discovered to be a funeral dirge with origins in Sierra Leone. The piece was wonderfully moving, and was again a bold and different way to begin a set. Caldwell returned to the stage soon after to sing "Them There Eyes," which was originally made popular by Billie Holiday. That was followed by an original composition by Singleton, "7564 Plantation," which fit in perfectly with the other music that was presented that night, and drove home the fact that Singleton is definitely immersed in his craft. Burke made a return to the stage to sing "Alright, Okay, You Win," which was followed by Bob Belden's "Genesis." The show was closed out in true style with a set of Duke Ellington songs that included "Happy Go Lucky Local," "Cottontail," and "C Jam Blues." With things running a bit late, McCray decided to forgo the usual encore tradition of leaving the stage and then returning for one more number, instead asking the audience to close their eyes and picture themselves at the Savoy, as Singleton led his orchestra through a superb version of "Splanky." I can't think of a single show I have ever attended where I didn't come away learning something new, but this past Saturday night provided what has to be one of the most soul-enriching and entertaining musical performances I have had the pleasure of attending, as a critic or otherwise.

I have been seeing live shows since 1982, and while I've seen some spectacular stuff in stadiums, coliseums, and even twice in a huge field in the middle of rural Tennessee at the Bonnaroo Festival, but it took an intimate performance at the Charleston Music Hall to make me smile so much my cheeks actually hurt afterward.

Not enough can be said about the musicians that comprise the Charlton Singleton Orchestra. Clad in tuxedos and evening wear, and seated behind lighted podiums on risers to give the affair the proper retro feel, the artists were tight, professional, and these ears didn't hear a sour note all night. The show was presented by the Charleston Jazz Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring and preserving the history of African-American jazz in the Lowcountry.

The organization's Web site, charlestonjazz.net, offers some fascinating information on the subject.

In addition to the excellent music that was presented Saturday night, I also would like to commend the audience of 400 or so that listened to the show with enthusiasm and, this is important, respect. I have taken the audience at a given show to task because Charleston audiences are notorious for showing up and then choosing to talk with their friends, ignoring the act that is often on stage just a few feet from them. The difference here was that everyone actually listened, and even more amazing was the fact that I didn't hear a single cell phone go off during the show.

I felt that the audience deserved a standing ovation almost as much as Singleton and his orchestra.

Contact Devin Grant at chucktowncritic@yahoo.com.