Saturday night’s Just Jazz concert, featuring well-known songs from famous artists, including Dizzy Gillespie and Tower of Power, was packed with energy and precision.
The University Jazz Band No. 2 and the Friday Jazz Combo, the first two groups to perform, were sharp. Dynamics and tempo changes were no problem; they sped up and slowed down, got louder and softer, cleanly.
The song “Almost Like Being In Love,” played by the University Jazz Band No. 2 and sung by Matt Donner, was a croon-ish love song with crisp solos by Phillip Y. Takahashi on trombone and Christopher Nguyen on tenor saxophone. Over a punchy big-band backdrop, Takahashi laid down some smooth glissandos while Nguyen played around within the band’s syncopated rhythm.
The highlight of the band’s performance, however, was their last song, in which drummer Aaron Kroeger busted out a solo of mind-boggling speed and complexity. At one point, he paused for a beat or two of silence and then unleashed a fury of snares, toms, hats and kicks.
Next, the Friday Jazz Combo, made up entirely of University Jazz Band No. 2 players, except for Sean Grimes on the alto saxophone, played a clean set that was very much on the page.
After intermission, the Tuesday Jazz Combo said hello in all caps and with three exclamation points. They began their set with an up-tempo piece that showed off the fast fingers of all of its members, especially piano player Steve Carlton. It appeared as if he was meticulously studying the ivory keys as he leaned in during his solo. You could tell he wasn’t just playing the music but also feeling it out by the way his shoulders scrunched and his head nodded and swayed as he punctuated his phrases and walked his hands up and down the keys. At times, it honestly looked like he was pop-and-locking at the piano.
The other players in the band displayed great chops as well. Trumpet player Daniel Ellis looked methodic and focused as his horn let loose a growl during the band’s second song. The tempo changes in the song were on point, and again Carlton went nuts on the ivory. Tim Abram’s drums were as crisp as could be, putting down some rim shots and ride cymbal for Carlton’s solo.
Arguably the best song of the night was Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay,” which some may know as the bassline sample from A Tribe Called Quest’s “Sucka N**ga.” After a chaotic, free form opening, the drums punched out hard, and Richard McCluskey took his fretless bass for a walk. All that could come to mind was “so bad-ass.”
During Bret Bailey’s trumpet solo, the band sped up as he stayed right in time, finishing with some dirty half-valving that smelled like funk. Guitarist Brandon Rolle handled the same tempo change with amazing aptitude and, over Tim Abrams’ rock-hard drumming, played some lightning-fast phrases and sequences.
McCluskey then displayed his fretless bass chops. His style was obvious and cool as he hit quick, fast-fingered phrases with breaks in between. Each solo was on point, and after the band sped up and increased their volume, the bottom always dropped out, leaving the bare bones rhythm between solos. When it dropped for the last time, it was heavenly to hear the bad-ass bass line from the song’s beginning return.
The University Jazz Band No. 1, the last act of the night, blew the Performing Arts Center up. They had great energy during their four-song set, which began with a piece called “Some Skunk Funk” that was funk-erific. Percussionist Jeremy Zwang-Weissman was fun to watch as he swayed side to side, laying down some seriously quick congas and bongos. Tenor saxophonist Bill Sorensen displayed some great tone as his fingers flashed on the keys during his solo.
The band’s next song featured baritone saxophonist Nic Garrison, who put down a solo lush with a variety of texture and rhythm. Another highlight of this piece was the call and response between Carlton’s piano and Rolle’s guitar.
The perfect nightcap came when the band played Tower of Power’s “What is Hip.” Laced with some strong vocals from Kristen Choi, who seemed to have a lot of fun on stage, smiling a little after singing the line “smokin’ only on the best weed” (who wouldn’t smile after singing that line in the PAC?), the song built up from its funky beginning to its epic, loud, electric ending. It was hard not to shout “encore” after the band hit their last note, but the audience showed good restraint.
It’s highly recommended that next time the Jazz Band is having a concert, you go see it instead of some movie you may or may not enjoy. This program never fails to entertain, and the tickets cost about the same.