Jazz bands presented their Fall concert on Sept. 18, performing in the Fine Arts Theater with classics like “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” and contemporary melodies like “Hey, Elephant!”
Band director Tim Libby was excited about the performance, and looks forward to hard work with Jazz A. “It was one of the best fall concerts we’ve had since before COVID,” he said. “They just really played well with a lot of confidence. It’s amazing to see that much confidence four weeks into the school year.”
Jazz A trumpet junior Brooke Balogh soloed in “Alice in Wonderland” and “Softly,” using special instruments to personalize the sound; a vintage-sounding Harmon mute in “Alice” and a mellow, warm flugelhorn in the latter.
“[Using them] definitely adds richness to the music,” Balogh said. “It definitely promotes jazz band too, because kids see it and they’re like, ‘I want to do that.’”
Like Balogh, Jazz A tenor saxophone sophomore Sophie Drake was also new to her band this school year, and she was quite excited to perform her own solo in “Hardly.”
“I was really happy that I incorporated some of the licks that I had worked on,” Drake said. “I felt pretty good. I was definitely feeling it, I was definitely in the zone.”
Jazz B percussionist junior Aaron Kutzer got to perform his first solo as a jazz musician ever, and like Drake, felt positive about the opportunity. “[I felt] nervous, but excited, and in the moment time kind of slowed down. I was cooking, as the kids would say,” he said. “I missed only three notes, and that’s better than what I expected.”
Libby felt proud for students like Kutzer, just as much as Balogh and others very experienced with the art of the jazz solo.
“I thought everybody did great, from the people that had their first solo of their lives to the people who have been doing it a lot,” he said. “Everybody’s showing improvement in that area.”
As a whole, Balogh commended all the musicians – and like Libby, felt especially happy for news jazz performers.
“I think Jazz B totally swung. They were in a tight knit groove. Most of those kids never played jazz before, and I’ve been in that spot before. Lots of us have,” Balogh said. “Our band, honestly, we locked in. We were definitely a little unfocused today, but we got it together.”
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Jazz A’s final dress rehearsal had been rough, but Libby was happy they could focus up.
“It’s hard to get in performance mode for a dress rehearsal,” Libby said. “That’s something that you know, professional musicians have learned how to master.”
He’s looking forward to a good year, and he saw harmony and togetherness in the band. “I’m hoping for the same level of commitment to the preparation of music,” Libby said. “And the same amount of fun, because everybody seemed to be having fun last night.”
Balogh is optimistic for a fun year, too, with entertaining solos and unique tunes. For her, jazz is an essential escape.
“Jazz is kind of like therapy. It’s a chance to get away from school,” she said. “For me, when I close my eyes and I’m playing solos, it’s probably one of the best feelings out there.”
See moments from the concert below.
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Jazz B trombone freshman Brayden Bjorlin performs a solo during “Escalator Blues.”
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Jazz B tenor saxophone sophomore Dallin Simpson plays along with “Escalator Blues,” the tune which Jazz B director Sam Hesch called “the exact type of music you’d expect to hear on an escalator.”
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Stepping up to the mic, Jazz B trumpet senior Jacob Krause readies himself to solo in “Caravan.”
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Jazz B bass guitar junior Alex Diaz-Garcia sets the rhythm in “Caravan.”
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The bright blue guitar of Jazz B guitar senior Kaytum Lee stands out on the stage as the band plays through “Caravan.”
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Jazz B percussionist junior Aaron Kutzer plays a melody on the vibraphone during “Hey, Elephant!” The song, inspired by composer Drew Zaremba’s son, the chorus imitating the child’s inflection of the words, “hey, elephant!”
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Jazz A trumpet senior Coleman Rissmiller plays along to the beat of “Hardly,” as saxophones perform their solos.
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With the projected “CC” on the dark brick wall above him, Jazz A trombone senior Theo Doot performs a solo in “Hardly.“
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Jazz A trombone junior Landon Dillman commends Doot’s solo as Jazz A director Tim Libby gives the trombones a shoutout.
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Jazz A trumpet junior Brooke Balogh plays her solo with a flugelhorn. The flugel, a variant of the trumpet or the cornet, plays with a darker and mellower tone compared to the popular high brass instrument.
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Jazz A guitar junior Nick Burden provides a bassline for the soloists in “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise.”
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Jazz A tenor saxophone sophomore Gavin Kim and the saxophone line swing to the beat of “Softly.”
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Balogh takes a bow with a smile after performing her flugelhorn solo in “Softly.”
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Jazz A vibraphone senior River Smith performs a solo in “The Next Big Thing.” The vibes’ metallic texture, combined with yarn mallets and a pedal damper, creates a distinctive sound used by both jazz bands for percussive melody.
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Jazz A trumpets, (from left) junior Jonah Berner and sophomore Grant Schiller, perform what Libby called a “duel,” trading off solos, call-and-response style.
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Jazz A guitar senior Gabriel Fenstermaker grooves with the tune of “The Next Big Thing.” Later, he would perform a solo of his own.
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Libby congratulates his musicians and thanks the audience to close the concert.
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