The Cal Poly Spring Jazz Concert is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, in Spanos Theatre on campus.
Titled “Sounds of Harmony,” the concert will feature performances by Cal Poly’s University Jazz Band and four Jazz Combos.
Highlights of the jazz band’s set include Don Menza’s blazing fast trumpet feature “Dizzyland,” Ryan Haines’ ballad “There’s a Letter from Home,” and Marshall Gilkes’ “4711 Special,” a contemporary chart that will feature extended solos by saxophonist Will Last, and trombonist Sam Stabinsky.
“Music is my escape from engineering when I need it,” said Last, a computer science major from San Diego who is graduating in June. “4711 Special” feels like a way to pay homage to my time at Cal Poly. It’s wonderful that I’ve been able to express myself through the music program. I’m happy to say that the musician friends I’ve made are a primary reason I'm staying in San Luis Obispo another year, to keep making music.”
“Being part of the jazz program gives me a chance to step away from the intensity of my degree requirements and fully immerse myself in something creative,” said Stabinsky, a third-year biochemistry major from San Carlos. “It’s an environment that demands your full attention in the best way, and getting to collaborate with such talented musicians and supportive professors makes it incredibly rewarding.”
The jazz combos will feature an original composition by one of its members: “Inevitable” by Oscar Cervarich, an interdisciplinary studies major from San Francisco who plays piano in the Composers Combo. The combos will also play Ray Barretto’s “Indestructible,” Duke Pearson’s “Jeannine” and more.
Aaron Kline is the interim director of the University Jazz Band, and Dylan Johnson is the director of the Jazz Combos.
