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Home Arts & Culture Concordia Vocal Jazz and Jazz Ensemble Perform at JazzFest

by Morgan German

 

The Concordia Vocal Jazz choir and the Concordia Jazz Ensemble performed their joint Spring JazzFest at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church on Friday, April 29.

The concert started with Concordia Vocal Jazz singing a variety of songs, such as “Happy Together,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “California Dreamin’,” which the group said was special because they will be traveling to California on their tour next week.

After an intermission, the Jazz Ensemble played its set, which included songs such as “How High the Moon,” “St. Louis Blues” and “Backrow Politics.”

“(‘Backrow Politics’) was a tune that I kind of fell in love with a number of years ago because of the trumpet section,” Assistant Professor of Music and director of Concordia Jazz Ensemble Andrew Schultz said.

The style of jazz music performed varied between the two jazz groups.

“Being in the Jazz Ensemble, it’s nice to hear a different spectrum of jazz with the jazz choir,” junior Paul Nelson said.

The students involved in JazzFest enjoyed the experience.

“So many talented people were brought together to not only make music, but to create it through improvisation,” said freshman Lydia Jeppesen, a member of the Jazz Ensemble. “[And we] spent the day trying to come up with some crazy things for us to do during our rests. It is so great to be able to do goofy things like that while still being part of such a formal affair.”

“There was some very high quality music you don’t get to hear all the time,” Nelson said.

Concordia Vocal Jazz’s choir will be on tour May 7-15, including stops in Nebraska and California.

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