Musical Duo Laura Coyle and Trey Wright teamed up with other KSU professors to perform a tribute to music legend Joni Mitchell on Monday, Sept. 10.
Mitchell is known for her music of the American 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In less than a decade her style changed dramatically from the easy pop of early 1960s music to rock in the later years of the decade, followed by another turn from folk to jazz.
Mitchell holds a special place in the hearts of Wright and Coyle.
“As I’ve gotten even older I’ve gotten more acquainted with her music,” Mitchell said.
Wright usually plays Mitchell’s song “All I Want” to his students in his History of Jazz course. Each semester the song inspires his young students to listen to more of her music, which they might not have heard otherwise.
“It’s amazing how that song affects students,” Wright said.
Coyle and Wright were joined by fellow faculty members Director of Jazz Studies Sam Skelton on saxophone, Assistant Professor of Music Marc Miller on bass and Assistant Professor of Music Justin Chesarek as a percussionist.
When asked about his feeling on the performance, Wright expressed excitement and humility.
“I feel very, very fortunate in that the people that I work with are some of my best friends . . . and [are] incredible musicians in the area,” Wright said. “KSU is really, really fortunate to have the music faculty that we do.”
He didn’t expect to be a teacher at first, rather his career unfolded before him as a natural progression from his love of music.
“In the 90s I was on the road for four to five days a week and so to transition from that to teaching was tricky at first,” he admitted, laughing. “But I really liked it . . . I love it.”
He’s taught at KSU since 2004 and frequently performs here nearly every year since 2010.
While Wright is known around the KSU campus as an enthusiastic professor in the music department, jazz fans in the greater Atlanta area have heard Wright and his guitar for nearly twenty years.
He met Coyle through various freelance gigs where the two hit it off. Around a year ago, both wanted to go further with their musical careers and formed a duo, combining Coyle’s vocals and Wright’s guitar playing.
Wright has big plans for 2019.
“I have an album coming out next February entitled “From now on” . . . It’ll actually feature many of the same musicians that are performing [Monday] night,” Wright said.
The album is said to include a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “The Hissing of Summer Lawns,” which was also performed on Monday night. He also plans on recording an album with Laura Coyle in 2019.
