BYU-Idaho jazz musicians are taking the stage on Oct. 16 for a night filled with swing, history and creativity.
The BYU-Idaho Jazz Combos event will be held in the Snow 181 Ensemble Hall at 7:30 pm. Tickets, $3 for students and $6 for the public, are available at the ticket office website and in the Snow Building.
“I think that jazz has always been a big part of history,” said Aemish Brock, a freshman studying music. “The direction it’s headed is really cool, with dudes like Kamasi Washington and Christian aTunde doing some really cool things with moving jazz along.”
According to the jazz performers, jazz has made a pop-culture resurgence in recent years through films like “La La Land,” new genres like Lo-Fi and the rising popularity of nostalgic jazz clubs.
They rehearse three times a week, focusing on pieces by a composer chosen by their professor and work together to create their arrangements.
“Jazz is for everyone,” said Alexander Holloway, a junior studying accounting. “The jazz style is increasingly coming back. Singers even sample old jazz music.”
Holloway will play the upright bass in one of the combos.
The night will include tributes to industry-favorite composers but with a taste of something new. The students will arrange classic pieces, improvise and compose their own works to give new flavor to an old art form.
“The best part of jazz music is the creativity,” said Stephanie Steele, a junior studying music. “Whenever we play it’s never the same twice. It’s a very personal kind of music, it’s very much about who you are.”
Steele will play the piano in one of the combos.
The performers hope that jazz can bring the students of BYU-I together in a way other music can’t.
“Jazz is a way for different people to connect with each other and become alike,” Brock said. “It kind of faded for a little bit, but jazz has started to change in style, and I think the direction it’s heading is really cool.”
The groups specialize in styles such as bebop, swing, funk, Latin and Dixieland.
Dress for the evening is classroom attire.
