Samo Jazz Band Kicks Off The Year With Their Winter Concert

Louis Rotgin / The Samohi

Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator Tom Whaley Directs and Performs with Jazz 11

The Samo Jazz Band started the semester swinging with their winter concert on Jan 21. Their first concert of the new year featured prominent figures in the jazz world Stanley Clarke and Clay Jenkins, as well as Samo’s very own John Beasley (’77).

Jazz 1, led by director Ryan Rowles, kicked off the night with a Gordon Goodwin piece entitled “Act Your Age”. The band played one more piece together before splitting into their Tuesday and Thursday combos for a song each. The combos are composed of students who attend an additional session a week to rehearse and prepare extra music for the concert. The full group then got back on stage and played two final songs to close out their night.

Jazz 11, directed by Visual & Performing Arts coordinator Tom Whaley began with “Walk in the Park” by Sammy Nestico. Four-time Grammy award-winning bassist, recording artist and composer Stanley Clarke, Grammy award-winning pianist John Beasley, and renowned jazz trumpeter Clay Jenkins guest played with the ensemble. After two more pieces, all-state jazz band trombonist Ethan Clarke (’24) led a combo that played another Goodwin piece before performing “3 Wrong Notes”, composed by Stanley Clarke himself. The band finished off the night with “Silly Putty”, another Stanley Clarke piece, and “Spain” by Chick Corea.

Jazz 11 saxophonist Sean Limpisvasti (’27) enjoyed himself alongside his bandmates. He said, “I think the concert was a great success. Playing with a great like Stanley Clarke was the best…Next time, I hope the concert sells out.”

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