By Lyn Bronson
Well, it was pretty much a family affair last night at the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula in Carmel Valley. “Janice Griffin Productions” and “Greene Griffin Music” presented an evening concert featuring bassist Rebekah Griffin Greene and her trombonist husband Terry L. Greene (both of whom are also composers). To add to the mix, Rebekah’s talented mother, Janice, was on hand to sing a moving version of Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro, and there was an array of other musicians on hand to fill out various ensembles – Hart Smith on horn, A. J. Wecker and Bryan Hodkins on trumpet, Steve Mortenson on bass trombone and Carol Kuzdenyi on piano.
The concert kicked off with some solo performances by Rebekah Griffin Greene on bass. The double bass is a large ungainly instrument, and to play anything on it that is remotely dazzling is sometimes a bit like pushing an elephant up a very steep hill. Well in her case, it was more like a discreet nudge, for despite the impressive music she created, she never seemed to be working very hard. Of course this is what artistry is often about – doing something significant and making it look easy. Her opening selection “Eclore” by Nicholas Walker was a good example, for it was a rhapsodic and romantic work that exploited some of the richest sounds possible on a bass, yet she made it all sound as natural as breathing.
