By Rachel Zarrell

The 31st annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC) brought a modern update of hip-hop combined with jazz and took a leave from more traditional styles performed in past years.

The concert, which took place in Blackman Auditorium Saturday night, may be the longest running tribute to Coltrane in the world. This year it featured hip-hop artist Guru, formerly from the band Gang Starr, and self-described “superproducer” Solar. The night was hosted by Eric Jackson of WGBH’s “Eric in the Evening.”

The duo was also joined by trumpeter Brownman, who seemed to wow the audience with his passionate style of play, along with David Scott on keyboard, guitar, flute and saxophone. The tracks were spun by DJ Doo Wop.

Leonard Brown, jazz professor and one of the co-founders of the JCMC, said he felt Guru and Solar held up the concert’s goal of showcasing modern Coltrane interpretations.

“I think it’s great because it brings in a different audience and some of these kids from here, it will link them to Coltrane,” Brown said. “The integrity they exhibit as hip-hop musicians is similar to the integrity that Coltrane and musicians exhibited 40 years ago.”

Although the concert started 30 minutes late, the performers pumped up the crowd, playing songs from Guru’s 15-year long project of albums he’s dubbed Jazzmatazz, along with some songs from his Gang Starr days.

Sophomore English major Shane Colman said the concert’s lineup was a great way to bring in younger audiences.

“It’s a way for the tribute to appeal to kids our age,” Colman said. “Usually the concert is mostly adults. It takes [the music] and puts it in a modern day context.”

Guru’s music included spoken word over a background of jazz, some of which was Coltrane’s music. The set also included some surprises like “Cupid’s Chokehold,” a Gym Class Heroes’ song that Guru rapped and Solar produced.

With the encouragement of Guru, audience members wandered two or three at a time up to the front of the stage, where Guru greeted them individually with a handshake while still performing.

At one point, Brown got on stage to play his alto saxophone in the background, and perform a complex solo. Brown said he has performed in every JCMC except the show in 2005, which featured Coltrane’s pianist McCoy Tyner.

The audience was comprised of adults from the surrounding area and students from Brown and co-founder Emmett Price’s Jazz classes.

Guru’s father, Harry Elam, was also in attendance to see his son perform for the first time in 15 years.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” Elam said. “I’m an old man. I’m not into hip-hop. As a matter of fact, I used to say to [Guru], ‘Why don’t you get a nine-to-five job?'”

Former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jim Stellar, who was in attendance, said he thought Coltrane would have loved the show.

“I’ve been to almost every other [show] in 24 years,” Stellar said. “It’s a new venture for the Coltrane concert.”

Some students, like senior music technology major Chris Catone, said they were expecting the show to showcase more of Coltrane’s music.

“I was expecting something different,” Catone said. “A little more traditional jazz, I guess you could say.”

Although the concert featured more modern versions of Coltrane’s music, the evening’s host said people today don’t know if a Coltrane of 2008 would have stuck with that kind of traditional jazz.

“We [can only] wonder what John Coltrane would be doing in this day and time,” Jackson said.