The U.Va. Jazz Ensemble presented its first concert of the semester, “Scary New Band,” last Friday.
With a group of new members across almost every section, the ensemble performed a program which spanned jazz music, swing and bebop.
The night’s program, directed by John D’earth, got off to a blistering start with a rendition of Sun Ra’s “Demons’ Shout/A Call for All Demons,” a fitting choice for the Halloween occasion. With an ominous groove laid down by bassist Jacob Hughes, the ensemble began to craft a whirlwind of sound building toward the unison theme, in which even D’earth added his talents on trumpet.
The ensemble then changed the pace for its rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael classic “Stardust,” featuring first-year trumpet soloist Eric Xu. Xu played the challenging solo with poise and musicality, earning quite the reaction from both the audience and D’earth at the end of the piece. The ensemble closed the first set of the program with the Randy Brecker chart “Some Skunk Funk,” a fast-paced romp which showcased the ensemble’s technical prowess and energetic style.
The highlight of the second set of the night was a performance of Duke Ellington’s “Isfahan” featuring first-year trumpet soloist Julian Brass. Brass’ velvety sound fit the hypnotic mood of the piece perfectly, and his improvised solos proved just as transfixing as the solo theme.
The Asian influences of “Isfahan” faded as the program neared its end with a performance of Bob Brookmeyer’s “ABC Blues,” perhaps the night’s most adventurous and entertaining selection. The piece began with only a few voices but slowly built with the gradual incorporation of improvised solos to a riotous climax. Featuring solos from nearly every section of the band, the solos of flutist Claire Rogers and pianist Peter Hodskins stood out. The concert closed with the Latin flair of “Samba Con Getchu,” leaving the audience satisfied as it showered the troupe with well-earned applause.
“Scary New Band” proved the University Jazz Ensemble is a force with which to be reckoned. While performing a versatile program demanding both musicality and technical skill, the group proved more than up to the challenge, executing each track with precision and infectious energy.
With experienced players and soloists such as baritone sax powerhouse Matt Van Hoeten, trumpeter Harrison Frye and lead alto saxophonist Justin Peruzzi, the ensemble has a solid core to support future players. Additionally, strong performances by Xu and Brass showed a glimpse of the ensemble’s future. The University Jazz Ensemble may be scary new, but it is also scary good — and will be for a long while.
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