Farm fresh jazz (notes from a saxophonist): SJO recap and SALJE preview

In “Farm fresh jazz (notes from a saxophonist),” Penelope Keep ’28 offers readers a biweekly backstage pass to the Stanford jazz scene. Each edition gives readers her take on the latest jazz event she’s attended or participated in, plus a preview of what’s coming up next.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my column. This week, I’ll be sharing an overview of the Stanford Jazz Orchestra’s winter concert last week, as well as an introduction to the Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble’s upcoming performance on Saturday.

Stanford Jazz Orchestra, featuring Clairdee and Jamie Davis

On Friday, Feb. 21, Bing Concert Hall came alive with the infectious swing of live big band jazz, brought to you by the Stanford Jazz Orchestra (SJO), director Michael Galisatus and renowned guest vocalists Clairdee and Jamie Davis. The music mostly consisted of classic Basie-styled standards interspersed with jazz arrangements of more contemporary songs. As a saxophonist in SJO, I felt this concert was particularly lively, not least because the audience was full of parents and siblings attending Family Weekend!

Our performance kicked off at 7:30 p.m. with the upbeat “Mission to Monterey” — one of two opening songs with just the band and no vocals. This piece was arranged by Matt Catingub on commission from the Monterey Jazz Festival (hence the name), and it’s a good one, showcasing saxophonists in a spacious solo section and dialogue between saxes and brass. If this brief description intrigues you, a recording of it — and the rest of the concert — is available through here (the music starts at around 32:20). Make sure to keep an ear out for the virtuosic trading between tenor players Quinn Simmons and Ethan Htun in the solo section.

After “Mission to Monterey,” we went on to perform an arrangement of “Minuano (Six Eight).” This brooding 1987 Pat Metheny piece had an atmosphere to it, amplified by the blue-violet stage lighting that saturated the sheet music we read off of. Incidentally, there were not one but two ’80s songs played over the course of this concert, the other being Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” sung in the rich baritone of Jamie Davis. I found it wonderful to perform such a classic tune as this for the families in the audience, particularly the many parents (including my own) who could sing along with every word.

Speaking of singing, we were truly blessed with the vocal talent on display in this performance. Both Clairdee and Jamie Davis are world class musicians, and I thought their voices complemented each other beautifully. Claridee took the stage first, beginning with “Day In, Day Out” before moving into a laid-back and sexy version of “I Got Rhythm,” the poignant “Count Your Blessings” and Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E.” Jamie Davis followed with “Once In A While,” “On The Street Where You Live,” “Hello” and a genius jazz arrangement of “Something” by The Beatles. Finally, the two vocalists came together for a charmingly conversational rendition of George and Ira Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” 

If you happened to miss these performances, I hope my descriptions have given you a taste of the energy that filled Bing Concert Hall on Friday. It was truly a night to remember, jazzed-up Beatles hit and all. Again, if you feel so inclined, I highly recommend checking out the livestream to experience the full performance. Also, mark your calendar in advance for our spring concert on May 23, which will feature trombone legend Wycliffe Gordon. Of course, you’ll hear from me again when we get closer to the date.

Coming soon: Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble’s Winter Concert

The Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble (SALJE) will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 8 in Dinkelspiel Auditorium for their winter concert. The ensemble, directed by four-time Grammy-nominated pianist Murray Low, has an exciting program in store. Alongside the classic range of Latin jazz salsa, samba and mambo, there will be interpretations of ancient Spanish Sephardic music, energetic Afro-Brazilian grooves and multicultural compositions by modern artists.

This event is free of charge for students. Non-students are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance through the Stanford events website. You can learn more about SALJE here.

To me this concert sounds like a refreshing respite from the craziness of Week Nine. I hope you can make it — if you do, I’ll see you there.

Until then,

Penelope

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