Jazz Combo. (Photo/Whitney Dankworth’17. Media team.)

Performing without a conductor, the Jazz Combo group made its debut appearance at our fall Jazz Concert on Friday, November 18.

Combo, a largely improvisational ensemble, composed of 12 musicians, works with the music to “make it [their] own,” according to Nick Robie’18. The group moved as one onstage, keeping time with tiny visual cues like nodding heads and tapping feet.

Opening the concert with “All Blues,” a Miles Davis song that many know from “Sesame Street,” the night was off to an exceptional start. The players followed up with “My Funny Valentine,” the well-known piece that so many artists have covered, and “Night Train,” a faster-paced, adventurous piece.

After the three songs that featured nearly every musician as a soloist, Combo relinquished the stage to the more “traditional” Jazz Band. Although everyone knows that Jazz Band is anything but traditional.

Having graduated 12 seniors last year, the jazz band is now composed of a roughly even mix of new members and veterans. Despite having no trombones, however, the band once again stands tall with the support of several younger students.

With six songs of varying intensity and numerous solos from nearly every musician, the crowd enjoyed its engaging music. From the popular Flintstones theme to “Georgia On My Mind,”audience members were captivated by the performance.

Before performing their final song, “Mas Que Nada,” an upbeat number that roughly translates to “Yeah, right,” Jessica Sneeringer introduced the musicians in each grade, from Kami Tibbles, the lone senior, to the four middle schoolers in the group.

As the younger students stood up, Sneeringer proudly proclaimed, “The future is bright.”