Toes tapped as amazing jazz music played in Burbank Auditorium at Santa Rosa Junior College at Jazz Night on March 27.
The Night Band kicked off the show. The band, previously a class at SRJC, features professional musicians from around Sonoma County. They still perform at the college, continuing the legacy. The band consists of 18 members, performing with saxophones, trumpets, trombones, bass, drums, piano and guitar. The band played songs such as “A Foggy Day in London.” The music made the audience bob their heads to the beat and tap their feet.
Following The Night Band was the Oak Tones, an a cappella group created in Fall 2013 by Stacy Rutz at SRJC. As an a cappella group, their voices are their instruments. They performed “My Funny Valentine,” from the musical “Babes in Arms” and ended with “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” from the movie “Mulan.”
Rutz said, “Jazz is improv and soul and being in the moment.”
The night ended with Jerome Fleg, director of instrumental music, conducting the SRJC’s Day Jazz Band. The band has 30 students playing a variety of instruments, like The Night Band. Songs played included “Basie’s Beat”and “If I Had Known” as well as “The Lady is a Tramp,” accompanied by Rutz singing and ending with “You Dig.”
“Jazz music, it swings and it’s music with improvisation. Those are your key two elements of jazz,” said Fleg after the show. “When you look at those two that opens up a world of infinite numbers of songs and styles.”
Everyone who performed did a phenomenal job and gave their all in an outstanding performance that made the audience sway to the music.
“These concerts are called Jazz Night because there is a little bit of everything – jazz band, jazz combo, and vocal jazz,” Fleg said .
The will be another Jazz Night May 15, at Newman Auditorium.
