Light Recital Hall has been home to various jazz performances this fall semester, covering five combo groups, two jazz ensembles, as well as a vocalist group. While some students linger and jump from past performances, styles, music and vibes change.
Jazz 1
Directed by Michael Hackett, Jazz 1 performed Oct. 16 with 17 students compiled of saxes, trombones, trumpets and rhythm, who performed eight songs.
One of these students, trumpet player Cal Tamblyn, formally played in his high school’s jazz band and followed the music through college.
“Jazz is a language,” he said. “Whether during solos or a shout chorus, we are all speaking that language through our instruments. I think the coolest thing when you play in a jazz band is that all of the interaction can be done just by listening to each other. We come together to have a good ensemble sound, and play together. And the only way to do that is by listening with intent.”
(Kassie Baggett)
Tamblyn hopes to learn every facet of the music program here at UW-W before setting off in his own music career.
“As a future music educator, it is my responsibility to be as proficient as possible in every medium I will teach,” Tamblyn said. “I want to be a high school band director, and most high school programs have a jazz band. By studying jazz at the highest level here at Whitewater, I am setting myself up to be a successful jazz teacher for my future students.”
During the ensemble performance, Tamblyn had two solos, both in “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin and “Blues in Hoss Flat” by Frank Froster. In “Blue Skies,” the musicians performed alongside a vocalist, McKenna Camacho.
The Jazz 1 ensemble focuses on a specific genre, allowing students to have a deeper understanding and work towards mastering the skills.
Vocal Jazz
While Jazz 1 opened the season earlier in October, Vocal Jazz returned to the hall weeks later with a performance that showcased an entirely different side of the program.
Directed by Sharri Vanalstine, Vocal Jazz performed Nov. 2 with a spooky soundcheck earlier that week on Halloween evening. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble is a selective, audition-based group that performs swing, jazz and musical theater repertoire.
A vocalist in particular, Emma Gungerson, has been involved in music ever since elementary school. As an elementary education major, the vocal jazz ensemble has allowed her to keep doing what she loves while studying to become an educator.
“I’ve never been a part of a group that collaborates as much as our vocal jazz ensemble,” Gungerson said. “Because we only meet twice a week, we have to take responsibility for rehearsing on our own time. We also hold sectionals outside of class, where smaller groups work together to refine our pieces. Everyone depends on one another, and that teamwork pushes us to be better prepared for performances. Being a part of this vocal jazz ensemble has reminded me of how important collaboration and creativity can be and these are things that I want to bring into my own classroom someday.”
Hosting performances is a rewarding experience for Vocal Jazz students, as it acts as a final product for all their hard work. Beyond simply presenting music to an audience, concerts serve as a culmination of countless hours spent rehearsing, refining harmonies and supporting one another through the challenges of complex arrangements.
“One of my most memorable experiences was performing at this fall concert,” Gungerson said. “We only had a few weeks to rehearse a really challenging piece, Little Blue, with 8 different parts (sometimes 12), so seeing it come together on stage was incredibly rewarding. Knowing that all of our hard work paid off reminded me of why I love singing so much.”
Students in Vocal Jazz formed a standing semi-circle, allowing soloists to step into the middle for some spotlight, allowing for a seamless transition to their concert.
Jazz 2
Just over a week after Vocal Jazz’s showcase, Jazz 2 brought its own sound to the recital hall, highlighting the depth and variety within the jazz program.
Directed by Brad Townsend, Jazz 2 performed on Nov. 11. With 19 students, the largest group was made up of the rhythm section with three varying guitar players, one guitar, two varieties of basses, two drummers and a piano player. The group collectively played six different pieces, starting with “Splanky” by Neal Hefti.
One of the two drummers, Jackson Zukowski has liked jazz since middle school and thus found the process of auditioning pretty simple; coming to him as second nature.
“When I was in high school, we played in a competition where I got a soloist award and that’s when I knew jazz was something I really loved,” Zukowski said. “My hope is to finish college and then find a group to play with on the side of my normal career.”
Composition major Nathan Hefty has always played guitar, mainly rock, blues and indie music. However, with jazz being the only ensemble at UW-W that has guitarist options, he has found himself exploring the genre. Both Zukowski and Hefty are a part of the large rhythm section that has a lot of instrument overlap.
(Kassie Baggett)
“Our rhythm section, like any good rhythm section, is always listening to each other and making sure we’re synced up,” Hefty said. “We also have multiple bassists and multiple drummers, who have to collaborate in the sense of switching off for different tunes.”
Within each piece played, there are a lot of solos, highlighting different students. With this comes pressure to perform well. Hefty describes how his professor, Dr. Townsend, teaches the group valuable lessons within music.
“As musicians, we often get caught up in the harmony, trying not to play any wrong notes, but it is infinitely more noticeable to the audience if you play the wrong rhythm,” Hefty said.
With this advice and years of practice, the Jazz 2 ensemble wrapped up their performance with “Tu Tu” by Marcus Miller, which bridges the new technological and urban environment of the 1980s.
Jazz Combos
Rounding out the series of fall performances, the Jazz Combos took the stage just two days later, presenting a more intimate approach to jazz.
Directed by Robert Hodson, Townsend and Hackett, five various Jazz Combo groups performed on Nov. 13. Each group performed three songs each, and took initiative in introducing both their pieces and band members to the crowd.
Landen Vail, a guitar player in Hackett’s Combo 2, performed “Impressions” by John Coltrane, “Step Lightly” by Joe Henderson, and a crowd favorite, “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock. Vail has always been drawn to music. He played trumpet in middle school and once joined a Jazz Band and seeing a peer play guitar, he was hooked instantly.
“My father was in the army, and music allowed me to escape a lot of the stress I felt from moving around and never having a consistent group of friends, unlike those who grew up in small towns,” Vail said. “I had no idea that a guitar was typically used in jazz. I couldn’t get over how cool it was at the time, so I decided to borrow my dad’s old guitar and teach myself how to play. After that, I became seriously addicted and couldn’t get enough.”
With a typical combo group ranging from just 3-6 players, it’s much easier to connect with your fellow players and perfect a piece.
“With its smaller setting, we’re able to really get to know each other, which becomes evident when we play,” Vail said. “We begin to understand each other’s playing styles and almost feed off one another when playing, creating a beautiful conversation between all of us while working on a piece.”
The uniqueness of a combo compared to a more traditional, larger concert gives the performance a tight-knit feel.
Across the fall semester, the jazz ensembles, combos, and vocal groups at UW-W showcased not only their musical talent but also the dedication, discipline and passion that drive each performance. Whether through the full sound of Jazz 1 and Jazz 2, the tight-knit communication of the combo groups, or the artistry of Vocal Jazz, students demonstrated how deeply they engage with their craft. As the final notes of their concerts faded, what remained was a clear reminder that jazz at UW-W is more than a series of performances; it is a community built on collaboration, learning, and the shared joy of making music together.
