Combining a method of music that was upbeat and original, the masses of Crouse College sat in awe while in the presence of the Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble.

‘The show was fantastic and was everything I could have expected from a live jazz concert,’ said Chris Reynolds, a sophomore linguistics major.

Last night, an ensemble comprised of five saxophonists, five super saxophonists, two pianists, three drummers, three bass players, two trombonists and four trumpet players played to the scattered crowd. Together, these musicians put on an amazing show. They offered a variety of sounds that would have had everyone in jazz clubs across the country dancing and spinning for hours at a time.

Shows like this are able to allow audience members to be blow away by the powerful feeling of exceptionally well-crafted music, as well as permit musicians to become a part of the crowd.

‘I know most of the people in the performance, and they usually put on great shows,’ said Vince Insalaco, a junior music industry major. ‘These shows also bring back fond memories of my jazz band experience in high school.’

The show featured pieces by jazz artists such as Miles Davis, James Moody, Jimmy Heath and Cedric Walton.

‘The musicians did an amazing job of bringing the pieces to life by adding their own flavor to each of the pieces, and I really enjoyed that,’ Reynolds said.

One of the highlights of the show was soloist Jack Taylor, a senior music industry major, who displayed his amazing talents on the trumpet on the piece ‘Ojos de Rojo.’ Taylor has been playing the trumpet for 12 years, and a few of his inspirations are Miles Davis, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and John Scofield. As talented as he is alone, Taylor enjoys playing with the rest of the ensemble equally.

‘The group consists of a bunch of young and inspired musicians who are enthusiastic about learning how to play good jazz,’ Taylor said.

‘I am a big fan of jazz, and I especially enjoyed the trumpet solo by (Taylor),’ said Monica Ladegard, a senior fashion design major.

Saxophonist and composer, Walt Weiskopf was the guest soloist of the night. Weiskopf was a current member of the Buddy Rich Big Band and the Toshika Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. He is currently an associate professor at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester.

Ladegard commented that Weiskopf’s ‘Turncoat’ was her favorite performance because of its upbeat and fast pace.

‘When asked what my requirements are for a guest performer, I first say they have to be a great jazz musician and secondly a good educator. Walt Weiskopf is both of these, and this is why I chose him,’ said Joe Riposo, director of jazz studies.

‘Weiskopf is a great musician with good communication skills, something most jazz musicians have a lack thereof,’ Taylor said.

The Morton Schiff Jazz Ensemble usually puts on two shows each semester, so for those who missed last night’s performance, make sure to catch a their future performances near the end of the year.

Published on April 11, 2006 at 12:00 pm