The Jazz Ensemble held its first concert of the 2024-2025 school year at the NC Reber Center on Oct. 10, with students playing four songs as an opener for the musicians Adam Larson, Clark Sommers, and Dana Hall.

Unlike Jazz Band and Jazz Lab Band, both of which are clubs, Jazz Ensemble is a class that can be taken by juniors and seniors who auditioned the previous spring. The Jazz Ensemble is the most experienced band of the three, director Mark Dahl said.

“Because it is a group you need to audition for, everyone in it really wants to be there and tries hard,” Jazz Ensemble drummer John Farley ‘25 said. “It makes for a fun experience when everyone is trying hard to sound good. Jazz music is much more about playing together and is much more improvised than classical band pieces.”

Eighteen students performed at the concert, playing instruments including saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums.

“Preparing for the concert has been a really interesting experience; it’s been really cool to see the piece transform from the first time we played,” Jazz Ensemble member Luke Soles ‘26 said.

The songs performed in the opener included arrangements of the blues songs “Jeep’s Blues” and “Afro Blue,” the song “Minor’s Holiday,” and the progressive rock jazz fusion “Spontaneous Combustion.” The Adam Larson trio’s selections were not included in the concert program and were instead announced from the stage.

“The Adam Larson trio actually played a concert with the jazz ensemble during my freshman year, and after listening to them and the Jazz Ensemble, I knew I wanted to be in the band,” Soles said. “I’m really glad they returned this year. To me, it almost feels kind of nostalgic in a way,” Soles said.

The concert’s lead guest artist, saxophonist Adam Larson, has released eight albums, including “With Love, from Chicago,” which Downbeat Magazine gave a 4.5/5 star rating. In addition to being a composer with an active touring schedule, he is also an educator and author, having written 12 jazz etude books and having been invited to present masterclasses on music at over 100 universities.

“I saw Adam Larson and his trio when they were here two years ago, and they were incredible,” Farley said.

Sommers, the trio’s bassist, is also a composer and educator who has toured with and released multiple recordings with vocalist Kurt Elling, one of which, “Dedicated to You,” won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2009. He returned to school in 2019 due to feeling restricted in his musical development as a masters student in composition at DePaul University. 

“It takes constant focus to not get complacent and to always try to make it better,” Farley said.

The drummer, Hall, works as an associate professor of Jazz Studies and Ethnomusicology at DePaul where he is a Special Trustees Fellow and was recognized as Chicagoan of the Year in 2009 by the Chicago Tribune. In addition to jazz, Hall was also influenced by soul music. He started studying drums at the age of twelve.

“Altogether, Jazz Ensemble has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and it has probably become my favorite class in my schedule,” Soles said. “I would definitely encourage anyone who’s free to go to a jazz concert.”