Ever since leaving the formalities of school band my ninth grade year, I had nearly lost contact with the world that is jazz ensembles. Recently, however, I’ve become a lot more interested in the roaring twenties, the Jazz Age! So, seeing that the Rock Bridge Jazz Ensemble had a concert soon, I decided to go check it out and see what the jazz world had been doing in the last few years. When I got there, I found things much as I remembered them:

The conductor (Bob Thalhuber), still sits back and lets his band do its thing.

The saxophones were still rocking the front and center.

And while the piano player was still really freaking classy…..

The upright bass is still my favorite piece in the band!

But as I was watching the show, I began to remember things about band that I had forgotten:

The way that a good slow sax solo can turn the heads of everyone, onstage and off.

The way a jazz pianist is the only person in the world who can really pull off sitting with his back to the audience.

And of course, while the band’s main objective is to put on a good show…

The reason the kids really enjoy jazz is the people. They do it for each other!

-Asa