Essentially Ellington | Newport's Ariel Pocock could be next Ellington-tapped star

NEW YORK CITY — Newport High School sophomore Ariel Pocock was just one of about 400 student jazz musicians who filled the Frederick P. Rose Hall Friday afternoon for the official start of the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival.

As a way of saying welcome, Wynton Marsalis, the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, took questions from two lines of students, who queried him about music, about life, and even about basketball — Garfield's pianist Ben Hamaji challenged Marsalis to a game of one-on-one; after a jocular exchange, Marsalis committed to a "maybe."

If this weekend is a lot to take in for most of the young musicians — there are celebrity judges and instructors and a high-stakes performance in perhaps the most heralded jazz venue in the world — it could be overwhelming for Pocock, 16-year-old who until one year ago had sung only in the shower. But come Saturday afternoon, Pocock, who is the band's piano player, will sing Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," as part of Newport's competition performance.

"It's sensory overload," Pocock said on her way out to lunch in Central Park with her bandmates. "I feel like, whoa, this is more people than I've ever seen in my life. I've never been to New York. I've never been in a competition like this. I'm just looking at it like, I've been practicing so I must be ready."

Ellington is known for having debuted some stars in the making. For instance, Roosevelt High School's Sara Gazarek, now a national critical star with three albums behind her, sang here almost 10 years ago.

The story of how Pocock became the band's singer has been often-told by Newport's band director Matt Eisenhauer. He'd been aware of her for a few years. She played viola in the orchestra and piano in the jazz band. Newport had invited trombonist Wycliffe Gordon to perform with the band in their annual fundraiser. Gordon insisted that one of the songs employ a singer, of which Newport had none.

"I was totally exposed," Eisenhauer said. "I didn't know it was vocal. I didn't have a singer. I wasn't prepared for a singer. For some reason, I just pointed to Ariel and said, 'She's going to sing.' I guess I knew she could take it... . It's her personality. She's the opposite of melt. I thought she'd probably be charming."

In fact, she could and she was and she did, pulling it off with a minimum of rehearsal. Pocock had sung in the choir, but she had no experience with improvising, or with the type of jazz singing she would take on. It seems she surprised even her parents when she finally performed.

Pocock has since taken instruction from Seattle jazz vocalist Greta Matassa and sings regularly with the Newport band, which is making its third Ellington appearance in nine years, previously here in 2006 and 2001.

Most of the attention in Seattle and this weekend in New York has been given to the bands from Roosevelt and Garfield high schools, which finished first and second, respectively, in last year's Ellington competition. All evidence suggests both bands are just as strong, and that at least one of them should place in the top three this year. The band directors from those two schools have been discreet about the contents of their competition song list.

Of the Seattle-area schools, Newport is the first to perform, the fifth of seven bands up on Saturday afternoon; Garfield will be the third of four bands to perform Sunday morning; Roosevelt will be the third of four bands to perform Sunday afternoon. The top three bands will be announced by judges shortly thereafter, and then perform in the festival-closing concert at Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday night.

After Friday's welcome from Wynton Marsalis, the contestants spent the rest of the day attending workshops with their respective horn and rhythm sections. Later they'll attend a banquet and a jam session with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

"This is the best band I've had and this is the best opportunity for us," said Eisenhauer, who has been at Newport for 19 years. "I've got kids really committed to personal practice, and committed to each other."

Of the 18 kids in his band, five are seniors, and none of them were in the 2006 band.

On the eve of the biggest performance of her young career, Pocock announced she was "hungry" — not so much for a trophy, but for food.

"Mostly what I'm thinking is that this is so much fun," she said, "and I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing."

Hugo Kugiya: hkugiya@yahoo.com