Joshua Kinser
Published: December 7, 2005
The PJC jazz band will perform their final concert for the semester at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the Ashmore Auditorium for Fine and Performing Arts. The jazz ensemble, conducted by Tim Jackson, will perform a variety of tunes with diverse styles that include traditional jazz, swing, big band, bebop, funk, and Latin. Admission to the concert is free.
“This is one of the best groups we have ever had. We have a really good rhythm section and the chemistry is just great among the group this year,” Jackson said.
Jackson shuffles through charts as the band warms up for rehearsal. Trumpet players squeal into their highest possible pitches. The drummer and bass player squeeze in a quick improv funk jam while the saxophone players work through the more complicated sections of solos that they will be performing at the December concert.
“I’m really excited about ‘Round Midnight’ by Thelonious Monk,” said Jermal Kidd, the piano player for the jazz ensemble. “My favorite jazz artist is Thelonious Monk. His music is so mellow and I kinda like to take it mellow and slow sometimes. I like to just be relaxed and lay down chords. There is a saxophone solo that is on that one that is real sweet too.”
Jermal Kidd’s smooth chordal accompaniments and quick bluesy style as a soloist is rooted in the church, where he grew up playing piano. Now after training and performing with the PJC jazz band for three semesters Kidd aspires to study at Boston’s Berklee College of Music (one of the country’s top music programs), pursue a career in jazz and possibly one day teach music at the college level. Kidd says that the jazz program at PJC has helped him develop the essential skills he needs for a career in music.
“I have definitely learned so much with the PJC jazz band. I’ve learned how to read chord charts, I’ve gotten better at sight reading and improv skills and I’ve really learned how to fit in and play better with a rhythm section. We have a great jazz band here. Mr. Jackson is awesome. He doesn’t treat us like a junior college level jazz band. It is more like we are a professional group,” Kidd said.
Blake Hosler, the PJC jazz ensemble drummer, has also been working with the program for the last three semesters. Next August, Hosler will be moving north to Minneapolis where he will study at the Institute for Recording and Production and will continue to perform as a drummer with professional groups in the area. Hosler chose to work with the PJC jazz ensemble because it is a class at PJC that offered him real experience in drumming, his profession of choice.
“This is the only ensemble that you can play the drum set with and that is what I want to do with my degree. This semester the group has the potential to be really, really good,” Hosler said.
At the concert, Tim Jackson will conduct the accomplished and excited jazz ensemble through “Puffy Taco” a Latin son-go, “Round Midnight” Thelonious Monk’s traditional jazz alto saxophone and piano feature, “Count Bubba” a big Band Shuffle, the bebop tune “Dizzy Atmosphere”, “Angel Eyes” and others.