A groovy time - Waseca Jazz Band concert

The Waseca High School Bands presented their Jazz Festival concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. The Jazz Festival is an annual event featuring the school's two jazz ensembles, Jazz Blue and Jazz One, as well as area jazz musicians. Both high school jazz ensembles are directed by Devon Lawrence. The concert also featured the southern Minnesota Real Big Band, a jazz ensemble comprised of Waseca and Mankato area musicians and directed by Paul Davis.

The program opened with Jazz Blue, which performed four songs. First was “Done Deal,” by Ken Harris, featuring Elias Nevalanien, trumpet, and Andrick Balderas, trombone, as soloists. Next, the ensemble welcomed guest musician Russ Peterson to join them on stage for “Missing You,” by Mike Tomaro. “Curacao Blue,” a song about composer Zachary Smith's experiences visiting the island of Curacao, featuring soloist Ellery Waldron on saxophone, and “Street Beat” by Peter Blair featuring soloists Ryan Leigh on guitar and Mason Jes on trombone rounded out the Jazz Blue Set.

Next to perform was the Jazz One ensemble playing five songs. They began with “Hopscotch” by Paul Baker, with soloists Josie Perrizo, saxophone, Mason Jes, trombone, and Norah Schimming, marimba. Lawrence then said he'd like to take the time to feature one of the school's saxophone players, Hannah Wilder, on the piece “Samantha” by Sammy Nestico. Wilder played an extended solo on this piece, to much applause from the audience. The ensemble then performed “Children of Sanchez,” arranged by Victor Lopez and featuring soloists Mason Jes and Ethan Stenzel on trombone and Lindsey Kopetzki on trumpet, followed by “Povo” arranged by Erik Morales and featuring Lindsey Kopetzki on trumpet and Kya Hoof on saxophone as soloists. Lawrence then said to the audience, “This is gonna be fun,” as he invited Peterson back to the stage to join Jazz One on his own arrangement of “Georgia on My Mind,” which received a standing ovation.

To close the show, the southern Minnesota Real Big Band took the stage and performed eight pieces, each with numerous soloists. Their set included “Blues in Hoss Flat” by Sammy Nestico, “Haitian Fight Song” by Charles Mingus and arranged by Sy Johnson, “Arnge Drank” by Paul Baker, “La Luz En Ti” by Michele Fernandez, and “Molten Swing” by Buster and Benny Moten and arranged by Ernie Wilkins, “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris and arranged by Alan Baylock. The Real Big Band was not left out when it came to performing alongside the evening's featured guest, and performed two songs with Peterson. First was “Monday night at Dempsey's,” an arrangement by Peterson which he regularly performed at Dempsey's Bar and Grill, and the final song of the evening was “Song for Bilbao,” by Pat Metheny and arranged by Alan Baylock.

Prior to the concert, Waseca's jazz band students got the opportunity to work with Peterson as a clinician. Peterson is the Associate Professor of Saxophone and Bassoon at Concordia College in Moorhead. Peterson worked with both high school jazz ensembles in the afternoon, coaching them on ways to improve their performance and practicing together on the pieces which Peterson would perform with the ensembles.