By Denton Josey, Student Reporter
The ACU Jazz Combo planned to perform for the first time this semester Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Bean Sprout and will perform on several Tuesdays throughout the semester.
Originally, the concert was scheduled for Sept. 27, but Greg Bush, director of Jazz Studies, said the group did not have enough material at that time.
Bush, also an instructor of trumpet, invited students to come “to listen to jazz, support their colleagues and enjoy good music.”
The Jazz Combo is comprised of 10 members, which is smaller than the ACU big band. The combo planned to play two 45-minute sets and feature more solos and improvisation than the jazz ensemble.
Sarah Mullen, sophomore music education major from Fort Worth, has played with the Jazz Combo for two years and planned to play Tuesday night.
“We’re starting a jazz hang,” Mullen said.
Mullen, who plays tenor saxophone, said the atmosphere at Jazz Combo performances is very relaxed.
ÒIt’s not like it’s a recital hall or anything,” Mullen said. “It’s more like a jam session.”
Members planned to play at least three different kinds of jazz throughout the night, including bee-bop, funk and some songs in the vein of jazz great John Coltrane.
“We usually do a lot of bee-bop like stuff,” Mullen said. “This is like beatnik, laid back, drinking your coffee-that type of music that you’d hear in that environment.”
Luke Powell, sophomore music major from Paducah, Ky., said students should come to the show “to support some of their students. There’s a lot of talk about school spirit and supporting athletics, but the arts programs have students working very hard, too. It’d be really nice to be supported.”
Powell, the combo’s only guitarist, said in the past the Swingcats, the university’s swing dance club, have attended performances with the combo. He also said a vocalist has sometimes accompanied the combo in the past but not for Tuesday’s show.
For people who may not know much about jazz, the performance was a good time to learn, Powell said, because “Mr. Bush talks about the songs and puts things in context.”
The Jazz Combo plans to play several Tuesday dates, and all shows in the Bean Sprout will be free.
