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Kyle Slemmer, a graduate assistant of the music department, plays a solo during the performance of "Off the Top" at the EIU Jazz Ensemble

Jazz ensemble closes season on popular note

By: Kelly Crement/ Staff Reporter

Posted: 12/2/05

Eastern's Jazz Ensemble attracted an audience that filled half of the Grand Ballroom Thursday night for its last performance of the semester.

The ensemble played a wide variety of jazz compositions to strike interest in all preferences of jazz.

The group is fresh off a recent performance at the 37th and 38th annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival.

At the festival, Eastern was the only big band selected by the judges to perform in the evening concert.

The concert featured pieces by Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Walter Murphy.

The group played Miles Davis' "So What" and the trumpet section stepped up to convey Davis' style.

The piece also incorporated a flugelhorn, played by a member of the trumpet section.

The piece began with piano and percussion, then slowly the sounds of a saxophone, trumpet and trombone were added.

The jazz ensemble performed the theme from television's popular show "Family Guy."

Sam Fagaly, director of the jazz ensemble, introduced the song by saying, "giggity, giggity," a common phrase used on the show, and received cheers from the audience as the ensemble played.

"There is a good mix, something for everyone to enjoy," said Kyle Slemmer, a jazz performance graduate assistant.

Slemmer played tenor saxophone, standing throughout many of the selections to play improvisational solos.

He thought the concert was a successful night.

With the last concert of the semester, the jazz ensemble was able to show off all of their hard work.

"I am hoping for an end product of the semester to show how the ensemble has progressed over the semester," Fagaly said.

The jazz ensemble worked for about a month on the music, he said.

Mitch and Linda Foster, of Charleston, frequent many Eastern jazz performances.

"We love big band and jazz music," Linda Foster said.

"We have been to other ensembles and they have always been good," Mitch Foster said.