Spring Break
Jazz Showcase Wows All
Sarah Kopman-Fried
Issue date: 9/26/06 Section: Focus
The von der Mehden Recital Hall played host last night to the inventive and skillful stylings of the UConn Jazz Showcase. The event featured three UConn music professors as directors, who were accompanied by several of their students on instrumentals. Presented by Professor John Mastroianni as, "a shmorgasborg of each of the bands here at UConn," the concert was attended by nearly one hundred people, most of whom were UConn students.
One of the great draws of the show was that it "features lots of undergraduates, most of whom are friends," according to 5th-semester music major Kris Haubrich.
Also looking forward to the show was 5th-semester music major Keith Stachlek, who said that his friends "have been preparing for this show since the beginning of the semester." Their hard work certainly appeared to have paid off as each piece was greeted by large applause.
Judging by the audience, one of the favorite pieces seemed to be "A Night in Tunisia," performed by Professor Kenny Davis and several of his students. The piece featured a slightly Middle Eastern twist and a long piano solo performed by Conor Calabro. Calabro, a 1st-semester music major who has been playing piano for over 10 years, said he was drawn to the Jazz ensemble because of his passion for music and desire to have fun.
"I really enjoy playing, especially with this group," said Calabro after his performance.
Another piece that seemed to really appeal to the audience was "Four of a Kind," a brand-new piece composed by Professor John Mastroianni. The audience responded quite warmly to it and Calabro called it "captivating" and "extremely impressive." Despite the fact that many in the crowd were music majors, there were also a fair number of new faces.
"This is my first time at von der Mehden for a performance," Amanda Fratoni, 3rd-semester human development and family studies major, said, "I heard about the show from a friend, and thought I'd drop by." Indeed, Fratoni and others in the audience mentioned that while they frequently attended shows being performed at Jorgensen, few were aware of the wide array of performances offered, sometimes for free, at von der Mehden. In the end, all the first-timers agreed they were glad they came for the concert. The jazz ensemble, which looks forward to putting on several more shows as the year progresses, certainly did not disappoint as both first-time guests and fellow music majors all rewarded the performers with ringing applause for a job well-done.
One of the great draws of the show was that it "features lots of undergraduates, most of whom are friends," according to 5th-semester music major Kris Haubrich.
Also looking forward to the show was 5th-semester music major Keith Stachlek, who said that his friends "have been preparing for this show since the beginning of the semester." Their hard work certainly appeared to have paid off as each piece was greeted by large applause.
Judging by the audience, one of the favorite pieces seemed to be "A Night in Tunisia," performed by Professor Kenny Davis and several of his students. The piece featured a slightly Middle Eastern twist and a long piano solo performed by Conor Calabro. Calabro, a 1st-semester music major who has been playing piano for over 10 years, said he was drawn to the Jazz ensemble because of his passion for music and desire to have fun.
"I really enjoy playing, especially with this group," said Calabro after his performance.
Another piece that seemed to really appeal to the audience was "Four of a Kind," a brand-new piece composed by Professor John Mastroianni. The audience responded quite warmly to it and Calabro called it "captivating" and "extremely impressive." Despite the fact that many in the crowd were music majors, there were also a fair number of new faces.
"This is my first time at von der Mehden for a performance," Amanda Fratoni, 3rd-semester human development and family studies major, said, "I heard about the show from a friend, and thought I'd drop by." Indeed, Fratoni and others in the audience mentioned that while they frequently attended shows being performed at Jorgensen, few were aware of the wide array of performances offered, sometimes for free, at von der Mehden. In the end, all the first-timers agreed they were glad they came for the concert. The jazz ensemble, which looks forward to putting on several more shows as the year progresses, certainly did not disappoint as both first-time guests and fellow music majors all rewarded the performers with ringing applause for a job well-done.
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