Getting Jazzy

Playing to a crowd of about 30 people, the St. Ambrose University Jazz Combos packed an hour with a mixture of jazz styles from some of the biggest names in jazz music. With selections from greats such as Horace Silver, Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington the concert covered different flavors of jazz including swing, traditional, and hard bop.

Both bands ended their sets with numbers that allowed their members to showcase their talents through solos. The SAU Dixieland Band finished with “Perdido” and the SAU Jazz Combo sent the audience home with a rendition of “The Preacher” by Horace Silver.

The Redstone Room at the River Music Experience was candlelit with red and white candles giving the room a cabaret look right out of a movie. Audience member Joanna Green found the room warm and pleasant.

“It was really romantic. I loved the candles on the tables and the wonderful music in the air.”

The jazz combos are actually split into two different bands, the SAU Dixieland Band and the SAU Jazz Combo. Each performed for roughly 25 minutes with a two minute intermission in between.

According to Tait Hillmer, percussionist, the jazz combos didn’t always play jazz.

“When I was a freshman, we were a big band group, but there wasn’t enough interest. In the spring semester of 2005 we changed to the jazz combos.”

Director Eugene Bechen spoke about the differences between the two groups.

“Our Dixieland group is made up of musicians that are new or have not had as much exposure. We use it kind of like our basic training, because if you can get the hang of Dixieland, the more modern stuff actually becomes easier.”

“I give the jazz combo pretty much total autonomy. They make good decisions about the music they play. If they are picking the music they are going to get a lot more out of it. It gives them more responsibility, but the stakes are a lot higher.”

The SAU Jazz Combos will play again Saturday February 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm in Allaert Auditorium in the Galvin Fine Arts Center on the campus of SAU.

The Redstone Room houses between 225 and 250 people and was opened in 2006. It is on the top floor of the River Music Experience in downtown Davenport, Iowa.