Last Tuesday, the musical talents of students from across the upper Old Rochester Regional district were put on display in the annual Night of Jazz concert. Members from around the community filled the high school auditorium to hear the junior high jazz band and high school chorus, jazz combo, and jazz band play a range of songs from the genre.
The concert had another side to it as well, since it was junior high band teacher James Farmer’s last year as conductor at ORRJHS. Farmer was greeted with a standing ovation right off the cuff. Through his role at the junior high, he has taught nearly every high school band member. The high quality performances seen later that night attested to the foundation that he and other district music teachers have created.
The junior high jazz band, made up of seventh and eighth graders who passed auditions, officially began the concert with three pieces. “Hugh’s Blues” stayed true to the typical jazz style, while “Undercover Bossa” added a bit of Latin jive into the mix. Their last piece, “Vehicle,” reminisced heavily on both the seventies and the theme music for old cop shows.
The high school jazz combo played next, showcasing the talents of seniors Maxx Wolski and Joe Gauvin on percussion, along with underclassman Patrick Igoe on bass. All three musicians had solos in their first number “Autumn Leaves,” and this was built upon in “Blue Bass” as they each seemed to answer each other with dueling lines. The combo then invited drama director Paul Sardinha onto the stage to join them in playing piano for a smoother number. Afterwards, Wolski was recognized for being accepted into the All-Eastern Jazz Band, made up of students from the 14 eastern seaboard states, as the only vibraphone player.
Led by director Mike Barnicle, the high school’s mixed chorus followed with a triplet. Although it got off to a rocky start, the singers built up each note with the strength to finish every song out on top. “Tuxedo Junction” was accompanied by several members of the high school jazz band, and “Old Devil’s Moon” was returned for an encore performance after the FORM choral concert. “Put a Lid On It” closed out the set with senior Camryn Kidney on trumpet.
“Hey Cammi, do you want to make some funny noises on a trumpet?” Barnicle explained that he had asked earlier that day, to which Kidney had replied, “‘Heck yeah, I do!’” Using a hand-held mute on and off, Kidney phenomenally resembled the original trumpeter on the piece.
The high school jazz band took the stage last, coming back from a successful weekend in which they won a silver medal at a regional competition. They performed five songs, including “Sway,” which included vocals by sophomore Mariana Hebert accompanied by the very strong and well-defined saxophone section. The jazz band’s last song was comically revealed to have been chosen by a “committee.” Even if the group hadn’t played the piece for more than three weeks, the deep bass lines and spirited jumps and slides performed by instruments from nearly every section were in more than fine condition. With the closing selection for the night, the jazz band provided an accurate reflection on the reasons why the ORR district needs to retain such a valued art.
By Jo Caynon