El Camino College’s Faculty Jazz Showcase Concert took place at the Campus Theatre on Sept. 28, where faculty members performed dynamic rhythms and tunes for the Center for the Arts fall music ensemble series.
David Moyer, Director of Jazz Studies and Instrumental Music, along with Jameel Roberts, Larry Steen and Dean Koba, delivered a six-song set, featuring pieces from various esteemed jazz musicians.
The performance consisted of the songs titled “Sweet Honey Bee” by Duke Pearson, “Back at The Chicken Shack” by Jimmy Smith, “Night Dreamer” by Wayne Shorter, “Let’s Cool One” by Thelonious Monk, “Sooty St. Antoine” and “Squiggly” by Moyer.
“David [Moyer] selected songs that span over different sub-genres of jazz,” Roberts, a new faculty member of the Arts Department said. “There were songs that were more pop-ish, stuff that was more blues based and we had some funky tunes.”
Moyer played the tenor and baritone saxophone, Roberts played the piano, Steen strummed the bass and Koba on the drums.
The Director of Jazz Studies and Instrumental Music was motivated to assemble a jazz quartet to display the talent of the faculty and to inspire students.
“Students deserve to know what we have here on campus and music opportunities,” Moyer said. “I hope if they are not into jazz, I hope this inspires them to check out some jazz.”
The faculty quartet incorporated their own styles of sounds and methods of playing to create a forceful and unique performance.
Additionally, moments of the show were completely improvised.
The ending moments of “Back at The Chicken Shack” were impromptu and unrehearsed.
“We have to be communicating with each other, we have to be really empathetic with each other and towards each other,” Moyer added.
Moyer took numerous steps to plan out this performance, such as booking the venue, creating the setlist and rehearsing.
He specifically wanted to feature applied music faculty members of ECC
“All of the people on stage teach private lessons and are a part of the applied music program,” Moyer said.
Cole Moore, a music major in his third year, enjoyed the themes the performance portrayed through the different tempos and beats, as well as Moyer’s talking segments in which he expresses the human side of the jazz genre.
“I liked the message that Dr. Moyer talked about the medium, the connectivity through music,” Moore said. “That’s what music is all about and why I’m here.”
Isaiah Williams, a second year music major at the college believes that the performance was a demonstration of what music students who are still learning can aim towards in terms of professional, talented playing.
“It was a really nice example of how to be professional and how to play with confidence and unity and presence,” Williams said.
