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Christopher Stevenson - 87923335

M. Torres
History of Jazz
2016 March 6
UCI Jazz Orchestra Concert
I attended the UCI Jazz Orchestra Concert at the Winifred Smith Hall on February 24.
Since I have already been studying the UCI Jazz Orchestra at rehearsals in hopes of joining the
ensemble, I came into the 8pm performance with expectations of what to hear. I anticipated
modernized older jazz tunes and originals written by the bandleader, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez. The
rhythm section consisted of Dylan Juhan on the bass, two different musicians on the drums
(Austin Quach and Eso), and three different musicians on the piano (Adrian Foy, Ben Elliot, and
Blaine Sayre).
Dr. Rodriguez started the night off with Count Basies big band swing piece, Told You
So. The performers introduced the song at an amplified volume, suggesting that the energy they
were putting into the piece was more deliberate than natural. The performance of the song
sounded like a fanfare version of the 1976 tune. The highlight was Mary Ribayas tranquil
performance on the flute. As her melody contrasted with the rest of the bands fanfare feeling, the
opening selection was the most pleasant to experience. I was disappointed to anticipate a solo
from her and then find out by the end of the song that she only played as an accompanist.
Regardless, the three who did perform solos managed to execute short measures of improvisation
that wrote signatures of modernization done on the song. Aaron Gregor, a tenor sax soloist,
mastered his melody progressions on the sax, giving it a scat-singing feel. Given that he was the

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only soloist in their next performance selection Come Rain Come Shine, it is self-evident that
he is regularly featured in UCI Jazz performances and conveniently provides an adequate
saxophone solo.
A majority of the concert consisted of tributes from older big band swing styles which
were remastered by Dr. Rodriguez. The tribute in the concert that was the most noteworthy was
Afro Blues by Holton John, which clearly was the song in which the entire ensemble
emphasized in the performance. This selection began with Drummer Eso repeating a single
measure so many times that it seemed like the development of the song would be rather limited.
However, the meaning of the repetitive drum solo wasnt lifeless, as the pulse evidently warmed
up the band with energy for the rest of the nine minute song. That energy was clearly
demonstrated by all the band members throughout the ABCD song structure. The refrains
propelled by the rhythm section were catchy in a way that seems to explore jazz in ways beyond
twists on old big band swing. Bryce, a soloist on tenor saxophone, showcased his solo in a way
that could be associated with showy bebop solos. The jumps around different octaves in his solo
skillfully justified his showy movements during the solo and almost seemed to have set a mood
for competition in the solos. The next soloist on the trombone accepted the challenge and
provided a vibrant mix of whole notes and staccatos that only put more fire in the competition.
Overall, this selection was undeniably the best one of the evening, managing to showcase the
skills of the ensemble.
As big band swing piece transitioned to bluesy selections, I anticipated a highlight Latin
Jazz song, Romeos Smile, written by the bandleader himself. Started with a piano introduction
brought by Blaine Sayre, the Afro Cuban selection initiated a strong Latin feel that demanded
effort from the soloists. The first soloist, Rebecca Wilder on the alto saxophone, demonstrated

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facing that challenge, as her improvisation started out with making a twist on the main melody of
the song and then finally began to reflect her confidence buildup in the improv. As she had
embers lit on her improvisation, the next soloist got up while Rebecca was still playing and had
only used his presence to indicate that he was going to start, suggesting that the ensemble could
use some more work on queuing between solos. Nevertheless, he raised the bar with his solo,
which was undeniable in groove with the rhythm section, even enabling the front line
instruments to come in and out at a few parts of his solo. There was clearly a competitive vibe
between soloists in this piece when the guitarist, who was the final soloist, brought an
unexpected amount of effort into his solo that truly vitalized the Latin atmosphere in the song.
His use of the strings in the guitar sent the entire performance to a jazz festival in Colombia.
Looking at the song as a whole, it is clear that the band was able to master the feel of the song
and make it seem as if everything was written with no improvisation.
The UCI Jazz Orchestra selected Freedom Blues to be the take-home song of the
concert, written by Dr. Rodriguez himself. The upbeat blues composition was mainly used to
demonstrate what the ensemble stood for as near the ending the bandleader shouted Jazz
music! while pointing out the different band members. He took on the main solo with the
trumpet, proving that how capable the rhythm section was of setting the background for his
spirited solo. His run through the scales of the trumpet, use of unexpected pauses, and energetic
swing in his improvisation would answer why he was Grammy-nominated. To conclude, the
audience was engaged with every performance and while the skill level of the band members is
always under improvement, the ensemble is closely networked with each other during rehearsal
and performance. I anticipate that the ensemble would be award-winning in the future, given that
the members commit to working with Dr. Rodriguez over years to come.