Kennesaw State University’s jazz ensembles energize their audiences with high-intensity performances given six times throughout the year. The two bands, led by Atlanta-based musicians Sam Skelton and Wes
Funderburk, play repertoire ranging from early 1940s big band music to modern compositions written within the last decade.
Jazz ensembles consist of woodwind, brass, and rhythm instruments. Five woodwind players sit in the front and play saxophones, clarinets and flutes. Behind them sit trombones and trumpets. Percussionists and a bassist keep the ensemble going with steady rhythms and moving bass lines. Guitarists, pianists and vocalists also share the stage. In the past several years, jazz ensembles at KSU have performed a wide variety of styles and composers. Not only do they perform traditional jazz, but their repertoire also includes Duke Ellington, Count Basie and even Radiohead.
Jazz music is highlighted by its use of improvisation and swing rhythms. It developed in New Orleans, where African and European music traditions mixed. Since the early 20th century, jazz was a way for people to express themselves and be creative with music.
“Jazz is a cultural art form,” said saxophonist Chris Malloy. “It is a means of expressing yourself that goes back more than a century in its development.”
Malloy plays saxophone in the Jazz I ensemble. He came to KSU to study jazz with Sam Skelton, who is renowned for his versatility and expertise with woodwind instruments.
Every member of KSU’s jazz bands is well-versed in improvisation. Every person is a soloist. Jazz gives people the opportunity to stand up and let the audience hear each individual’s sound and style. Everyone from trumpets to drum set solos in jazz. Not only are the performers remarkable, but the directors are as well. Jazz II director Wes Funderburk arranges several of the tunes played by his band and even wrote a chart(don’t know what this is— does it mean “a song”?), “The Clouds are Moving,” for his son. This tune closed out the performance by his band at its most recent concert. Funderburk is on faculty at KSU and at Georgia State University and regularly performs in the Atlanta area. Jazz I director Sam Skelton has performed with upper-tier professional groups such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony. He can be heard on recordings by famous musicians such as Elton John and Matchbox 20.
The jazz program is among the youngest music programs offered at KSU. program despite its youth, the program has much support and interest.
“Though I am a musician that wants to pursue classical interests, I believe it is imperative to have a jazz program for diversifying ourselves as musicians,” said music performance major Joe Poole. “Jazz has the upfront enthusiasm often found in pop music but also contains the complexity of classical music so that everyone can enjoy and benefit from it.”
Jazz provides the opportunity for everyone to take part in an entirely unique musical experience with every performance.
The jazz ensembles gave a concert in Morgan Hall at the Bailey Performance center on Wednesday, Sept. 26. Many people attended the event and experienced firsthand the electric atmosphere jazz provides. The ensembles played tunes ranging from “Rubber Ducky” (based on the Sesame Street theme) to Gordon Goodwin’s quirky and energetic chart “Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn).”
Jazz I has its next concert on Oct. 24. The next jazz ensembles’ (more than one?) concert is on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
