April 21, 2005
Jazz Groups to Perform April
22
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The
Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College |
By Ember Oparowski ’07
The concert “Swing ’n’ Samba!” featuring
the Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College, will take place Friday,
April 22, at 8 pm in Pratt Hall's McCulloch Auditorium.
Sarah
Russo ’01 and Mark Gionfriddo, director of the Jazz
Ensembles, formed the Big Band Ensemble in the spring of 1998.
The following year, the Vocal Jazz and Chamber Jazz Ensembles
were created. “I still am amazed how the original combo
of eight has grown to three jazz ensembles in such a short time,” Gionfriddo
said. “It was simply an interesting experiment back in
1998—a
group of women who wanted to learn about jazz performance and
play together on this campus rather than at one of the other
Five Colleges.
But the experiment took on a life of its own.”
For
this year’s annual spring concert, the three groups will
mix swing and jazz. Their repertoire will include Chuck Mangione’s “Land
of Make Believe,” which will feature Jennifer Ertel ’05
on the flugelhorn; “It’s Déjà Vu
(All Over Again)” by Dave Brubeck, which will spotlight
Mary Tait ’05
on alto sax; and Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which
will highlight Sarah Icklan ’05 on drums. The Chamber
Jazz Ensemble will introduce “Blythe Gets Even,” a
composition by Gionfriddo written for bassist Blythe Keller ’06.
Vocal Jazz will perform Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio
Down by the Schoolyard” as sung by the jazz quartet New
York Voices.
For
many seniors, the spring concert is the culmination of their
music experience at Mount Holyoke. “The Jazz
Bands have been a huge part of my life since my very first
day at MHC, and the
growth I have witnessed has been huge,” Icklan said. “The
band has done nothing but improve these past four years, and
I couldn't be more proud of every single person involved. This
is
a group of players who genuinely love and care for each other,
and who work extremely hard at what they do. It's hard to believe
this is the last jazz concert for many of us, but I know it’s
going to be a great one. The program is challenging and exciting,
and the band is ready for it. There’s no better feeling
than playing music with your friends, and I feel lucky to have
had the
chance to play with such an amazing group for so long.”
Admission is free; jazz enthusiasts are encouraged to arrive
early due to limited seating. Doors open at 7:30 pm.
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