All New England Jazz Festival

Rachel Levi
For The Clock
rlevi@plymouth.edu

CLOCK PHOTO/ALEX CROSSLEY

This year’s All New England Jazz Festival took place on Tuesday, March 22 in PSU’s Silver Center for the Arts. Starting at 6 p.m. and running for just over an hour, three separate ensembles took the stage, each with their own particular flair and brand.

Plymouth State’s own Jazz Ensemble gave the first performance, directed by the show’s coordinator, Chris Klaxton.

They featured guest Mark Small on tenor saxophone. Small has toured with Michael Bublé and appeared on television programs such as “Saturday Night Live”, “Late Night with Jay Leno”, “Letterman Show”, and “Ellen”.

They performed three sets. The first was Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance”.

PSU’s Matt Dolliver gave a solo on tenor saxophone. He donned a bold red dress coat, which was fitting, since his bold talent matched in distinction. Colin Mckenna and Killian Venman were featured on drums and percussions.

Benjamin Michon proved to be quite the showstopper, with his spirited solos on trumpet. Evan Thorne and DJ DePasquale gave solos on bass and guitar.

Some might recognize these faces, as well as Michon’s from one of our school’s beloved bands Pardon the Spins.

Sets were fast paced and demanding. Although the demanding movements of mouths, arms and fingers seemed to be too be enormous at points, the musicians remained calm and cool, playing at the same grade as the professional in their midst. They certainly set standards high for sets to come.

The next performance was given by the All New England Jazz Festival’s combo ensemble, comprised of students from various high schools throughout New England.

These students, dressed in formal attire, stood before the theater with full confidence. Klaxton took the stage to introduce them. “I commend them. They woke up at four this morning to get here,” he said.

Their exhaustion didn’t show. Waiting for small nods from Klaxton, they performed four songs in total. They featured solos from each student in the ensemble.

Although many of the songs were at a much slower tempo then those performed by the collegiate level musicians, they did not fail to impress with their incredible talent.

Lastly was the much larger Big Band ensemble, comprised of 21 students, also from various high schools around New England. Their director, Mark Small, conducted the ensemble.

They performed three songs, each more extravagant than the last. This was the first ensemble to feature trombones. Their size proved to be the biggest challenge for these young students.

When they finished performing, the crowd went absolutely wild, which was must deserved after such an extraordinary performance.

The audience, comprised of music supporters as well as band instructors and university students with a fondness for jazz, received a diverse show that left everyone satisfied.

For more information on upcoming events at the Silver Center for the Arts, visit http://www.plymouth.edu/silver-center.