The Pacer

Issue date: 12/9/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Rex Stoker

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when the Jazz Ensemble began to play for the crowd this past Saturday night.

Don't get me wrong, I have always enjoyed the Department of Music's showcasing of its students' talent. My humble opinion of the Department of Music is very great, and I hold them in high regard. I was just wary because I haven't ever really grown to enjoy sitting down and listening to jazz music. I simply did not think I was going to enjoy the performance.

My doubt was clearly misplaced, however. I tip my hat to the Jazz Ensemble's many members and its director, Kurt Gorman, for putting on a show that was too grand for the small audience that attended the concert.
Both the rhythm and horn sections were superb on their first chart, "Jumpin' at the Woodside," and it really worked well in getting the audience into the performance.
Next, it was the popular jazz classic "Sing Sing Sing." I really thought the band knocked this one out of the park. Perhaps it was that I was familiar with the song, as were most people in attendance probably, but I couldn't help but chalk this up as their best performance of the night.

Drummer Andrew Lynn was especially impressive to me.
They even performed a number of smaller group charts, one of which being "Mister Magic" by Grover Washington, Jr. This was a more progressive type of jazz that I wasn't used to hearing, but I found myself enjoying it.

For all their technical proficiency and what I'm sure was hours upon hours of practice, the element of their performance that made it so enjoyable was the amount of fun they seemingly had in performing. It made it so easy for the audience to have fun with them and share in the performance.

That even goes for someone who might not usually enjoy jazz, like me.

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