The Haag Recital Hall hosted director David Sills and the Studio Jazz Band for their latest fall performance on Monday night.
After dimming the lights, without any introduction, the band slowly began to play and the audience quickly paid attention, bobbing their heads along with the music after a short time.
There were 23 band members on stage, which included saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, bass, and drum players. That is not including the singers who went on stage later during the performance.
“I felt like as soon as the band played together to fill the room with music, I felt it in my body,” Ricardo Gonzales, 21, kinesiology major, said. “It was loud, but not too loud, like the music didn’t hurt my ears.”
There were 6 songs in the band’s first and second set, which included “Black and Tan Fantasy” by Duke Ellington, “The Blues Machine” by Sammy Nestico and “Good Bait” by composer Tadd Dameron.
After every solo artist played their piece, the audience gave a comforting and approving applause, followed by the next soloist’s performance.
After a couple songs, the director began to speak and ask that if anyone was interested in joining the band to contact him. He then began to introduce one of the singers for the night. The director also lightly joked about a trombone player who seemed to have struggled to finish his piece.
“I felt a little bad for the player they singled out, everyone knew who he was talking about,” Lisa Derron, 24, cosmetology major, said.
Many members of the audience seemed to have enjoyed the musical combinations and although some audience members might have liked the lyrical part of the night, some preferred the show to stay instrumental.
“I didn’t like the singing at all, I felt like it didn’t compliment the music,” Joshua Linares, 28, music major, said. “If the singer hadn’t come on, I would have enjoyed the show better.”
Many audience members showed their gratitude for the players especially after playing a high note.
“The very last song, before their encore, made me feel like I was at an actual club seeing a band perform,” Shondra White, 18, undecided major, said.
After their last song ending very dramatically, without any audience member getting up, the band then began to play another song for the audience.
