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The Jazz Studies and Commercial Music Program hosted its second Flo’s Underground Jazz Combo Jam Session of the year last week at Lamont School of Music.
. The night is part of Lamont’s ensemble and concert series that takes place every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the intimate Williams Recital Salon located on the first floor of the Newman Center.
The latest concert showcased Modal and Standards combos. The members of the foundational house band are jazz studies and commercial music majors rotate through six different combos during their first two years of study. Each combo gives the students exposure to performance and literature of different styles and eras of jazz and commercial music. From the jazz side of things, students learn and perform traditional jazz, standards, bebop, hard bop, Latin, modal, and vocal jazz.
The performance presented the modal and standards house band with core jazz instruments, including piano, drums, bass, saxophone and guitar with vocals and a second guitar added later in the performance. Ken Walker coached both combos. The musicians, dressed in sleek black attire, head-bopped and foot-tapped their way through an impressive show.
Divided into their respective combos, each group invited those who had signed up for the jam session. The showcase of guest talent is much anticipated in the beginning sessions of the year and many musicians show off their instrumental skills. The jammers were quite impressive as each instrument went into a free-spirited solo during each number. The combos performed pieces such as “Have You Met Miss Jones,” “Minority,” “On Green Dolphin Street” and “Anthropology.”
Each piece featured different instruments and performers, bringing a unique and individual twist to the performance. In the midst of stamping and furious finger snapping, each musician communicated on stage with nodding, eye contact, and even loud speech to indicate who was taking what part and how they would conclude each piece. The informal and improvised feel was always impressive as each instrument wailed a solo then joined the other instruments to powerfully finish out the piece.
The audience reacted positively with head swaying and eruptions of applause following every solo and conclusion of a piece. A few inspired “yeahs” escaped from the audience as guests and band members brought the house down with their talent in the climax of each song.
If you want to jam out or just see some great musicians demonstrate their underground jazz skills at DU, Flo’s Underground jazz combos are your best bet. With the classic feel of a New York City jazz club, you may just forget what era you are in and become mesmerized by the music.
