CBU band grooves to jazz at fall concert
Riverside, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2017) — The Jazz Band at California Baptist University performed a free fall concert to an appreciative audience at Magnolia Church on Nov. 9. The band showcased diverse jazz sounds from different eras of music in addition to unique cultural interpretations.
Dr. Guy Holliday, associate dean and director of bands at CBU, said the Jazz Band provides student musicians an opportunity to play and experience the art form of jazz in a traditional “big band” format.
“This type of music was made popular in the ’30s, and has been an important part of our musical heritage and culture ever since,” said Holliday, who conducted the Jazz Concert.
The concert also demonstrated that the students understand various styles of jazz such as swing, bebop, funk, Latin, fusion and blues, Holliday said.
“Each of these styles has its own characteristics rhythms, harmonies, articulations and stylistic interpretations,” Holliday said. “It was pretty amazing to witness these performances, and it is an important aspect of performing jazz.”
The Jazz Band typically includes an array of instrumentalists that perform on the saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drum, piano, guitar, bass and vibraphone.
Nathan Castro, a chemical engineering freshman at CBU, attended a Jazz Band concert for the first time.
“The Jazz Band gave a good representation of culture and how music feels,” Castro said.