The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 M-W

Small group 3 took the stage first, and they were welcomed by cheers and hoots from friends and family members of the performers. The group was comprised of three saxophonists, a pianist, a trumpeter, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a vibraphonist (which is an instrument similar to the xylophone). As the 9-person ensemble began to file onto the stage, many of them seemed surprised at the sight of the nearly-full recital hall. 

“You made it through the snow!,” exclaimed one of the saxophonists of the group with a smile on his face. 

The comment was met with warm, hearty laughter from the audience. 

Shortly after, the group opened the show with an original song entitled “Forest Flower”.  The song started out with the three saxophonists of the group alternating between solos, all drawing applause after each finished their solo. Before the concert, I had wondered how the small venue would affect the overall sound of the show, but the sound was impressive- even better than what I have heard at large, popular concert venues. 

Though each member of the group had a chance at their solo, the saxophones proved to be the standout sections in “Forest Flower”. The tone of the woodwind instruments filled the room nicely and each musician got into an effortless rhythm with each other. The chemistry of the group was very apparent right from the start of the show, and it allowed for a dynamic musical piece. 

Small group 3 moved on to the second song in their setlist, an interpretation of Kenny Barron’s “Voyage”. The group expertly navigated through jazz great Barron’s 1986 tune. My favorite part of the performance was guitarist Sam Shapiro’s solo. There is no guitar section featured in the original composition, so for a guitar enthusiast like myself, it made the performance that much better. The warm, fuzzy tone of Shapiro’s Fender Telecaster tied together the already impressive rendition. 

“Everything is improv except the chords and the melody,” said Shapiro of his solo after the show.  

“All the ways we play the chords, and sometimes we change it a little bit, is improv too,” he explained. 

The ensemble closed out their set with a song that one of the members described as “very bright”. The main point of the song for me was the long-awaited drum solo at the end, which capped off a vibrant opening performance from small group 3. 

Shortly after, small group 2 entered the stage. Saxophonist Carl Burner seemed to be the MC for the night, and he drew laughs when he explained that he was wearing one of the group 3 members’ suit jackets because he forgot his own.  

Burner first introduced his own ensemble, which featured a pianist, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and two more saxophonists. He previewed group 2’s first song, an arrangement of Kenny Garrett’s “November 15” done by tenor saxophonist and fellow ensemble member Greg Ravnell. 

Ravnell drew loud applause during the performance of his arrangement, especially during his own saxophone solo. Jonas Peterson rounded out the saxophone trio, and Peterson, Ravnell, and Burner all stood out during the performance. 

Burner then introduced the second song in the set list, called “Balls”, which caused the audience to laugh again. The song began at a slower tempo, but switched to double time midway through, right during another riveting solo by Ravnell. 

Perhaps the most standout performance of the night came from the last song of the night, an arrangement of “Body and Soul” by Burner, which he said was meant to reference John Coltrane’s interpretation of the work. The performance gave guitarist Ricky Jumper time to shine on a solo. Drummer AJ Fankhauser also joined the group for the final song. 

Fankhauser later commented on the preparation process for the show, which, to my surprise, was not much.  

“It’s pretty low key,” he said. “We have rehearsal class every Tuesday and Wednesday, for two hours. I only played on this last song for the concert, so it’s not a whole ton.”

The laid-back attitudes from the musicians paired with the excellent performances of the night proved why Lamont boasts a premier music program, filled with performers who know how to put on a show.