By Thomas Ackerman
Whoever said jazz is dead hasn’t gotten a listen in Iowa City.
Student groups from the University of Iowa School of Music will perform at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., tonight, showcasing a variety in subgenres and exploring the musical cosmos.
The event, $3 for students and $5 for nonstudents, will feature two groups, Area 51 jazz and the combo workshop ensemble.
“I hope to see a good atmosphere with a lot of other musicians there,” said UI freshman Eli Bratsch-Prince. “I’m not really familiar with the bands playing, but I’m looking forward to seeing my peers play.”
The combo workshop ensemble will begin at 6:30 p.m. with bass, drums, piano, vibraphone, and saxophone.
The first group is a younger undergraduate group, said UI music Lecturer Steve Grismore, who supports students’ acquiring real-world experience.
“By going into a club atmosphere to play, it’s a little less safe of an environment,” he said. “You have to be prepared with your instrument and whatever you need.”
Grismore, who has been with the jazz program since the early ’90s, said student performances in town were going on before he got to the UI.
“We do both large and small ensembles and usually have four or five performances scheduled in the club,” he said, noting that the venues have changed over the years.
The experience is a class requirement for different courses in the music school, Grismore said, though local venues are more than happy to host the shows.
“We see anything from students coming in with worksheets as a part of their curriculum to elderly individuals,” said Mill event coordinator Alexi Schlesinger.
With jazz, he said, he’s seen anywhere from 15 audience members to 200, depending on the time of school year and what the event is.
“For the public, it’s nice for them to see something different,” Schlesinger said. “There’s so much music that happens in this town, but there’s not a lot of jazz, necessarily, so you kind of have an array of people there.”
The combo workshop consists of first-year students eager to showcase their material.
“We’ve been putting together some of our own arrangements of jazz standards, so it will be fun to show those off, since we haven’t played them for anybody yet,” UI freshman Jarrett Purdy said.
While circumstances mean a substitute for the group’s saxophone player, Purdy said, the group is ready for a good show.
“[The groups] have been putting a lot of work in the semester,” he said. “A lot of good soloists will be able to show off their chops.”
MUSIC
UI jazz performances: Area 51 and Combo Workshop Ensemble
When: 6:30 p.m. today
Where: Mill, 120 E. Burlington
Admission: $3 students, $5 general
