“Ya like jazz”
By ZAHRA TSHAI ‘22
Milton Academy’s annual jazz concert took place in King Theater on Friday, October 4th from 7:30-9:00 PM, a sneak peak of which occurred during Wednesday’s assembly period. The focus of both concerts was the year 1959, which is known as the most revolutionary and creative year in jazz thus far. Robert Sinicrope, the director of the jazz program, explained that “there is a wealth of amazing jazz tunes and their recordings that were released in 1959... a fabulous year in jazz history.” The year 1959 was significant for the genre because Miles Davis released his historic album Kind of Blue, the best selling jazz album of all time, and also because John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and other legends released timeless songs. “They are fun to play, great to hear and can help our students evolve as jazz players,” Mr. Sinicrope remarked.
The Wednesday concert began with a rendition of an Afro-Cuban version of Kind of Blue, a song on Miles Davis’ album. The opening song set an enthusiastic tone, filling the entirety of King Theater with an upbeat vibe. The percussionists were paramount in helping foster that atmosphere and the distinctive Afro-Cuban style. The song also featured an impressive solo by pianist Alli Reilly ‘20. Background instruments were provided a window to shine in front of the audience.
After the opening, the jazz program kept the energy with a song incorporating the Brazilian style of Bossa Nova. The well-executed decision to switch from Afro-Cuban to Brazilian techniques not only demonstrated the talent that the student performers possess, but also the variety of the jazz produced in 1959. After that, Lonely Woman by Ornette Colemann featured a more calm ambience, tapping into a more experimental sound that was rooted in percussion and strings, specifically guitars. Throughout the concert, students played songs produced by the musical savants Charles Minges, John Coltrane, and Dave Brubeck.
A notable standout in the concert was Sebby Park ‘21, who performed several solos on the piano and other instruments. His consistent playing and excited attitude was one of many high points from the concert, which highlighted the jazz students’ abilities to not simply play multiple instruments, but really dedicate themselves to the music.
Sinicrope explained that, “some of the students began work on these tunes last May, but we didn't know who would be in which sections until the start of school. Students were performing in our concert from five different jazz classes, some of whom did not meet until last Tuesday's dress rehearsal. The bulk of the work was done in the two advanced classes that meet either three or four times a week during the first four weeks of school.”
Student reactions from the concert were all positive, with Catherine Stutzman ‘22 claiming to be “very impressed by the student performers, especially the pianists.” and “genuinely surprised by some of the performers because [she] did not know they were musicians.” Another audience member, Dina Sara Custo ‘22, at the Wednesday assembly said, “I thought it was amazing how the performers added their personal styles without losing the original sound of the music. I was completely blown away by the performance.”
While the Wednesday assembly received an outpouring of positive feedback, several students reported that they weren’t likely to attend the Friday concert because they had seen the concert already. Nevertheless, the first concerts of the year exceeded expectations and left students and faculty alike excited for what is undoubtedly shaping up to be another incredible year for the jazz program.
Image courtesy of Frances Scalon