2008 Woodie Awards
Battle of the saxes
A review
Jacob Abdelkhaleq
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Whether you are in a concert hall or a coffee shop, there is just something amazing about watching jazz played live. In the coffee shop you get the experience of enjoying the three or four musicians playing their favorites with the added flare of their own improvisations and extended solos. Another great way to enjoy jazz music is to attend a Jazz Band or Jazz Ensemble concert here on campus at the School of Music.
Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending the UNCG Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble performance. The Jazz Band opened the night with the upbeat piece "Little Pixie," to rouse the eager and anticipating audience. The band only consists of about 20 players, but each member played with such fervor that I felt like I was in an old school night club wearing a zoot suit and shaking it on the dance floor. Each song contained about two or three solo runs that were always beautifully played and always led to applause from the audience. Unlike the stiff classical concerts, during a jazz concert the audience is encouraged to applaud, whistle and holler at any and every section of a song they find particularly great. The Jazz Band closed their set with an exciting number called the "Woodchopper's Ball" that contained over five solos and almost seemed a taunt toward the Jazz Ensemble, saying "top that."
After a short intermission the Jazz Ensemble took the stage and immediately responded to the Jazz Band's taunt with a fun, piano-heavy piece called "The Kid from Red Bank." The director for the Ensemble is a very eccentric, funny man named Chad Eby, who entertained the crowd between each song with solo announcements and jokes that were often at his own expense. The Jazz Ensemble played a long eight-song set containing everything from club jazz pieces to mellow, almost bluesy songs. One beautiful piece called "September Song" arranged by a friend of the directors was meant to have a singer, but the Ensemble has none. Instead, they used the guitar playing skills of Andrew Shillito to provide the lyrical sounds that otherwise would have been absent. In another song, two saxophone players stood front and center and egged each other on in a sort of "battle of the saxes." The final piece of the evening, called "Minuano," started off slow and quiet but picked up into a frantic romp that deserved every bit of applause the audience could muster.
If you like jazz, or think you could like jazz, then I highly recommend attending as many live shows as possible, no matter the location. Of course, UNCG is known for having an exceptional jazz program, and if you attend a school performance then you can enjoy great music while supporting your school. The Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble have a few more performances throughout the semester and many students will be having recitals, which are free to attend. For a schedule of events visit musical.uncg.edu.
Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending the UNCG Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble performance. The Jazz Band opened the night with the upbeat piece "Little Pixie," to rouse the eager and anticipating audience. The band only consists of about 20 players, but each member played with such fervor that I felt like I was in an old school night club wearing a zoot suit and shaking it on the dance floor. Each song contained about two or three solo runs that were always beautifully played and always led to applause from the audience. Unlike the stiff classical concerts, during a jazz concert the audience is encouraged to applaud, whistle and holler at any and every section of a song they find particularly great. The Jazz Band closed their set with an exciting number called the "Woodchopper's Ball" that contained over five solos and almost seemed a taunt toward the Jazz Ensemble, saying "top that."
After a short intermission the Jazz Ensemble took the stage and immediately responded to the Jazz Band's taunt with a fun, piano-heavy piece called "The Kid from Red Bank." The director for the Ensemble is a very eccentric, funny man named Chad Eby, who entertained the crowd between each song with solo announcements and jokes that were often at his own expense. The Jazz Ensemble played a long eight-song set containing everything from club jazz pieces to mellow, almost bluesy songs. One beautiful piece called "September Song" arranged by a friend of the directors was meant to have a singer, but the Ensemble has none. Instead, they used the guitar playing skills of Andrew Shillito to provide the lyrical sounds that otherwise would have been absent. In another song, two saxophone players stood front and center and egged each other on in a sort of "battle of the saxes." The final piece of the evening, called "Minuano," started off slow and quiet but picked up into a frantic romp that deserved every bit of applause the audience could muster.
If you like jazz, or think you could like jazz, then I highly recommend attending as many live shows as possible, no matter the location. Of course, UNCG is known for having an exceptional jazz program, and if you attend a school performance then you can enjoy great music while supporting your school. The Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble have a few more performances throughout the semester and many students will be having recitals, which are free to attend. For a schedule of events visit musical.uncg.edu.
Be the first to comment on this story