“When faced with adversity, all that one can say is ‘Mercy, mercy, mercy,'” said Sam Flegal as he stood on stage, bass guitar in hand, during his concert titled “Dead Chocolate Bird” Tuesday night.
The concert, which was free to the public, featured Flegal and members of the State Messengers Jazz Combo playing several well-known jazz pieces. The State Messengers is an ensemble composed of music education faculty and students.
Flegal, a senior graphic design major, said he wanted to have his own concert before he graduates in December. Two of his professors, Robert Damm and Patrick Miller, helped him organize the event.
“My job was to serve as a cheerleader to Sam’s ideas,” said Damm. “The three of us met to shape the program to be a balance of musical and visual arts.”
Some of Flegal’s artwork he had created under the direction of professor Jamie Mixon was displayed in the lobby. His work included photographs, graphic designs and illustrations. His photography and graphic art were also incorporated into the concert in a slide show. Pictures of his friend as a dancing zombie flashed while Flegal and the band played a song entitled “Zombie’ Night in Tunisia.”
Other pieces featured in the concert were “Birdland” and “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Josef Zawinul, “So What” by Miles Davis, and “The Chicken” by Alfred James Ellis.
Flegal, dressed all in black with green tennis shoes, seemed comfortable onstage. He incorporated audience participation into the show and thanked the group for clapping along with his music.
“Sam has been a student of mine for the past three years. He brings a unique angle to every project, always thinking outside the box. I was pleased that he joined art and music and put something together,” Miller said.
“I decided to combine two of my great interests because I thought it would be an unusual presentation,” Flegal said.
The inspiration for the title of Flegal’s event came from a graphic design project for Mixon’s class, Flegal said.
“We had to create an advertising logo and package design for a product. I combined a dead bird, something clearly unappealing, with chocolate, which most people love. It’s part of what I call my ‘dead’ humor,” he said. “Now ‘Dead Chocolate Bird’ has grown into a little story that is somewhat representative of my sense of humor.”
According to the story, which flashed on the screen at the opening of the concert, the bird was his best friend who he wanted to last forever-like old Halloween candy-so he dipped the bird in chocolate.
The screen, showing the picture of the upside down dead bird, stated that the bird would last forever as long as it was properly refrigerated.
Flegal has had years of musical experience leading up to the concert. He marched in the band in high school and played tuba for two years in the Famous Maroon Band. He has also been a member of the State Messengers since the fall of 2000. He said his influences include a love of jazz, funk, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Flegal has also considered himself an artist since the age of three. Comic books and pop culture are a big influence on his work, especially Frank Frazetta’s paintings, he said.