UWS Jazz Singer Extravaganza

On Thurs­day night, Novem­ber 30,  about 150 guests at Grandma’s Sports Gar­den were treated to the Jazz Singer Extrav­a­ganza, per­formed by the UWS Jazz Band and the UWS Jazz Combo com­bined with singers. Solo Singers included Tanya Moore, Gabby Ander­son and 12-year-old Elise Hintz­man, and a spe­cial four-voice har­mony fol­lowed shortly after.

A spe­cial four-part har­mony. Left to right: Peggy White, Tanya Moore, Gabby Ander­son, and Mike Lueck on vocals.

Start­ing out the evening, the Jazz Combo made of trom­bone, trum­pet, gui­tar, bass and drums played a song by Miles Davis, titled “So What.” The heavy drum set played by Cory Coff­man got a few whoops in the first few bars, fol­lowed by lots of lively bass from Logan Amys, which the crowd also appre­ci­ated. The crowd applauded at the end of their set happily.

After the Jazz Combo fin­ished, Gabby Ander­son, also an alto sax player, sang a solo for “Come Fly with Me,” by Cahn and Van Heusen, joy­fully and with ease. The UWS Jazz Band backed her stoutly and in an up-beat man­ner. This song received a lot of applause, and more praise fol­lowed a Latin-flavored “Mombo Inn,” by Sam­son, Woodlen and Sauza, arranged by M.P. Moss­man. The audi­ence seemed to enjoy these two songs the most.

Then Tim Flot­tum played a won­der­ful tenor sax solo and Elise Hintz­man sang for “Blue Skies.” Hintzman’s voice rang strong and crisp, mature for her age. The audi­ence applauded this song, appre­ci­at­ing the band and the young singer.

Tim Flot­tum on the tenor sax.

In one of the ensemble’s last two songs, the four-voice har­mony fea­tur­ing Peggy White, Tanya Moore, Gabby Ander­son, and Mike Lueck sang a cheery ver­sion of “It’s all Right With Me,” com­posed by Cole Porter, and a sat­is­fied audi­ence clapped. Lastly, the band fin­ished with a robust “Simon Says,” by Kevin Mills, with the crowd cheer­ing loudly at the end.

All in all, it was a care­free, fun night for everyone.