TSU jazz band, JazzFest 45 (Photo credit: Justin Borgstede, 2013. Courtesy of the photographer)
For the general public, JazzFest’s main event is the Saturday evening performance. The audience is largely made up of Truman students and faculty, friends and family of the performers, and, occasionally, a few people from the greater Kirksville community. All of those present play an essential role in celebrating the rich tradition of jazz and in honoring this organization. To outsiders, it may not seem much different from the other jazz concerts throughout the year, but this night brings an unmistakable air of celebration and fellowship.
Read More
The evening begins with a ritual. Billed as the “Men of Upsilon Phi,” all active members and alumni present line up on stage, arms over their neighboring brothers’ shoulders, and sing, “Hail Sinfonia” and the Upsilon Phi Chapter Hymn.
Phi Mu Alpha–Upsilon Phi Alumni on stage at JF45 (Photo credit: Justin Borgstede, 2013. Courtesy of the photographer)
The “Men of Upsilon Phi” sing, “Hail Sinfonia” and the Upsilon Phi Chapter Hymn. (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
These anthems set a tone for the night. From the opening choral burst of “Hail Sinfonia” to the final somber note the Upsilon Phi Chapter Hymn, it becomes apparent who these men are; these are men who have earnestly dedicated part of their lives to music. Though many of the alumni are strangers to many of the active members, these men share a sacred bond in the brotherhood of PMA and are a family of devoted musicians. If only for one night, performing this ritual publicly invites the audience into their private world and forms an even larger family: a family of music lovers.
After this, the alumni take their seats in the audience and the band director, Tim AuBuchon, walks on stage and welcomes the audience. After a brief introduction, the TSU Jazz Lab Band plays their set followed by the TSU Jazz Ensemble. The atmosphere is much more formal that the Judge’s Jam. Baldwin Auditorium feels more like a classical concert hall where the audience is expected to listen quietly and clap only at the end of a piece. Things are a little more relaxed than this, but not much. For instance, at the end of a solo, there is unanimous applause, regardless of the quality of the solo. However, for a particularly good performance, some people may shout out praise.
JazzFest 48–Saturday, February 27, 2016
TSU Jazz Ensemble, JazzFest 48 (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
Two particular highlights from JazzFest 48’s evening concert were Ron Miles’s “Just Married” and a very special performance of “Concierto de Aranjuez,” as arranged by Gil Evans. As Miles informed the audience, “Just Married” was written for his wife as an anniversary gift and captures the excitement of new love and new beginnings. Miles’s playing sounded so natural and effortless during this tune, which allowed him to showcase his virtuosity and passion.
Ron Miles and the TSU Jazz Ensemble perform “Just Married” (JazzFest 48) (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
“Concierto de Aranjuez” TSU Jazz Ensemble with additional musicians (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
Having connections with the Gil Evans estate, Miles arranged for TSU to rent “Concierto de Aranjuez” for a discounted price. The piece, which was originally recorded on the Miles Davis album, Sketches of Spain, is one of the most influential and well-known works for a large jazz ensemble. Because the TSU Jazz Ensemble is set up as a big band, AuBuchon had to alter the instrumentation and featured additional musicians. Ultimately, the band consisted of four trumpets, two trombones, three French horns, a tuba, bass, drums, and percussion. The saxophones were replaced with flutes, oboes, a bassoon, a contrabass clarinet, and an alto flute. Finally, instead of a piano, the piece features a harp.
“Concierto de Aranjuez” (Pictured from left to right: Maria Fisher, Ron Miles, Carlos Sedillo) (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
Structured Jazz
Unlike the Judge’s Jam, the Saturday evening concert is highly structured and well rehearsed. There are programs, tickets (though no assigned seats), and both musicians and audience members generally dress nicer for this event.
“The bigger the ensemble the more you need to eliminate… surprises. Surprises aren’t necessarily what you want all of the time—little surprises are good, but we couldn’t go up and do a whole new tune [without rehearsing]”
-Prof. Tim AuBuchon
The only thing not entirely planned are the solos, though they too are rehearsed to an extent. While this restricts the spontaneity of the music–a defining characteristic of jazz–this special event is meant to show off the hard work and talent of these young musicians and they go to great lengths to ensure they put on the best performance possible.
Jazz Lab Band, JazzFest 48 (Photo credit: Adam Boyles, 2016. Courtesy of the photographer)
JF48 Jazz Lab Band Set List:
“Goin’ On” Benny Carter
“Lady Bird” Tadd Damerson (arr. Maria Schneider)
“Una Mas” Kenny Dorham (arr. Paul Murtha)
JF48 Jazz Ensemble Set List:
“I Mean You” Thelonious Monk (arr. Mike Dana)
“Joshua” Victor Feldman (arr. Bob Mintzer)
“The Territory” Adam Bartczak
“Just Married” Ron Miles (arr. Adam Bartczak)
“Concierto de Aranjuez” Joaquin Rodrigo (arr. Gil Evans)
“Down by the Riverside” traditional (arr. Oliver Nelson)
