On Nov. 5 in McGaw Chapel, the Wooster Jazz Esemble performed its first concert of the year to an eager and excited crowd of music fans. Directed by Scott Garlock, the ensemble delivered and performed a medley of jazz music.
The main feature was the accompaniment of the Zach Brock Trio but they were not the only highlight of the show. Now I must confess that I do not know much about jazz, though knowledge certainly was not necessary to enjoy the show.† I sat next to a person who confessed to know next to nothing about jazz but she certainly seemed to enjoy herself throughout the show and proved that knowledge is not needed to enjoy the music.
McGaw is not the ideal spot for such a show, as the acoustics are not necessarily perfect for the music. But the only times flaws in the overall sound were evident is whenever Scott Garlock spoke into the microphone, becoming a bit of a muddled mess in the back rows.
The music itself filled the chapel with a certain warmth as the gentle sounds of the piano echoed through the chapel before mixing with the trombones and saxophones and bass and guitar.
While I was impressed with the Ensemble overall, I must commend the musical performance of Micah Motenko ’13, while playing the piano during “4 Flats Searching for a Theme.”† It was that moment that caused me to lean over to the person next to me and wish that I was able to play piano.
He performed with careful precision, allowing every note to carry gracefully through the air.
Also, the percussion on “Coconut Champagne” was another highlight of the night, with the Zach Brock Trio helping add additional flavor to the song.
Speaking of the Zach Brock Trio, their performance during the second half was exemplary, and I had never thought of the violin as a jazz instrument.
But while it was played throughout the night, there were times where I had to remind myself that the notes were coming from the violin, and not one of the other instruments on stage, not at all sounding like the classical orchestral violin I am familiar with.
My one main critique of the show though lies not in the music but in the execution. At multiple times, the members of the Zach Brock Trio came on and joined the Jazz Ensemble in their music, and while I see no fault in that, the focus was more firmly placed on them.† So not only did they have the second half of the show to themselves, they also dominated a substantial portion of the first half.
Also, multiple times throughout the first half, the bass player and drummer of the Ensemble were replaced by members of the Zach Brock Trio and forced to sit on the sides during some of the solos. It was unfair to those two musicians to replace them multiple times throughout the first half when the second half was devoted solely to the Trio.
Overall, the concert was a rewarding experience and I recommend it to anyone to see the Ensemble play, even if they know nothing about jazz.
The music is just too good and too enjoyable not to give it a try.† Also, members of the Let’s Dance society showed their enthusiasm by dancing in the back corner of the audience. It was nice to see people greatly enjoying the music and I hope next time those numbers increase by at least a few.