Students gathered in the quad on a warm spring day for the ninth annual Texas A&M University (TAMUK) Jazz Blast.
The Latin Jazz Ensemble kicked off the event with three songs designed to get the blood pumping and the feet dancing.
This jazz ensemble features a smaller member size mainly composed of percussion instruments.
The three singers Esai Perez, Donovan Brown and Abe Villarreal took center stage and put smiles on the crowd’s face.
Their dances were partly choreographed, but mainly stemmed from the passion of the moment.
With each new dance move the crowd cheered and whistled as the soul of the performers and the music washed over all those listening.
Director of the Latin Jazz Ensemble Glynn Garcia spoke about his experience with the band.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Garcia said. “The percussion keeps it infectious at the heart of the music.”
Garcia faces an interesting problem with finding music for the band to play.
“I have to write a lot of our arrangements,” Garcia said. “Because the instrumentation is different and you have to adjust it to what we have.”
Garcia also sent a message to TAMUK students interested in performing with the band who are hesitant because they are not music majors.
“I would really like to have some singers or players that maybe are not part of the music program,” Garcia said.
Next on the docket was Jazz Band 2 led by James Warth.
The second jazz band has a more traditional big-band set-up with trombones, trumpets and saxophones.
Bass trombonist for the second Jazz Band and Music Education sophomore Marcos Cuellar spoke about why he enjoys playing in the program.
“Getting into the music and playing with the people I’m surrounded by,” Cuellar said.
Warth is retiring at the end of the semester and as Warth nears the end of his time at TAMUK, Cuellar reminisced on his time with the director calling him “unique” and “passionate.”
Next was Jazz Band 3 led by Kyle Millsap.
After a couple songs, Millsap talked about the song choices, which were staples of the jazz industry.
Millsap said he chose jazz standards as a way of looking back and honoring the past.
As the sun fell in the sky and the remaining jazz bands took the stage the crowd remained as entertained as when the first band started.
