Bridgewater, Va. – On Sunday, March 20 from 3 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. the jazz ensemble, conducted by Associate Professor of Music Christine Carrillo played in Cole Hall. Students, staff and community members (both in the concert hall and online) listened to this semester’s band.

“I really enjoyed our performance on Sunday. There is always an energy from the band with a live audience that we cannot replicate in rehearsal. Solos are always stronger and concentration is tight on stage,” said Carrillo. “I love looking at the faces of the students during the concert and seeing the joy and excitement when things are going well. They feed off of each other’s energy.”

The first selection was “April in Paris” by Vernon Duke, which featured junior Conrad Kyrtusa on the trombone and junior Wyatt Smith on the trumpet.

Smith’s trumpet solo has a connection to Thad Jones, the original soloist, who also wrote the second piece, “Us” – which featured senior Kevin Epps on the soprano saxophone.

Next, was a piece by Clifford Brown titled “Sandu” – which featured junior Hannah McPerson on the clarinet, Epps on the tenor saxophone and Smith on the trumpet.

There was a two-part Disney melody composed of “Beauty and the Beast” by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The soloists for this portion of the melody were junior Luke Cronin on the flugelhorn and junior Heather Knott on the alto sax.

“I Wan’na Be Like You” from “The Jungle Book”, composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, was the second portion of the Disney melody. The music featured sophomore Grace Garner on the piano, first-year Nathan Sullivan on the trumpet, Krytusa on the trombone and Knott on the alto saxophone.

After “I Wan’na Be Like You,” there was a pause between production numbers where Carillo praised her seniors. She later handed out a reward voted on by fellow musicians to Epps for senior of the year. 

Once the rewards were handed out, the band played Wycliffe Gordon’s “The Woogie.” The music featured sophomore Ortez Marshman on the trombone, Sullivan on the trumpet, Cronin on the trumpet, Epps on the tenor saxophone and sophomore Hailey Chaney on the baritone saxophone.

Lastly, the band closed with “Soul Vaccination” by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, which included Epps on tenor saxophone as the soloist.

Other members of the band included first-year Chloe Rehm on the alto saxophone, senior Dan Hancock on the tenor saxophone, first-year Katie Johnson on the trumpet, first-year Ewan Benjamin on the trombone, first-year Jimmy Rosend and senior Jacob Bentley on the guitar, first-year Owen Angell on the bass, and junior Aaron Nau on the bass and the drumset.

“The concert was amazing and it was an honor to be alongside these fantastic musicians,” said Benjamin.