UIC Jazz Concert
The UIC Jazz Ensemble put on a great show Nov. 24.
On Nov. 24, the day before my birthday, the School of Theatre & Music put on a great concert in the UIC Theatre, 1044 W. Harrison. The concert started at 7:30 p.m. and featured two of UIC’s own jazz bands. The Jazz Ensemble was led by Director Andy Baker and the Jazz Workshop, which is directed by my Jazz History instructor Chris Madsen. I attended the event to complete a live music report assigned for my jazz course and I found myself enjoying the performances.
This was my first jazz concert and the house was packed. I decided to sit in the balcony and the setting was perfect; the atmosphere was very jazzy. I was impressed with the level of intensity that the jazz players played with. At times, I nodded my head and tapped my feet along to the music that kept the house entertained throughout the night. The jazz players were students and I recognized many of them from my jazz course. I got a good glimpse at the upcoming jazz talent coming right out of UIC. The bands played pieces from the jazz greats: Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Carter. The bands included solos from a variety of players and I couldn’t tell the difference between the original songs and these reenactments that my peers played.
The concert was the last one for this season but keep your eyes and ears open for the next show. There are a couple of holiday concerts featuring UIC music students coming up at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6. The concert on Dec. 5 will be held at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road, and the Dec. 6 show will be at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St.
Matthew Maggit is a sophomore in accounting in the College of Business Administration. Matthew decided to come to UIC because of the business program’s reputation and because he wanted to study at a campus with a diverse atmosphere. He likes how close the campus is downtown Chicago and the Willis Tower. In his free time, he loves to surround myself with loved ones, and he enjoys sports and going to the gym.
