At ROCO’s recent concert in Houston: vocalist Stephanie Jordan, pianist Barry Sames, ROCO String Quartet, and bassist Arthur Moyler. Photo by Natalie Gaynor.
In Wednesday’s (11/8) Houston Forward Times, Terrance Turner writes, “On Saturday, Nov. 4, the legendary Eldorado Ballroom hosted ROCO for an evening of musical meldings…. Founded in 2005 by Juilliard graduate and oboist Alecia Lawyer, ROCO has become a ‘disruptor’ in the world of classical music. Violinist Rachel Jordan, who belongs to the organization, brought her family (and friends) to the ballroom for a daring blend of classical and jazz music. Jordan, a New Orleans native, has been a part of ROCO ‘since almost the very beginning,’ she says. Ms. Jordan played in the Carter Quartet at Loyola University in NOLA and was also a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for 12 years. She is the daughter of jazz saxophonist Edward ‘Kidd’ Jordan, who was chairman of the jazz studies program at Southern University….The concert’s first set consisted of [pieces] written entirely by Black composers,” including the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Courtney Bryan, Florence Price, and Jai Chatters. “The second half of the show leaned towards the jazz side and used a larger ensemble. … With Jordan’s sister Stephanie Jordan on vocals, the sound—and the mood—changed dramatically,” with a variety of jazz-inflected compositions.
