The Fine Arts Center kicked off its first jazz concert of the semester, celebrating different styles while highlighting each player on Oct. 14.
The combo began with “Miles High” by Chick Corea, in a smooth jazz style. The song had a moderate tempo, where all of the members took turns with solos. Through each solo, the instruments created a depth and a unified ballad.
Then, the combo played “Humpty Dumpty” by Ornette Coleman, an example of free jazz. The song was upbeat and had a faster tempo than “Miles High.” The main instruments featured were the guitar and drums, imitating the saxophones through improvisation.
The third song, “Lush Life” by Billy Strayhorn, showcased the bass. The bass started and ended the song with a solo in between, imitating Strayhorn’s piano. The song was a slower ballad than the first, demonstrating a complex jazz style.
The final song, “Isotope” by Joe Henderson, was a mix of the three previous songs, producing an energetic piece. The tempo started off moderate and sped up as the song progressed before slowing down at the end. Through their performance, the members showcased the song’s hard-bop and post-bop style.
The four songs were chosen for being memorable, according to John McKenna, the director of the concert. Each song in the program showed contrast through its composition.
The combo’s performance was great in terms of creativity, according to McKenna. Each member let go of themselves as a single person and embraced each other as a whole. At some points during the concert, the form was funky but balanced with their improv. It was a youthful way of being creative with their performance.
“I’m very aware of how the different tunes will sound as they present it in a concert,” McKenna said.
Listening with a critical ear is part of watching the concert, according to McKenna. By listening, the members can figure out how to clarify their ideas and how to play tunes better. This is part of learning the elements in becoming a jazz musician.
Staying in the moment was crucial, according to guitarist Donny Gardner. Everyone played well, working to be in the present while playing. Gardner said that the performance was good overall, but there was room for improvement.
“I liked ‘Lush Life’ because it was the [song] I worked on the most and had the most involvement in,” Gardner said.
Coming in, everyone was confident about how to play well, according to drummer RJ Pouliot. Pouliot said it was all about execution and the main thing to focus on was eye contact. During the concert, each member had to know when to change or sway from different positions in each.
Pouliot said some parts of the concert could have been improved. In terms of playing, he felt the execution could’ve been better. However, the eye contact was “impeccable,” and his parents thought the group did an amazing job.
“I loved playing ‘Humpty Dumpty’ because it was my first time soloing,” Pouliot said. “Thanks to McKenna, I opened up to [getting solos], and I feel even better than I thought I could be.”
The next jazz combo will be on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.
